the tea room at svenskt tenn

Last November I met a new friend for the first time over a lunch-ish cup of tea. For a moment we were ladies who lunch. In a rather special place. Ever since the posh Swedish interior design shop Svenskt Tenn (Swedish Tin) re-opened last October - on the very distinguished day called Pia's birthday no less - I had wanted to visit their tea room. Because yes, with the re-opening came a tea room, ah the bliss!

So I suggested this place for our first date -

I wish we had had more proper opportunities to meet, walk and talk before she went back to the US again, but sadly tragedy stroke in her life, things happened, those kind of walk and talks never did occur, life came in between... -

and it was indeed lovely. The ambiance, the setting and the food. However I was ravenous when I arrived, I had looked forward to a fancy afternoon tea-ish lunch but the things served turned out to be  t i n y  , delicious, but tiny - the bobbaloos thought they were perfectly sized of course - and it wasn't really satisfying as far as fullness goes. But again, the company, the milieu, the service and the flavours, pure loveliness.

I had a (bobbaloo sized) baguette with Appenzeller cheese, fig jam and mache lettuce, followed by a (nibble sized) chocolate cake accompanied by a fine pot of tea (the Svenskt Tenn Classic, black tea with raspberry, orange peel, blackberry, mango and sunflower). Yes it was all very tasty and refined, I do recommend a visit to this (very small, but darlin') tea room, but I also strongly recommend you not being hungry when you order something here, just peckish for a fika.

I love how Svenskt Tenn manages to combine poshness with unpretentiousness, good quality with a touch of madness and loads of colours. This is pretty much the opposite of IKEA, this is actually Swedish design one can be proud of for real. And even if it comes at prices most of us can't afford - at least not the larger pieces of furniture - the inspiration is completely free.

And having a ladies who lunch-moment in their tea room is perhaps not free, but quite affordable and very very enjoyable. Plus you can always buy some tea to enjoy a perfect cuppa of the stylishness that is Svenskt Tenn in your own home.

Preferably in the company of bobbaloos of course.