Unless you are in an area that specialises in Tea Shops, its often hard to find good venues to relax with a coffee or tea and eat cake. Why go to the big chains like Starbucks, when you have alternatives.
London
If you really want to go up market and have Afternoon Tea somewhere grand, like The Athenaeum or The Berkeley, then great, but if you are looking for something cheaper, then here are a few options.
- Design Museum – they sell Konditor & Cook cakes, always a good sign.
- Del’Aziz
- Fig & Olive
- The Table
- 5th View Bar & Food
- The County Hall Bakery
New York
Actually the Starbucks I have been to in New York are a lot better than London. I had an amazing piece of Cognac and Pumpkin cheese cake in one on the Upper East Side, but for something more unique try:-
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Cafe Sabarsky – Tucked away within the Neue Gallerie in Upper East Side, great for Viennese pastries.
Paris
Pretty much the home of the pâtisserie, so you are spoilt for choice, however for an inexpensive option, try:-
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La fourmi ailee– Salon de thé.
or for a not so inexpensive option, visit Ladurée.
Off topic, but also worth mentioning is The Chocolate Consultancy – Parisian Chocolatiers Map showing locations of some really good Chocolatiers in Paris.