From Miles to Smiles Stylish travel for professionals seeking luxury at affordable prices
Afternoon tea at the Millennium Mayfair
The Millennium Mayfair is an unassuming place tucked away down a side street overlooking Grosvenor Square Gardens in the heart of Mayfair. We arrive slightly late for our afternoon tea but nevertheless receive a warm reception from Renata and her colleagues. After some brief pleasantries, they lead us to our spacious table in the light-filled restaurant. It’s super modern, with colourful art adorning the walls, and a comfortable booth for us to relax into so we can get to know one another. Fine, floral china and regal cutlery adorns the table, neatly laid out in anticipation of our visit.
I’m here with Jon and Ben of NoMasCoach who have kindly invited me to share a day with them in London. It’s great to finally meet the duo who I have been trading emails (and some friendly trans-Atlantic abuse) with for some months. Our blogs both feature on Prior2Boarding and it is through them that we have come to know one another.
Tea menu
We make chit-chat as we leaf through the selection of teas presented in an elegant, embossed menu. I finally settle on Redbush Caramel tea, which if you haven’t tried, you really need to. It has a smooth, velvety taste, tinged with a hint of spice and I LOVE it. I could drink pots of the stuff and I do, convinced I have a bottomless teapot until Ben kindly tells me that they have switched my pot at least once, whilst I was so engrossed in conversation. Now that’s when you know you are having fun!
Afternoon tea
Soon the piece de resistance arrives, two towers of three layers with sweet sensations of chocolate mousse, miniature cakes and tarts on top. In the middle, is a selection of baked fruit and plain scones whilst perfectly carved miniature sandwiches adorn the base. We each have individual creams and confectioneries including jam and lemon curd and of course, some champagne to wash it down.
We take our time to admire the assortment of fanciful creations before tucking in. Whilst we plough through a melange of chicken, egg mayo and ham sandwiches, we discuss everything from Trump to racism to BREXIT. Not surprisingly, we talk a lot of travel too, comparing stories of mishaps and memories. Time flies as we smooth thick cream onto our scones and wash it down with cups of tea and the odd glass of champagne.
What I loved
What I love about the Millennium Mayfair afternoon tea is the little touches which make it so unique. The egg-timers which are set up according to your choice of tea, to ensure you create the perfect blend of tea. The funky little tea strainers and the unobtrusive service which I barely notice in the ensuing conversation.
That’s not to say we are not taken care of – far from it. The service is attentive, and unhurried and it’s the perfect place for a special occasion or a weekend outing. During our visit, there were a few parties celebrating birthdays and I love the zeal with which the staff launch into renditions of ‘Happy Birthday’. If there was anything negative to report, I would do but this is such a class act there is absolutely nothing worthy of complaint!
Full to busting, we eventually decide to take our leave and walk off some calories in Hyde Park. First, we spend some time chatting to Skender, the Assistant Food & Beverage Manager. He is keen to share his tips on where I should visit this summer when I head to Albania and his incredible pictures of azure seas may prove a strong draw. Then with full bellies and satisfied smiles we head out into the frosty day.
What you need to know
Cost: afternoon tea can be booked online and costs from £39.95 per head. Here’s an idea of the options.
Location: the hotel is located just off Hyde park. The nearest tube station is Bond Street or you can use the Citymapper app to determine which bus routes take you there. I highly recommend the bus over the tube, as it is cheaper and you get to see more of this fabulous city.
Availability: Daily from 2.30Pm to 5 PM. Reservations are essential to avoid disappointment. Although quiet when we arrived, the restaurant filled quickly and was packed to bursting by the time we left. It would be a terrible shame to head over and miss out.
Dress: Smart, casual. You would certainly look out of place in jeans and sneakers and frankly afternoon tea is an institution which is deserving of your favourite, fancy frock!
I’d love to hear from you
If you do head over there, be sure to stop back and let me know what you think. I’d love to know how you got on.
This sounds like the perfect afternoon tea experience!
I love this idea – it would be fun to get the little ones all dressed up and experience tea time 🙂 Thanks for the tips.
I LOVE afternoon tea! I don’t drink tea myself though so I wouldn’t need the timers, I just have hot chocolate instead 🙂 Everything looks so pretty, the presentation is beautiful and it all looks yummy! I’ll have to try it next time I’m in London 🙂
Thank you for the recommendation! I am going to London this summer and I lurrrrve afternoon tea. I am always looking for new places, so I will have to hit this one up. The Redbush Caramel tea sounds divine too!
Our girls would love this, it would make them feel like princesses. The food looks amazing and very yummy.
Anne – it was a joy to have tea with you! Your readers should know that if they mention that they found about this through your blog (or ours at NoMasCoach.com) they will get a 2 for 1 offer! Shameless plug for our site there as well, but it’s good to know, and it’ll save your readers some money!
Ooh great tip Jon. Definitely something to bear in mind for anyone in the area as it was so yummy. I am still so in love with those timers. They really should sell them as souvenirs!
I absolutely love tea time. I’ve been to a few, but never to one that had egg-timers. That is such a great idea because I never know when my tea is ready.
Mayfair is such a lovely part of London. This afternoon tea looks wonderful! The egg timers are such a nice visual to kind track of tea seeping time.