To a Tea: The English Tearoom Opens Near Shunyi

Mo, a Chinese fellow, met an English girl in Oxford. They've since had two kids. These formative experiences have combined to create The English Tearoom, which is indisputably two things: patriotic to Britannia and family-friendly. It's fair to warn you that there may be children here, and that they come first. This is Shunyi territory, after all. There's a whole room set aside for the little ones, but the other room is for adults and geared to those who prefer peace and quiet – just how a tearoom should be.

This authenticity will only benefit from its location. When we made the trip, the weather was British enough to warrant finding safe haven in a cup of tea and a slice of cake. Teas span the supermarket shelf from bog standard PG Tips (RMB 20-30/pot) to Twinings (RMB 30-45/pot) to the boutique brand teapigs (RMB 40-60/pot). Cakes similarly run the gamut. Hats off to the chef for her Victoria sponges (RMB 30 per slice), available with buttercream and without, which were fit to grace any village fete.

There’s more to life than afternoon tea, though. There’s also brunch and elevenses to contend with apart from breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mo and his wife have it all covered. A jacket potato with Heinz beans (RMB 55), full English breakfasts with black pudding (RMB 98), and Scotch eggs (RMB 58) are all menu highlights, along with Marmite sandwich on your choice of bread (RMB 48). For those of us who do not live in Shunyi, the English Tearoom is a bit of a destination, but it’s perfect for getting away from it all and reading some Poirot. Jonathan White

Also try: Vineyard Cafe, Lido Deli

The English Tearoom 英国茶房 Daily 8am-7pm. Inside Chuangyi Yuan, 1A Shunhuang Lu (behind Beidong Flower Market), Sunhe Township, Chaoyang District (8459 4407, 158 1099 8410) www.englishtearoombeijing.com 朝阳区孙河乡顺黄路甲1号创意园内(北东花卉后面)

By subway: 1.5km north of Sunhe station (Line 15)

Photo: Jonathan White