The Athenaeum situated in Mayfair, London, is a 5 star hotel I’ve been wanting to have a meal or afternoon tea at the Athenaeum for years. Finally, I made it! I went along with a friend whom I had gifted a Red Letter Days voucher to indulge in a delicious afternoon tea at the Athenaeum. We both finally crossed it off our bucket lists which was great. In this post, we’ll take a look at the tasty delights we got to sample and what we drank to wash everything down.
Afternoon Tea at The Athenaeum
My friends and I often buy each other gift vouchers for various experiences as experiences can make the most amazing gifts!!! On this occasion, I had been given a RedLetterDays voucher which I was keen to make use of.
Booking
I soon discovered that booking these experiences has become even easier since the last time I booked one. Gone are the days when you have to book online using the code. Now all you need to do is phone the intended experience and give them the code, and they book it all for you. The added bonus is they were able to answer any questions I had when I did this. I was beyond excited and couldn’t wait for the day to finally arrive.
Finding the Athenaeum
This was very easy. We came out of St James’s Park, had a brief walk, and there in front of us stood the hotel. It’s pretty impressive! The entrance is spotless, and staff are on hand to guide guests to their intended destination.
The Room
There were various seating options and we were lucky to be tucked away in one of the side sections. These are great for a more private dining experience although there were a few seats for others there too. The room is nicely set out with foliage positioned strategically around the room. The environment is relaxed and you don’t feel rushed by staff. In fact, although very attentive they make you feel like you have all the time in the world during your visit.
The Tea’s
You’ll find a good variety of tea options available on the menu. I was particularly interested in their house-blended wellness infusion. We chose to try the:
Afternoon Tea
“Light and exotic blend of unique hand-plucked leaves from Tregothnan’s Cornish estate with the finest tea from Darjeeling (Tregothnan’s twin).”
This tea has a lovely light flavour and is very refreshing. It acts as a great palette cleanser to sip on between the different foods that make up the afternoon tea.
Rosy Glow
“A natural boost for skin and hair that combines anti-ageing superstars rose, marigold and hibiscus with sweet strawberry and apple”.
This tea is unique to this hotel. It has a sweet flavour and is very smooth and easy to drink. A lovely option that also has an exceptionally appealing side due to the qualities it possesses to boost the appearance of skin and hair.
Blue-tea-ful
“This anti-oxidant powerhouse blends the butterfly pea flower with blue mallow flower, lemongrass and vitamin-rich super berries”.
The colour of this is fantastic! It was something I’d never tried before too which made it all the more appealing. This too has a sweet flavour and is a very smooth tea. A lovely option that works well alongside the afternoon tea.
The Sandwiches
As with most afternoon teas, the Athenaeum serves a selection of dainty sandwiches. This is the savoury part of the afternoon tea and is great to counterbalance the sweet treats that are to follow.
The selection included:
Egg Mayonaise, Chive and Caraway
This was lovely and creamy with a light flavour added to only slightly by the caraway and just the right amount of chive. A favourite with many this is a great version of the much-loved classic.
Cucumber and Cream Cheese
A lovely refreshing sandwich. The cucumber had a good crunch to it although the bread was a little dry which was unexpected. A small oversite which was forgiven on tasting the next sandwich.
Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese
This was my favourite of the options available. The addition of the dill is most certainly welcome, and overall this was one I could have eaten a whole plate of. The salmon was gorgeous (from Severn & Why) and of a good quality.
Coronation Chicken
This was packed with chicken. No half portions!! The sauce was rich in flavour and creamy. It had a slight kick to it which was unexpected but all the same extremely pleasant. It was much nicer than expected as it’s not normally something I’d eat, well until now. I must say that I thought it rather enjoyable.
The Scones
There were two different scones, plain and raisin. They were served with the rest of the items so I honestly couldn’t tell you if they’d initially been served warm. This was a little unexpected as many of the venues I’ve enjoyed afternoon tea at will bring out the scones once the sandwiches have been eaten. This way they ensure the scones are served warm. For a 5* hotel you would think they wouldn’t have tripped up on something so simple. The scones were also denser than expected. These were served with both a strawberry and a raspberry jam alongside clotted cream.
The Cakes
By this stage, I was beginning to fill up a bit. These all looked lovely and different too. It was clear that great effort had been put into both the appearance and also the flavour combinations. The cakes we sampled were:
Orange Cake
The cake had different textures to it which made it all the more interesting to eat. This is comprised of a fluffy sponge, an orange marmalade with zest, white chocolate, a shortbread biscuit base. It’s a good thing I like orange.
