Edit "Orange Pekoe, SW13 0PX"

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Tea shop and cafe in [[Locale Barnes|Barnes]].  All the tea is loose-leaf, and is also available to take away and brew at home.

Entry is into a small space with a service counter piled with cakes and pastries.  Steps lead up from here to a succession of three seating areas, two small and cosy and the other larger and lighter.  The decor is traditional without being twee: wooden flooring, subtly flocked wallpaper, white-painted brickwork, ornately framed mirrors, and old-fashioned sideboards and china cabinets.

[[Kake]] visited on a Monday morning in September 2017.  It was almost entirely full when I arrived a little before 9:30am, and I was lucky to get the last interior table &#8212; a small round table for one in a corner, flanked by a comfortable armchair.  Music was playing very quietly, mostly drowned out by conversation.

From their breakfast menu <small>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/36349158474/ photo as of Sep 2017]</small> I chose smashed avocado with poached egg on rye toast with chilli and lime (&pound;8.50) <small>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/36349566704/ photo]</small>.  The rye bread had a good flavour and a nicely substantial crust; I was glad they'd given me a serrated knife to cut through it.  The egg was poached just right, with a runny yolk and properly set white.  The chilli was scattered around the edge of the plate, letting me choose how much of it I wanted.  My only minor criticism would be that the avocado itself was on the watery side rather than being creamy.

I accompanied this with a pot of Ceylon Pettiagalla (&pound;4.50 for a very generously-sized pot), which was fully brewed and the leaves removed before being brought to the table, to make sure it didn't over-brew while it sat.  I am generally quite fussy about tea and always order generic tea "weak" to avoid stewed-ness, but here I didn't need to give any special instructions; I chose a tea that was listed as giving a light brew and let them get on with it, and the result was just right.

Service was friendly and helpful; they were happy to advise me on the best tea to have with my breakfast, going through and explaining the characteristics of each.

[[Kake]]'s verdict: I'd happily come back.  I've been meaning to come here for years, and I'm sorry I left it so long.

Child-friendliness: There's a pull-down nappy change table in the handwash area, and they have at least two highchairs (the type with no tray and very little back support).  There was a small baby in during our visit, and the staff immediately volunteered to move tables to make room for the pram.

Accessibility: A large step to get in, two or three more steps to most of the seating, and a couple more steps from there to the toilet (a single unisex cubicle).

See also:
* [http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/reviews/fancy-restaurants-are-going-to-the-wall-could-this-be-the-perfect-time-to-open-a-tearoom-984042.html The Independent review]
* [http://eastward-ho.com/?p=1208 The Real Tea Lady article]
* [https://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/orange-pekoe Time Out review]
* [http://www.totallyrichmond.co.uk/blog/review-of-orange-pekoe/ Totally Richmond review]

<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]], September 2017.</div>

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