Food Frolics: Maison Bertaux, Greek Street

In the week after getting home from Mexico, I was meant to do an afternoon shift at work. I was already on Kingsway when I got a call cancelling my student so I decided to walk across Soho to Maison Bertaux, a patisserie recommended to me by a friend a couple of months before. It was a hot, dusty day (thirty degrees plus) and I appreciated the shelter. I wasn’t at all prepared for the interior of Maison Bertaux. It’s a girl’s dream. There are trinkets, ribbons and strips of neon pink mesh fabric everywhere. It was like taking afternoon tea in a princess’s bedroom.

Decorations aside, Maison Bertaux serves great cakes. There is a fantastic, well thought-out selection catering for a loyal customer base. It is clear that the recipes have been perfected over time as the cakes are light and sweet, not dense, clumsy and mass-made like some of the choices at branches of Patisserie Valerie. All sorts of people were sitting in that afternoon: yummy mummies taking a break from shopping, businessmen sneaking in a treat on their lunch break, old ladies chatting away. The staff seem to enjoy working there and are happy to chat and recommend cakes for different occasions. Next time I want to sit and have a long chat with a girlfriend, this is where I’ll go.

Food Frolics: Bea’s of Bloomsbury, Theobald’s Road

One portion of afternoon tea

Two portions of afternoon tea

Scone of dreams

Peanut butter cupcake

As soon as I heard the words ‘afternoon tea’, I imagined pompous porcelain and extravagant eateries. Bea’s of Bloomsbury changed my perceptions completely. A small, unassuming café in the middle of Bloomsbury (it’s actually pretty easy to miss without a big, obvious sign marking it out), Bea’s offers afternoon tea for £8. Not a bad deal considering one order is enough for two! The staff don’t pester you to buy more. In fact, you can just sit and watch them bringing out all the freshly baked goods and decorating epic special occasion cakes. They’re not snooty at all; they’re more than happy to put more hot water in your teapot without even the slightest grimace. I’d recommend the peanut butter cupcakes with jasmine tea! Also, the scones are exactly how scones are meant to be: warm and crumbly and perfect with jam on top. I was only recommended Bea’s a couple of months ago, but I’ve already been three times. What does that tell you?

Food Frolics: SNOG, Berwick Street

When my friend Issy first told me about Snog, I raised an eyebrow at its name. Snog? I swear that’s a naff slang term for kiss? When she explained (conveniently, on a warm, sunny day) that it’s a frozen yoghurt place with a difference, I was more than sold.

My Snog of choice: Green tea frozen yoghurt with strawberries and Oreos

Verdict: Delicious. I bought the Snog special for £4.25, and while this is a bit steep for a tub of frozen yoghurt, the taste more than makes up for it. That and I did feel rather (*ahem*) hip sitting in a pink cafe in the middle of Soho. I’d recommend the green tea flavoured frozen yoghurt for its not-too-sickly sweetness and any of the fresh fruit toppings.