Apple and Caramel
My favourite of all the cakes. This was like an apple pie with vanilla custard. Shortbread appeared in this too. The biscuit was perfect. Above this was placed a vanilla flavoured cream which was delicious and to top it off were caramel apple balls. I could have easily polished off another of these.
Peach and Verbena Cream
This dreamy swirl looked so pretty that it was almost a shame to cut into it. The cream was velvety smooth, creamy and sweet. It literally melted in the mouth. The mix of flavours complemented each other well. Another shortbread base that had a good bite to it and wasn’t overly sweet.
Pistachio and Strawberry Tart
This was delicious. Chopped fresh strawberries gave this a sweet tanginess that contrasts with the smooth, creamy, sweet pistachio cream with crunchy pieces of pistachio. It looks as good as it tastes. I just about managed to finish most of this one.
Strawberry and Champagne Mousse
Unusual in its presentation, this delightful dessert gives you few indications of what it is or how it’ll taste. Crack through the thick chocolate layer (ha, yes, it doesn’t look like chocolate does it) and you’ll discover the gooey deliciousness hidden within. The flavours work well although by the time I got to this one I was full.
Pin It!
Overall Impression
I was very pleased to have finally visited the Athenaeum. The afternoon tea was lovely and one I would definitely recommend to others. It is somewhere I’d now like to visit for a meal too when I get the opportunity. The afternoon tea is very filling. I was unable to eat everything there although somehow my friend managed. The hotel is lovely, and so were all the staff there. It’s a great option to consider for a special day or evening out.
Take a look at some of my other London afternoon tea reviews here:
Have you been out to enjoy afternoon tea? If not is this something you’d consider? What part of the afternoon is most tempting to you?
Enjoyed this Post?
Subscribe to Melanie’s Fab Finds RSS feed to see my latest posts. Posts will include recipes, reviews, etc. and as a result, you will hear about my new posts and competitions first!
Watch our fab product reviews on YouTube x
Discover more from Melanie's Fab Finds
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Beautiful! My daughter and I would love to have afternoon tea. She’s big on sipping tea from gorgeous cups and snacking on the tiny foods.
She would have an amazing time it’s so lovely there.
This sounds great I do enjoy afternoon tea with friends.
We love afternoon tea! We go around the city looking for new places to try. This looks especially fancy!
It is a really good hotel. One of the better ones in london! Well worth visiting.
May I ask if the sandwiches, scones and cakes can be refilled?
HI Jenny, no they do do that there unfortunately although there is a lot of food.
It’s been so long since I’ve visited a place like this. I hope to visit London soon and will definitely check it out while in the area.
You will love the hotel and afternoon tea they have.
Looks like a wonderful experience! I can’t imagine a better way to spend an afternoon with my friends than this tea experience.
It is really lovely and a great experience to share with a friend or loved one.
Oh my gosh, I am salivating just looking at all the photos of the yummy cakes and sandwiches you had at the Athenaeum. Everything looks so good and definitely worth the experience. Glad you and your friend were able to go together and experience this fabulous activity together.
It was great, well worth trying if anyone wants a good afternoon tea in London.
This sounds like such a great way to spend an afternoon. We don’t have cute little tea shops like this much around my area.
That’s a shame. It can be a lovely treat and something worth travelling to try.
Everything looks so amazing. I would love to have tea somewhere. I think this would be a great experience.
It really is. It’s great to try different afternoon tea options.
I’ve NEVER been to a legit tea room, but your post makes me wish I had it looks amazing! This particular one sounds delicious, those cakes especially! Thanks so much for sharing!
The room is lovely and the cakes were really yummy!!
This looks so lovely! I would eat all of those sandwich options. There’s a fancy hotel by me that does high tea that I’ve always wanted to take my daughter to.
Go!! It is such a lovely experience, you’ll have a great time.
My son has never been to a tea party. I should take him to a tea house like the one you visited to show him how to drink tea properly. His great gmama would be proud. She loved tea parties with the grandkids
Some places do kid’s afternoon tea parties. It’s worth looking into that.
Oh, how fun! My daughters and I would adore this, and it’s a perfect excuse to dress up.
It certainly is. My daughters love going for afternoon teas.
I have been out to enjoy afternoon tea but this place is exceptional. I love their menu and the ambiance.
It is a great choice if you want a really good one.
Wow, that’s a decadent afternoon tea served in a restaurant. The Pistachio and Strawberry Tart is the most tempting for me.
That is such a lovely dessert. It was well presented and yummy too!
I never feel fancier in life than when I’m at an afternoon tea 🙂
Thanks for sharing and I’m glad you had a lovely time.
They can be really lovely to go and enjoy with family and friends.
