Salla VartiainenAfternoon tea review – A.C. Perch´s tea room in Stockholm
A.C. Perchs teashop and tearoom is located at the lively Nybrogatan in Stockholm. This Danish tea-brand opened it’s first shop in 1835 in Copenhagen and is nowadays a purveyor to the Royal Court in Sweden.
On this sunny saturday, the outdoor restaurants are filled with tourists and people enjoying glasses of cava and lunch in the sunshine. The tea house is located right in the mix and also has some outdoor tables on the street.
The venue
When you step inside you find your self in the tea shop which has over 150 different blends of tea! The place is small and calm with the tea shop located in the front and with a separated section in the back serving as the tea room.
Eight tables in black lacquer, soft lighting and Chet Baker playing in the background. Art deco colored interior design and comfortable cognac colored sofas. Through the open door you can hear the soft mumbling of people in the outdoor restaurants.
I almost have the whole place to my self, only one of the tables inside are occupied by a couple. This place is much more relaxed than the afternoon teas in London and Paris. It´s actually more like a cozy café than a full fledged afternoon tea experience.
Afternoon tea at A.C. Perch in Stockholm
I already know what I want but I look through the menu anyway. In addition to the afternoon tea there is a selection of small dishes on the menu, like tea and scones, petit fours and danish smörrebröd with lax.
The tea-menu has a lot to choose from, but there are no descriptions of the teas which makes it difficult to know what to choose..
The waitress recommends a Ceylon OP which pairs well with food, so we go with that. Only one pot of tea is included in the price.
Tourists come in to the tea shop to smell the teas and to marvel at the cute gift sets. They ponder if it´s too early to buy christmas gifts and end up buying some blends. A guy who has been invited to an asian dinner pops in and wants a recommendation for teas that go well with asian food. The clerk is very helpful guiding him through different tea sorts and coming with suggestions.
The size of the place allows you to easily listen to others conversations, but it´s in no way disturbing.
Sandwiches
The waitress comes in with the classical three tiered stand and asks if I would like a presentation of the food, which I do. I immediately manage to forget what she says though.
When drinking Afternoon tea you always start with the sandwiches. They are usually placed in the bottom tier of the cake stand and today we have 3 different types.
The first sandwich is a small curry chicken on Danish rye topped with chive. It´s delicious and I find my self wishing it was bigger!
The second sandwich is a soft triangular white bread sandwich with chicken, mayo and kress. The kress gives it some kick but it´s not a memorable sandwich.
I make a mess on my plate with the mayo, but unlike at The Nomad Hotel in London, no one comes along and discreetly swaps the plate.
Oops no manners..
The last sandwich is also a soft white bread sandwich with cream cheese and thinly sliced cucumber, which gives the sandwich a nice crisp.
The Ceylon OP tea turns out to be a pretty boring tea. It tastes like english breakfast but without the bitterness. But it does indeed go well with the food!
Scones
The scones are buttery and served with jam, whipped cream and lemon curd. Traditionally the scones are served with jam and clotted cream so the lemon curd is an interesting twist. But I must say I much prefer the jam to the lemon curd.
Sweets
To the sweets I order a pot of White temple tea which is A.C Perches own blend. It smells heavenly when it arrives and the brew is light yellow, light, fruity and smells of pineapple! The sweets consists of a mango cheesecake which is very very sweet and a small cake with nuts and some kind of filling. Could have traded them for some more of that rye bread honestly!
The tea room is a nice place to have a small break. Nice atmosphere, very calm and relaxing, totally ok food but nothing special really. The price of the Afternoon tea is good though, only 390 sek (approx. 36 euro) and I can see my self returning here with a book or a friend.
On my way out I buy some of the White temple tea to bring home to my husband!
The lovely woman in the store told me they still weigh their tea the old fashion way!
Score
The score lands at 3.5
Food 3
Atmosphere 3.5
Service 3
First impression 3
Price 5
xoxo/Salla V
You might be interested in reading my other Afternoon Tea reviews