Decaf tea or coffee in London

You need to look for places offering cream teas which is usually scone, jam, clotted cream and a pot of tea. You might think about the tea room at one of the large London department stores. Selfridges do one for 10 pounds.

Many, many years ago my Mum and I would go there as a special treat when we went up to London. I always felt so very grown up!

Missed the question on decaf coffee and tea, yes it is available just about anywhere.

Of course they have decaf in London. Just go in any cafe and ask for one. Try not to make things harder for yourself then they are.

Nearly a Starbucks on every corner in London. IMHO Costa or Cafe Nero have much better coffee though. Regular or decaf.

As far as scones in an informal setting try a Gail's Artisan Bakery, the one on Portobello Road is quite nice or the Beas of Bloomsbury near the British Museum.

Decaf coffee is available everywhere. Decaf tea is a little more unusual.

I agree that tea rooms in museums and shops are good for "cream teas". There will normally be an option of scones, jam & clotted cream at any of the museum cafes.

If you want tea without caffeine try Rooibos or Red Bush (they are the same thing). The tea is a reddish colour, and because it is a different leaf there is no caffeine at all. Most places will have it.

Decaf coffee is almost universally available. Decaf tea is much rarer because, as Nigel said, most people who want to avoid caffeine drink rooibos or another herbal tea instead. Rooibos doesn't taste like normal tea either - it has a very distinctive and hard to describe flavour which I personally like.

Additionally you'll find peppermint tea, camomile tea & various fruit teas on offer in most places - these are all more common than decaf ordinary tea.

thecarters, thank you for asking this question. I am heading to England in September and don't drink anything with caffeine. I, too, want to experience the scones w/ clotted cream and jam. I wasn't sure if herbal teas would be very popular but glad to know that they are. Looking forward to trying this Rooibos tea!

Look, there's no problem with serious "coffee bars", like those that compete with Starbucks. But it has been my experience that many parts of Europe, including France and Belgium, when the only basic item is "drip coffee" from the kitchen, the alternative is a foil packet of Sanka.

I wish it were true than England still considered tea bags barbaric. But they don't anymore. I would bring decaf tea if you like it.

There are plenty of bakeries that can serve individual orders of scones and clotted cream, at a small table. Just don't go at a peak time when they might have many parties that want larger orders. I can't urge you to go so far just for the pastries, but I really like The Maids of Honour, opposite Kew Gardens. There have to be dozens of places in downtown London that can serve you just scones. The question is whether they will be freshly griddle baked or not. You have to go high-end to get high-end.

".....But it has been my experience that many parts of Europe, including France and Belgium, when the only basic item is "drip coffee" from the kitchen, the alternative is a foil packet of Sanka...."

I don't think I've been anywhere in Europe (and I've travelled extensively) where I've ever been offered percolated coffee! Every coffee I have had has come from a proper coffee machine. In fact the most percolated coffee I've been offered has been in the US.

I am the author of the post about bringing decaf teabags for afternoon tea at Tea & Tattle. I actually purchased this tea at Tesco while in England. I didn't want to drink other herbal teas but instead wanted to have the taste of black tea with full caffeine with milk, with scones, sandwiches and cake. My favorite tea is Assam but so far I have not found it decaffeinated. I asked at Tea & Tattle but they only had herbal teas like mint or chamomile and others. So I've learned to come prepared.

While in one Scandinavian city we saw a Dunkin' Donuts & stopped to see about a decaf coffee with no luck. The worker was actually English and advised there just wasn't much call for decaf. I generally did not see it listed on any menus. I saw a Starbucks in Bergen and was very happy to get a decaf coffee there. When in Windsor I got decaf coffee at the shopping center at a coffee shop at the train station. Again, I had to ask for it. So do ask for decaf tea and or decaf coffee, though you are more likely to be successful with coffee rather than black tea. As a rule there will herbal teas on offer with no caffeine.

I certainly didn't travel to the UK or Scandinavia to see a place just like home but in light of the fact caffeine seems to be a factor in certain medical conditions maybe access to decaf beverages will change over time. I would hate to have to do without either decaf tea or decaf coffee, and especially for an afternoon tea. And if you look at the amount of caffeine in decaf versus regular coffee or tea there is a significant difference. So when I want black tea I bring decaf tea bags or drink herbals with no caffeine. It's now a necessity for me to do so.

You might think that since decaff tea is easily found in any supermarket of a decent size that it would be found in any establishment selling the drink, but outside of the chains it is still surprisingly rare although speciality teas in general are common when they used to be rare so maybe it is a matter of time.