Dry January is never fun, but this year the gloom was brightened with a visit to Teatulia, Covent Garden’s striking new tea-shop, recently opened on Neal Street.

Offering a good selection of 100% organic, single-origin tea, Teatulia takes its name from Tetulia, the region of north Bangladesh where the tea is grown.  They have their own garden where the tea is grown and harvested by hand, using only natural pesticides such as Neem leaf.

The tea-shop itself is calm, bright, characterful and a lovely place to relax and unwind and forget you are in hectic Covent Garden.  We were really impressed by the attention to detail that had gone into the design (best described as a modern, colonial look) and the knowledgeable, friendly staff.  Of the 8 teas available, we tried Jasmine Green and Lemon Grass but there was also a good selection of cocktails, mocktails (all tea-based) and a library stocked with literary offerings from some of the world’s leading creative thinkers – perfect for that half an hour get away from the busy city streets!

And, if you enjoy your tea so much you want to have it at home, Teatulia also sell their fresh-leaf teas in beautiful quirky tins either in store or online, so if you can’t make it into town, you can create your own mini oasis of calm at home.