Mayfair, Afternoon Tea Restaurant Guide

For a posh coffee (caffeine aficionados Difference coffee supply the rare beans), a civilised bun, breakfast, lunchtime sarnie or simple supper (complete with cocktails), this August 2020 newcomer is worth remembering. It’s the passion project of sisters Victoria and Grace Sheppard, whose successful careers elsewhere finally led here.

“Lots of space and lovely surroundings” help recommend this classic British hotel’s plush lounge to its many fans. Though not as famous as the nearby Ritz Palm Court, fans have long acclaimed it for what they claim is “the best afternoon tea in London!”.

A “real must-go”, this deluxe Mayfair hotel offers “glamour personified” (and “a famous face or two”) alongside “afternoon tea as it should be” – “no gimmicks, just all you would expect in a stunning location” that makes you feel “far from the madding crowd”. “While top-end in pricing, it’s worth it to enjoy the serenity of this exquisite room and super-efficient, yet easy and friendly service”.

“Exceptionally good afternoon tea” is rightly renowned at this “elegant and traditional” gilded chamber – still the gold standard for the ceremony after all these years and an “all-round special occasion” where you are very well looked after. “Always our Christmas and birthday treat: expensive, but worth it!”

“The place to go to impress anybody!” – Corbin & King’s “elegant classic” next to The Ritz remains a superb choice for most kinds of rendezvous, including a business meal for which it is yet again the survey’s No.1 choice. A “sumptuous-looking” chamber – originally built as an Edwardian car showroom (whose brand survives only in the restaurant’s name) – it is styled as a Continental “Grand Café”, and the “large open space has an old-world glamour”, whose “buzz makes for a very memorable occasion”. Despite the pressures of such a big venue, service typically is “smart and crisp” and immaculately besuited owner “Jeremy King walks the floor and has a wonderful memory for regulars” (many of whom are famous faces). “So long as you don’t expect haute cuisine”, the brasserie fare is “generally sound”, and at its best is “comfort food done really well”. (Do not go anticipating any culinary fireworks!). An archetypal London experience – it offers “the epitome of all-day dining”, from its “classic old-school breakfast” onwards (for which it’s also the survey’s No. 1 choice) and is “just the place to take an out-of-towner for brunch”. “Afternoon tea is an absolute bargain too – particularly as they will bring you more cakes if you ask!” (“Crikey, we missed The Wolseley during lockdown. It feels even more special now!”)