I’m going to start this post with a moment of honesty. I’m really a coffee person - it’s even in my bio on the left! Without a good latte in the morning, I just don’t function, and an espresso after lunch and dinner is also a must. I’ve always thought that tea was a bit more elegant and refined, and I really enjoy a good cup of tea, but I couldn’t give up coffee completely.
That being said, recently I’ve gotten a bit more into tea - previously, I pretty much only drank tea when I was sick, which probably didn’t create the best connections in my subconscious, either! One of my good friends here in Copenhagen is English, and this weekend, she invited me to show me Perch’s Tea Room in the city center, and to enjoy an expertly brewed cuppa together with some British-style finger sandwiches, scones, and other goodies. So off we headed, on a sunny Saturday, to enter a world of tea.
Perch’s is a long-standing tea store in Copenhagen. Actually, just this year, they are celebrating their 180th birthday! Located in the cutest little old house on Kronprinsensgade, you can feel the magic already when you enter the stairwell leading up to the tea room above the store. It smells amazing, and makes you want to try as much of the aromatic deliciousness as you can.
The tea room itself is relatively small, but not tiny. There’s about 8-10 tables, maybe, so reservations are recommended, especially on the weekend. We were super lucky and got a small table in a cozy corner, away from the more crowded main room, and right under a window towards the busy little street downstairs. The interior is very tasteful and elegant, in neutral colors and fresh flowers everywhere.
As my friend had been here before, we didn’t have to study the menu very long. I’d also checked Instagram, Yelp, and other platforms before and had seen amazing pictures of a three-tiered étagère filled with delicacies, so I knew that I wanted “the whole shebang” - the tea ceremony!
Now all that was left to do was pick out the tea to go with it. No easy task, as the tea list is extensive and has classics like Indian Assam tea but also fun blends like coconut or green tea with mandarin.
I chose the “Baroness blend”, to stick with the elegant theme. The teas are stored in huge, golden tins stacked in shelves along the walls, and are brewed right there in the tea room.
The fragrance of freshly brewed tea filled the air while we were waiting for our order. But first, a glass of bubbles, obviously! The tea ceremony includes a glass of cémant, if you want, otherwise you can order it “plain” and focus only on the tea.
The whole setting is beautiful, by the way, using Royal Copenhagen porcelain either in crisp white, or the classic white and blue pattern. After a short wait, our teas were served in cute teapots, freshly brewed, steaming, and fragrant.
Followed by the star of the day - the three-tiered cake platter filled with our tea time snacks. We got huge, buttery scones, three different kinds of small tea sandwiches, and two different types of petit fours. Along with the scones came some jam, lemon curd, and whipped cream (unfortunately, they were out of clotted cream, which they normally offer).
Since we both had skipped breakfast to enjoy a lunch-timed tea, we couldn’t wait any longer and dug in, starting with the small sandwiches. True to the British way, the crust was cut off, of course! There was cheese, salmon, and cucumber with mint, all of them delicious.
The scones, at the top of the étagère, were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, buttery and rich. We topped them with the most delicious lemon curd - seriously, their lemon curd deserves a post of its own! They also sell lemon curd in the tea room, though I forgot to ask whether this is the same one they use.
Finally, we leaned back with the rest of our tea - especially my teapot seemed to be some sort of magic artifact that just would not go empty - but I didn’t mind, because the “Baroness blend” is a very well-balanced and delicious tea. Finally, we shared the petit fours. One of them was filled with marcipan and a rhubarb jelly (yum!), the other one was bursting with the most soft and creamy nougat.
After about two hours, we finished the last of our tea and headed back outside for a little stroll down the busy shopping streets - it seemed like all of Copenhagen was out enjoying the spring weather!
Practical info:
Perch’s Tea Room is located on Kronprinsensgade 5, close to the Round Tower. It’s open Mondays through Fridays from 11:30-17:30 and Saturdays from 11-17. Reservations can be made online. The entrance is on the right hand side of the store, where you’ll find the stairwell. The full tea ceremony costs DKK 225 (DKK 200 without the crémant), but you can have just sandwiches, petit fours, cake, or cheeses as well. I would recommend the full on experience though, it was really delicious!
Rich says
Love the shots of the cherry trees. Really beautiful! here was my impression of the city Copenhagen Denmark in a Nutshell cheers! :)
Laura says
Thank you, Rich! You can find a bunch more pictures here: http://thecopenhagentales.com/2015/04/23/pretty-in-pink-sakura-week-in-copenhagen/
Amanda says
I have fond memories of my time visiting Perch’s. Still have their teabags in NY pantry
Laura says
Hi Amanda, glad you liked Perch’s, too! I also have some of their teas here at home - I should make myself one :) Thanks for stopping by!