Rachel McAdams' cream tea bliss

Rachel McAdams is in cream tea "heaven" when she visits London.

The svelte star became a global name after starring in romantic tale The Notebook opposite Ryan Gosling in 2004.

Rachel is a big fan of the quintessentially English tradition of cream tea, and indulges in her love of scones, cream and tea whenever she's in the British capital.

"The second we touch down we don't go from the airport to the hotel, we go for airport scones and clotted cream... then to the hotel," Rachel laughed to British newspaper Metro.

"I'm in heaven here because every two seconds someone is asking if I want a cup of tea and I always say yes."

Rachel has been busy promoting new flick A Most Wanted Man, which also stars the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Working with the Oscar-winning actor was a great honour for Rachel.

"There was so much electricity in every scene he was in," she smiled.

The role also required Rachel to master a new accent, and playing German lawyer Annabel Richter awakened something in the 35-year-old star.

"Even just learning the dialect and the flavour of the German sound informs this new kind of person in me. Sometimes the further from what you imagine yourself to be the better, because then you find you're probably closer to those people than you think," she explained.

On the subject of love, Rachel admits she's an old romantic at heart and looks to her parents Sandra and Lance as inspiration.

She's previously dated her The Notebook co-star Ryan Gosling, as well as actors Michael Sheen and Josh Lucas and is currently seeing Canadian music manager Patrick Sambrook.

"My parents are very much still in love and I grew up with that around me, so I'm a believer," she revealed.