Hitting the sweet spot

Doesn't Shipp's look lovely? It's a gift to location finders and interiors magazines everywhere, a quirky riot of mismatched furniture, crockery and tablecloths, and funky little table decorations. I had a wooden musical tea tray on mine; on others, there were little knitted cupcakes. Elaborate gold mirrors and snowy white chandeliers complete the picture: a cute-as-pie addition to the Borough Market fringes.

The counter heaves with goodies: scones, butterfly cakes, cupcakes, Victoria sponges, cherry slices. They sit on tiered cake stands or glitter under glass domes. There are teas to suit any palate or occasion, from subtle Ceylon to fashionista green. The whole scene is one of quintessential English eccentricity.

But my slice of Victoria sponge is teeny weeny and a touch dry. A fruit scone the size of a £2 coin crumbles into desiccated, powdery crumbs at the application of a knife. With it come sundae dishes piled generously with rich clotted cream and jam; sadly, I don't like the jam, a gloopy, too-pink sugarathon. Salmon sandwiches are untidy, hand-knitted affairs. Shipp's is a sweet spot with its heart in very much the right place - service is super-friendly. But they need to sort out the underperforming cakes. Because a tearoom without the right cakes is like a vegetarian steakhouse: pointless.

Shipp's Tearooms
4 Park Street, SE1 9AB