Try Tea From London's Best Tea Suppliers

If you don't know a lot about tea but enjoy drinking it and would like to take some home as a souvenir, check out  Harrods, Fortnum & Mason, and the Buckingham Palace shop in London. They're not exclusively tea shops, but they have some wonderful tins that would look great in your kitchen for years or would make a lovely gift to take back home.

Harrods: 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL

Fortnum & Mason: 181 Piccadilly, London W1A 1ER

Buckingham Palace: Westminster, London SW1A 1AA

teanamu is a small, independent tea supplier run by Pei Wang, a tea and Chinese culture expert who enjoys sharing his knowledge of tea. He holds tea appreciation classes and runs free tastings at a chaya teahouse in the Shepherd’s Bush district. 

4 Melina Road, Shepherd’s Bush, London W12 9HZ

The East India Company was established 400 years ago during the Elizabethan era. Its English merchants traveled to India, Burma, Malaya, Java, Indo-China, and beyond to bring back new foods and drinks: herbs, spices, teas, coffees, chocolates, and fruits made into preserves and chutneys. Today, The East India Company has a flagship store in central London, plus all products are available online. Visit the store if you can because there are teas and nibbles to try.

7-8 Conduit Street, London W1S 2XF

Twinings has had a tea shop on The Strand in London since 1717. The Strand shop stocks a wide range of specialty teas as well as fruit and herbal infusions, iced teas, and coffee blends. There's a great range of gifts including teapots, cups, mugs, biscuits, cakes, and chocolates. There is also a small museum that tells the history of the Twinings family, along with artifacts and unusual items from the world of tea.

216 The Strand, London WC2R 1AP

Postcard Teas is owned by Timothy ​d'Offay, who has dedicated himself to all things tea. He travels the world to bring back the best tea and accessories for this delightful tea shop near Oxford Street.

9 Dering St., Mayfair, London W1S 1AG

The Tea House on Neal Street in Covent Garden is a well-known landmark in the area. It sells 100+ tea varieties from around the world as well as associated tea paraphernalia. The novelty teapots remain a popular buy, and the shop always smells nice. 

15 Neal Street, London WC2H 9PU

Drury Tea & Coffee is a family-owned business that started in London in 1936. Drury has a central London store where they slow roast their own coffee blends. They also employ their own tea tasters to ensure high standards. There are more than 100 tea varieties available that can be bought loose or in gift tea caddies. The staff is approachable and willing to offer advice to help you make a choice. If you also like coffee, you'll notice that the Covent Garden store has a wonderful smell from the coffee roasting.

3 New Row, Covent Garden, London WC2N 4LH

East Teas in Borough Market wants us to ditch the tea bags and get back to enjoying loose-leaf tea. It's a London-based company that sources directly from tea makers, growers, and suppliers in the country of origin, and it encourages its suppliers to use traditional methods and processes.

Tea2You is also at Borough Market and specializes in Darjeeling tea. Ratan, the owner, imports the Darjeeling tea himself and loves to help customers choose the right Darjeeling for them. He also donates money to St. Mary's School in Darjeeling, India.

East Teas: 8 Southwark St., London SE1 1TL

Tea2You:  Bedal Street, Borough Market, London SE1 1TL

Whittard has many branches across London and the United Kingdom. The tea shops have a wide variety of teas, but it's all pre-packaged so you can't sniff and touch it before buying. The packaging is usually nice however, and the Chinaware is always popular. You'll also find great gift sets and delicious biscuits. Walter Whittard established his tea company in 1886, so there's a strong London tea connection. Check its website to find the closest location near you.