Two women with a vision
And to Rome came, in 1893, two young English young ladies from good families: they were Isabel Cargill, daughter of Captain Cargill, founder of the city of Dunedin in New Zealand, and Anna Maria Babington, descendant of that Antony Babington who was hanged in 1586 for conspiring against Elizabeth I. The two young women decided to invest their savings (£100) by opening a tea and reading room in the capital intended for the Anglo-Saxon community.
The venture entailed considerable risks especially because the custom of drinking tea, which was only sold in pharmacies at the time, was not widespread in Italy.
The Babingtons tea room was an immediate success both because Italy was for the British the destination of the Grand Tour and because it fitted into a Rome that was celebrating the Jubilee and the silver wedding of royals Umberto and Margherita and into which heads of state and members of the aristocracy and the international high society were flocking.
In Piazza di spagna
What used to be the palace stables, also the work, like the Staircase, of Francesco De Sanctis, were renovated and decorated according to the tastes of the time and soon, as The Roman Herald published, Babingtons Tea Room became the meeting place where “ladies and gentlemen, tired after a visit or busy for personal reasons in the city center could, in a cozy and pleasant environment, refresh themselves with a comforting cup of tea…”
the fourth generation
Run today by the fourth generation descended from Isabel, having survived two wars, several economic recessions as well as the arrival of fast food, Babingtons has remained “the worldly address for a select clientele” (Guida Monaci, 1899). And in this salon in the center of the city since then royal families and personalities from the worlds of culture and entertainment have been meeting here, confident that they will be welcomed discreetly, as if they were at home.
The menu today offers a rich selection of sweet and savory dishes in keeping with English tradition, from light meals to Victorian tea.
In the Tea Shop inside the hall you can purchase tea from around the world and a variety of Babingtons signature blends prepared with ingredients carefully selected by our tea tasters.
The new challenge is to maintain the Victorian and century-old culture of the hall, combined with the taste of meat and fish dishes, the delicacy of egg dishes, and the colors of pastries. From the scones beloved by Queen Victoria, to today’s decorated cakes, to “embroidered” cakes. Continuing to keep the teapot on the table, with curry rice, with club sandwiches, with salads, or with a slice of chocolate cake.
Because tea harmoniously enhances the taste of every proposition, whether savory or sweet, indulges the mood, accompanies a conversation, and strengthens friendships. Beyond all cultures, all times, and all ages.
Who knows what Isabel and Anna Maria would think about it….