The Teapot — Restaurant in London

I went to The Teapot Forest Hill today as I had been told that it was a nice coffee shop to go and relax. In fact, it had many good reviews on Google so I decided to give it a go. It was my day off today so I also thought it'd be nice to treat myself to a nice breakfast and enjoy the atmosphere, however, the whole experience ended up being a little bit disappointing.

I arrived early in the morning and the coffee shop was pretty full. I asked for a table. The barista told me I had to wait about 10 minutes, which I did. I mean, I was not in a hurry so I did not mind. Less than 10 minutes later, a woman left and the barista offered me her place. This tiny space was next to the main door, in front of the window, and with a very tall stool as the only option for me. This was the first letdown of the day as I specifically requested a table so I could work on my laptop while I was having my breakfast. The worst thing was that so many people came after me and they were offered a table when I was told by the barista that they would all be very busy for a while.

After this incident, I stopped insisting on the table because I knew they were not going to offer me one. I am starting to get used to it now to be honest because I tend to go to many places by myself–including coffee shops and restaurants–so they will always give me the tiniest space so they do not end up wasting an entire table on just one person.

Then, I asked whether they had any WIFI. It did not work and if you were to join a specific network you had to pay for it. Seriously? What kind of coffee shop (with WIFI) is this one? The whole point of me going to work to a coffee shop today was in order for me to leave my place for a while and take some fresh air and enjoy a different environment but this did not work.

Finally, getting served took ages because I noticed that they only focus on pleasing people and filling in the place but they don't really take care of their patrons in the first place. I felt that I was being judged by the baristas since the moment I first entered the establishment. When I asked the girl for a hot chocolate and a scone she looked at me with a clueless expression in her face and said, "umm okay?" Then, she brought my breakfast and she event forgot the cutlery ^^'. Finally, there was no hand sanitiser available or at least that I could see right away once I went inside.

In summary, a total disaster. Something that seemed to be promising and I was looking forward to doing ended up being a completely disappointing and upsetting experience. At least, the only good thing I can say is that, even when my morning was kinda ruined for a moment and I did not get any work done, the hot chocolate was nice and also cheap.

So, yeah… Not the most pleasing experience I've ever had. I do not usually post any reviews in here. In fact, I am probably the easiest person on earth to please. I am not picky at all and I tend to be happy and give a chance to pretty much every situation but I definitely feel like I had to say something in here because I was not comfortable with what happened.

Perhaps, it was just an isolated event and it was just bad luck but even so I don't think I will be back. I'll probably stick to places that I know because sometimes having high expectations on new places can be very...

Absolutely heavenly! Had breakfast here while staying in South London on holiday from Seattle. We ate Moroccan lamb pie, steak pie, earl grey lemon cake, salted caramel cake, with tea and coffee. I found everything to be of superb quality and perfectly baked. Moroccan lamb pie had chick peas inside and sweet and spicy gravy inside with a hint of cinnamon, the lamb was not over powered by the spices and was tender. Both cakes were just, not overt or under baked, not overly sweet, all the flavors come across well. Salted caramel cake was crispy caramelized around the edge, like a corner brownie. The icing was a rich cream cheese, sweet and salty. The earl grey cake was fantastic, zesty, tart, and just a little sweet, with just the right amount of floral and tea flavor. This had a light and lemony glaze on top. Had Americano black coffee, strongly brewed and generously portioned. Highly recommend after only one visit, I wish I would have gone more on my trip, but didn't give it a chance until the day...

The décor and atmosphere of the place are very cosy and charming, and the staff provide excellent service. It’s both pet-friendly and baby-friendly, making it a wonderful spot for the local community.

However, the food was rather average. The dishes were served on large plates, but the baked potato could have benefitted from cheese that was a bit more melted. The portion of salad that came with the meal was quite small, and the avocado panini was somewhat lacking in avocado, with only four very thin slices. That said, the sundried tomatoes paired well with the rest of the flavours.

Overall, two adults having one sandwich each may find the portions insufficient to feel full.

In conclusion, it's a lovely place to relax, and I would happily return to enjoy a peaceful weekend afternoon. However, the food might be something...