I do love afternoon tea, and am taking my Mum for her Mothers Day Gift and booked for Mum, C and myself just the three of us and really looking forward to it. I think I have been here for afternoon with a friiend years ago
That sounds exciting, have a lovely time. This one is good and they change the menu regularly.
Oh wow! What a lovely treat. Afternoon tea at the Athenaeum looks amazing, especially the tea in the glass pot and all of those lovely cakes.
Aaahhh yes, they were all lovely. I did enjoy the rosey tea. That was different and had great health benefits.
This afternoon tea looks so fancy. My mother and sister would be very much into afternoon tea, but I can’t say it’s something I necessarily enjoy too much.
There are a range of options to choose from between hotels so it’s worth checking.
I love afternoon tea! It looks like a wonderful place to have it, and the food looks amazing. The ‘blue’ tea sounds so nice and fragrant too. I will bear this in mind when I next go for afternoon tea.
You would really enjoy this it is really well put together.
All of these are looking delicious and tasty! I really love those sandwiches!
They were yummy!!!
This is really mouthwatering the sandwiches looks really good! I love it!
Afternoon teas are great!!!
Oh my those cakes are to die for. I need to try this out. What a yummy looking feast.
The cakes were wonderful!! A good range too.
Wow this looks like a lovely afternoon tea! It’s something I always enjoy doing too.
It is a popular British pastime.
The place is amazing wow!!! I would love to have tea at the athenaueum, that would be awesome!
It sure would. It’s a lovely room to dine in and the afternoon tea itself is very good.
The Athenaeum sounds like an amazing place to have afternoon tea! The decor is beautiful, and the tea looks delicious. Those little sandwiches look really yummy too.
It’s all very lovely. Perfect for a treat with a friend or friends.
The desserts and teas and sets look so lovely, I definitely would want to visit a tea house near me!
I don’t blame you. Enjoy!!
Athenaeum is a wonderful place and glad that you have a great time there, the food looks delicious and thanks for sharing with us!
It really is. The hotel itself is quite stunning and the afternoon tea is well worth trying.
I am so loving he look of this place and what a great place to go with the girls! I love it and the sandwiches look so yummy! Everything looks great!
The afternoon tea was really good. The cakes had a lot of effort put into them.
This looks like a great place to meet with girlfriends and enjoy some light conversation. Love this. Wish there was a place near me that was like this.
There are loads of places all over the UK that do afternoon teas. You might find there are some closer than you think.
Wow! Such an amazing place for an awesome afternoon tea! Every food looks absolutely delicious! Loving this place already!
Ha, I know, it’s pretty amazing!!!
Everything looks so lovely. it’s almost a shame to eat it. I would love to try those pretty desserts.
They were all lovely. A great selection and each so different.
Everything looks good here. Must of been a great experience.
It was really lovely, worth trying at least once.
I would love to drink tea there. I love tea and the Athenaeum seems like the perfect place to do so. Thanks for sharing!
It really is they have a great range of options to try.
Everything at Athenaeum looks beautiful. And the food in here looks good plus the place looks beautiful.
It is a lovely hotel and the afternoon tea was great especially those desserts!
Such a beautiful place.. I know I would like to go to one of these high-teas some day. those cakes look so pretty
It is a lovely experience and nice to try the different foods available.
Oh it looks like you’ve had a wonderful time! I’ve never attended a proper tea room but the finger sandwiches and treats look delectable and so pretty. Love this!
It is all beautifully presented.
I like this place! Interesting and unique recipes come to life to enjoy a high tea or an afternoon relaxing party for your favorite people.
It is a lovely treat and great to enjoy with friends.
Looks so elegant. A nice quite place with great food. Who wouldn’t like it
I know, it is really good!!
This looks absolutely delightful. I’ve always been partial to having tea with cakes, and those cakes look absolutely fabulous! Looks like a great activity. I would love to spend an afternoon drinking tea and eating delicious food!
I don’t blame you. It can make for a lovely afternoon out.
I have always wanted to get tea from an actual restaurant! This looks like it was such a lovely experience! I am going to have to visit here one day.
It is a lovely thing to do and you can find different themed afternoon teas from hotel to hotel. See my other reviews to get an idea of a few I’ve tried.
It is always good when one finally gets to do something they have been longing for. Sounds as though you enjoyed your time at Athenaeum.
I certainly did. I do like trying different afternoon teas.
I am a tea person and this afternoon tea experience is perfect for me. I am going to read more about it. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for visiting. I hope you get to try it too.
That is great idea for a gift. I know I would enjoy it too. I like tea a lot and trying different types.
They do make lovely gifts for foodies.
What an wonderful place to have the afternoon tea! And the food looks fabulous!
It does, doesn’t it!! It was really lovely.
