THE BEST place in London to enjoy a nice cup of tea is The Athenaeum hotel in Mayfair, according to experts at the Tea Guild, which handed out its annual awards yesterday.
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One of the keys to The Athenaeum taking the Top London Afternoon Tea 2012 crown, apart from the “excellent” beverage itself, was its Garden Room, which drew a near perfect score from The Tea Guild’s inspectors, who said it had a “tasteful intimate style and fine furnishings”.
“Taking tea at The Athenaeum Hotel in The Garden Room gives a demonstration of exactly how special afternoon tea has become,” said Irene Gorman, head of the Tea Guild.
“It is easy to understand why this leading establishment attracts so many, both the young and the old, to take afternoon tea.”
The Athenaeum’s Food and Beverage manager Ronny Wilbald says that tea-time is all about “creating a memorable guest experience” and it’s yours for £28.50 a pop.
“When it comes to serving the perfect afternoon tea, we strive to get every detail just right,” he said.
Other London establishments to run The Athenaeum close in the Tea Guild rankings were Claridges; The Goring; Grosvenor House and The Savoy.
To assess the tea experience on offer, Tea Guild members employ the secret shopper technique and go undercover to visit purveyors of fine afternoon tea, before collating their marks ready for the awards.
Worth looking at the official tea council website for its Cups of Tea Consumed in the UK So Far Today counter, which stood at nearly 80 million by midday today. That’s a splash of milk, no sugar, if anyone’s offering.
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Afternoon Tea in London
The Athenaeum Hotel, London
