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I’m going to go right ahead and say it – tea has never been my kind of thing. Coffee is…which explains why I drink the latter so often and hardly ever tea. But tea can be quite a treat especially those that are fruit or floral infused.

Betjeman & Barton carries more than a hundred green, black, white, oolong, puerh and rooibos teas – sourced from China, Japan, India and Ceylon, including the superior quality Japon Gyokyro. Depending on your personal preference, the staff will recommend a tea (full bodied, light, smoked or scented) to suit your mood and time.

I like the look and feel of the outlet – spacious and brightly lit to allow me to admire the teapots and colourful canisters on display. All are for sale, if you’re wondering. rif and I tried two types of tea that afternoon; The Vert Malesherbes and The Pouchkine, priced at RM24 per teapot and is good for 4 cups.

Between the two, I rather enjoyed The Vert Malesherbes, a Sencha green tea with both fruity and floral hints of rose petals, passionfruit, peach and strawberries. Very pleasant to drink.

The Pouchkine is Betjeman & Barton’s oldest and most popular tea – a Russian tea with bergamot from Calabria, citrus fruits and fruit peels. This can be a tad strong at first sip, but it grows on you. It grew on me. The Pouchkine can also be enjoyed cold (RM15) but I found this a tad sweet for my liking.

With the teas, we tucked into assorted macarons (RM24 for 6 pieces) prepared by Betjeman & Barton’s French pastry chef. They were pretty good – delicate yet moist at the centre, especially the black sesame and hazelnut. The only odd one out was the vanilla, which was dry and crumbled when I bit into it.

The chocolate mousse (RM14.90) and lemon cheesecake (RM12.90) were good stuff. I liked that the cheesecake was rich with a well-balanced tang from the lemon, while the chocolate mousse was decadent with a surprise crunchy centre.

French style ice cream comes in mini waffle baskets (RM15); a pretty sight. The waffle baskets are fully imported while the ice cream is prepared in the central kitchen. A bit messy to eat, but a nice alternative if you’re not a fan of cakes.

Betjeman & Barton also serves assorted chocolate pralines (RM3.50 for one, or RM42 per box of 12) – in dark or milk variety. My favourites were hazelnut (a must try!), raspberry milk, dark praline, cappuccino and truffle.

If you’re planning to gift the tea to someone, opt for the pretty canisters on display, priced between RM49 & RM69. Betjeman & Barton is also offering Afternoon Tea for RM60 – it wasn’t available when we visited but that’s an option to consider if you’re planning to visit soon. :)

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Ambiance: 7/10 Price: 6/10 Food: 6.5/10 (pork free) Verdict: I rather enjoyed the experience. If you’re a tea lover, this is a place to check out. Even if you’re not, it’s still a good place to have afternoon tea and people watch.

Betjeman & Barton
Lot G220, Ground Floor,
1 Utama Shopping Mall (Old Wing)
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