On a trip to London recently, we took a welcome break for afternoon tea at The Academy Hotel. Sitting amongst Bloomsbury’s Georgian townhouses, the hotel is quietly luxurious. We were warmly welcomed before being ushered into the Library — the heart of Mr Ma’s Afternoon Tea. Shelves of books line the walls, light falls softly across dark wood and velvet chairs, and suddenly London feels a little slower, a little more civilised.
We have also put a video together of our visit:
The concept is clever: Mr Ma, the central character in Lao She’s satirical novel, arrives in London from China, trying to make sense of British life. This afternoon tea borrows that same East-meets-West spirit. We had a choice of teas like Earl Grey, Darjeeling and Assam. They also served decaffeinated English breakfast tea which I sadly have to have in the afternoon if I am to sleep that night!
Your tea starts with a selection of sandwiches, including vegetarian options if required.
We then moved on to plain and fruit scones with jam and clotted cream!
Then the top layer of the tea was where the ‘East-meets-West’ theme comes into its own with egg tarts and sesame jian dui dough balls which are traditional sweet desserts that are highly popular in China.
As well as the three tiers of goodies, we were also given a very generous plateful of petite four and macarons.
It was a lovely and generous afternoon tea served in comfortable and elegant surroundings, and at £38 per person represents real value especially for a five star hotel in London!
The Academy is a charming hotel – understated, thoughtful, and with a nod to Bloomsbury’s literary connections. For anyone who likes their tea with a story, as I do, it’s a hidden gem.
We were invited to visit and review for the purposes of this review. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.