I haven’t been to an afternoon tea lately! Having seen the cake and tea cups here, I wanna do an evening tea with some of my tea-loving friends.
You’d love this one. the room is lovely and the desserts are beautiful
What a beautiful afternoon tea! I love that they have their own tea blends, and they are different than the usual Earl Grey and Breakfast Tea. I would love to try the Blue-tea-ful. The cakes look so pretty too, I’d love to try them out.
I did love the different teas. It’s always nice to try something new.
That looks like a lovely place indeed to have an afternoon tea. And look at all the goodies. Now I’m hungry. 🙂
They do have a lovely selection of items to enjoy there.
This sounds like such a wonderful place to kick back and relax. I also love to give – and to receive 😉 – gift vouchers. Especially for activities I can do together with that particular friend – so thoughtful!
Vouchers can work well as gifts. This afternoon tea was such a great choice.
looks so perfect to me. I adore tea time with some baked goods and sweets. for me it is a perfect set up for a date. I kinda wish it was in my area for a date
There are plenty of places that do these types of teas all around the country. I’m sure you’ll find one near you.
I’d love to go to a place and fancy some tea like this. The Peach and Verbena Cream sounds delish!
That dessert was gorgeous!! We loved all of them.
I love the sound of the Blue-tea-ful tea! Those desserts look so perfect – adorable and hand crafted. Sounds like a great location for afternoon tea.
It really is a lovely hotel. The desserts do look amazing. I loved the selection.
These afternoon teas are wonderful I have only been to one so far, but having looked at this and all the wonderful places to go, I may just have to try at least one or two of them
This one is really good. I am sure you’d love it. There are loads of other great options too. Check out my reviews!!!
It’s lovely that you had a more private area and the staff didn’t rush you. I love a relaxed atmosphere too. Perfect for an afternoon tea.
It sure is, it makes for a lovely relaxing experience.
I love going for afternoon tea – haven’t been for a while – the desserts look fab and the scones!
I hope you get to go soon!!!
Looks amazing I will certainly be making a visit
Enjoy!!! You will love it!
The food looks and sounds delicious, but the thing that puts me off is that the sandwiches are all served together on the same plate, so veggie and non-veggie options touching each other. The same with the cakes. I just couldn’t eat something that had been on the same plate as chicken or salmon.
It’s really not a problem, so don’t worry. If you’ve vegi you can ask to have things suited to that and on a separate plate x
The cakes look devine! Such unusual flavours and designs!
I know, they do work very well.
What a lovely afternoon tea. I haven’t been to that one yet. Will need to go with my friends soon.
I am sure you’d love it.
This afternoon tea sounds amazing. I would love coronation chicken sandwiches and the orange cake sounds lush.
Those were both delicious!!! I’d go back for more.
I love the idea of afternoon teas but they never do a vegan option which is so annoying… my mum would love to do this, might get her one so she can go with her partner
You’ll find that more do offer this now which is great.
I do love a good afternoon tea. The sandwiches looked lovely and fresh here. I do enjoy coronation chicken. The cakes also sounded delicious especially the orange cake
Those were all lovely. It’s one of the nicer afternoon teas I’ve had.
I love afternoon tea in London. It’s definitely one of my all time favourite things to do in London. Me and my husband would miss dinner the day before and go to the ones that offer unlimited refills on each section and spend a good two hours there. I highly recommend The Winter Garden at the Landmark and The Rosebery at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Still need to go to The Athenaeum, Langham and Harrods. Any one you particular recommend for us to try?
All of them!! They are all gorgeous x
You really can’t beat a good afternoon tea. We’ve had a few , this one looks delicious
It certainly is. The food was really yummy and the cakes were divine.
Sounds lovely, I’ve been to afternoon tea at hotels near to me, it’s nice for special treat.
It really is. I love to do them when I get a chance. They make for a lovely day out.
That food looks absolutely incredible! I would love to try their teas, they look very interesting!
They are, they have a lovely range.
Absolutely stunning and what a fab range of sandwiches and cakes
I know, it was lovely!!
Sounds absolutley fab. Especially the look of the sandwiches like Coronation chicken and the smoked salmon.
Love to have afternoon tea, it is always such a lovely treat. The cakes sound amazing especially the orange one.
This afternoon tea looks gorgeous , I went to one in Central London for my last birthday
I love those see-through teapots when you can see what’s brewing. I think they look great!
Yum! I love a scone etc and this sounds like it would be a very nice treat. Never been out for or treated to an Afternoon tea sadly.
I love afternoon tea and I am feeling hungry just looking at the pictures!
Looks like a lovely setting and the food looks delicious – can’t beat an afternoon tea!