Mariage Frères

The world’s most exclusive purveyor of luxury teas and France’s oldest tea house, Mariage Frères, has opened its first UK tea emporium in Covent Garden. Bringing tea savoir-faire to the capital, the brand’s largest branch to date will be housed in a beautiful five-storey listed Georgian townhouse on Covent Garden’s King Street. Offering the largest collection of teas in the world, from vintage and rare to fruit and herbal, the UK flagship of Mariage Frères in London will boast a stunning retail space, restaurant specialising in tea gastronomy, a tea museum and two private event spaces.

The Comptoir de Thé on the ground floor is an expansive tea emporium, incorporating the longest tea wall in the world, with close to 1,000 varieties of rare teas displayed apothecary-style in antique black canisters on floor-to-ceiling shelving. With that many teas there is surely something for everyone, whether you prefer earl grey and jasmine or want to branch out to Darjeeling and Marco Polo, the Mariage Frères teahouse in London has got just the flavour for you.

The Tea Emporium’s other beautifully packaged products include an assortment of tea-flavoured and tea-scented items such as signature fragrances, incense and candles, confectionery, gift sets, distinctive teapots and teacups, books, strainers, and tea paraphernalia. A selection of freshly brewed Mariage Frères teas will also be available to-go alongside freshly prepared sweet and savoury pastries on the ground floor.

On the first floor, diners at the 100-cover Salon de Thé will be seated in the ornate gallery, flooded with daylight from the atrium above and surrounded by an intricate listed heritage balustrade. Open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, Mariage Frère’s unique Cuisine au Thé concept runs throughout the menus with head chef, Felix Richard, using tea as a delicate ingredient, spice or flavouring.

The Musée du Thé on the second floor will showcase tea antiques from around the world. Hand-illustrated oak and beech tea chests, pewter tea boxes, Chinese furniture made of carved wood, caddies, cannisters, teapots, old archives and an array of curiosities will line the walls providing a fascinating insight into the history of tea.

About Mariage Frères

Mariage Frères has been operating out of the Marais district of Paris since 1854 when it was founded by brothers Henri and Edouard Mariage. Its exceptional reputation, specialist tea salons across the world, gourmet products and unique Cuisine au Thé concept has created an iconic French brand favoured by haute couture fashion houses, supermodels and celebrities. Now gracing the UK with its very own London tea shop, come and explore their world of tea and all its varieties.