teanamu chaya teahouse

When looking for a spot for our last london bloggers meetup, i came across a most enchanting and unique place. Teanamu chaya teahouse is every bit what i imagined it to be and so much more. Run by the lovely pei wang, a tea master and buddhist, the tea house is a true sanctuary in the middle of notting hill.

The ceremony, for me, starts with trying to book a place. No phone number is displayed but an email address where you state your desired day and times. Once booking is confirmed you get a very detailed explanation of how to find the place. All this contributed to the excitement and anticipation.

Upon arrival, you immediately know you’re in for a treat!

Coming from the hussle and bustle of london life, you are greeted with a zen-like atmosphere, peaceful and serene surroundings which, with immediate effect, put me into a meditative state of mind. Every bit of my body went into relaxation mode and stayed there until i left a few hours later. That, surely, must be the way forward in preventative medicine. I predict an afternoon at pei’s pad will do wonders for the adrenaline junkies! There are only a few tables, so booking is essential as it’s only open on saturdays and sundays.

Once we were seated at our table the tea ceremony started. Pei’s extensive knowledge is fascinating. Happy to be advised by him he proceeded to ask each of us some questions about our well-being, likes, dislikes and possible intolerances. Armed with the information he will recommend one of his many teas, together with the bespoke tisane infusions which can be mixed and matched. We were all just too happy to leave it all up to the master himself!!

The other surprising element is that pei offers the most delicious home-made vegetarian, preservative-free snacks which are mouth watering and a feast for the eyes.

Have i wet your appetite yet? After everyone left, pei kindly allowed me to take some more photographs.

This next shot is pei’s personal table where he likes to sit, have tea and read. He brought it with him when moving to london and you can feel the ancient history locked inside of it.

Below is a luo han, a plant best known for its fruit. Pei thinks it looks like a meditating monk. It’s 9 years old, made into a bonsai and is fruiting for the 1st time. I tried to capture this in the second photo. Can you spot it?

Here are some more shots of this amazing place.

I LOVED it and cannot wait to return often. We all had an amazing time and in times of stress I will just imagine myself sitting at pei’s table and spending a couple of hours reading and enjoying his tea and snacks.

I want to thank the lovely paige, wedding photographer extraordinaire, for spending some time that day giving me invaluable tips and tricks for taking better photographs. The more advanced photographers amongst you will know which ones here were supervised:))

I hope everyone had a nice weekend and for those in the uk, you’ve enjoyed the last bank holiday of the year.

Tomorrow i’m off to sunbury antiques market and on wednesday i’m attending the paralympics opening ceremony. Yay! I’ll be back on thursday. See ya x