Back off Mayfair: London’s East End now has its own, hip afternoon tea – and it comes in a converted warehouse in London Fields. Here’s my review of Wringer + Mangle.
Wringer + Mangle is the first real East End afternoon tea, and once you walk into the building you will have no doubt you couldn’t be as far from the posh central London. Served Monday to Saturday from 2pm to 4pm, Wringer + Mangle’s high tea is an occasion to enjoy this wonderful British ritual without travelling to Mayfair or sitting in hotel lobbies.
Don’t let Wringer + Mangle fool you with its part co-working space, part warehouse vibe: its tea is way better than most posh teas. With a choice of leaves from all over the world and home-made cakes, it’s also way cheaper than in most places, offering an array of sandwiches, pastries and cakes with scones and clotted cream for only £18. You can also upgrade to Champagne  or gin cocktails beautifully presented in large self-cooling infusion jars and served in vintage teacups for £24.
It’s really hard to pick a favourite among the wide selection of teas available. We went for white and jasmine tea respectively, the perfect match to crumbly, warm and just out of the oven scones.
It’s with the cakes however that Wringer + Mangle outdid itself. Aside from a fresh Portuguese nata (custard) cake, their home-made chocolate cake and carrot cake were rich and filling as they should be,warming us up in a cold early spring afternoon with a lot of proper East End love.
Wringer + Mangle is a versatile space that starts quietly with breakfast, lunch, brunch and afternoon tea, to then serve up a mean dinner made of great mains and small plates, or a satisfying heart-warming Sunday roast. And just wait until the sky gets dark: Wringer + Mangle turns into a cocktail bar and a party venue just like every East London warehouse should do.
So whatever you’re after – be it tea, booze, cakes or just dinner – you’re sure to find it at Wringer + Mangle, East London style.
Pictures: Wringer + Mangle
Looks so yummy!