Savoy, Strand, London, WC2R 0EU

Savoy, Strand, London, WC2R 0EU
04/07/2012
http://www.fairmont.com/savoy-london/dining/

She said: We don’t normally review ‘teas’ but an exception has to be made for the Savoy. He took me here as part of my birthday treat. Straight off – I must say that tea at the Savoy should be on everyone’s ‘things to do before I die’ list. Absolute perfection. From the moment we arrived and the happy, engaging cloakroom attendants took our coats we were in paradise; this paradise being a beautiful, glamorous, comfortable, ‘never want to leave’ parlour-cum-living room with high ceilings and ornate furnishings, with a pianist turning out classics from Fitzgerald, Sinatra and company from a birdcage-like enclosure and fellow tea-takers sharing the same pleasure in every second that passes in this wonderful place. The way it works at the Savoy (and how high-tea should work everywhere) is that you pay one set price which entitles you to repeat teas, sandwiches, scones and mini-cakes. The tea list is exhaustive and the sandwiches (which included salmon, basil and tomato, egg and mayonnaise and cheese and pickle) melted in the mouth and despite knowing I should pace myself I had to dig in to a scone. The service was immaculate – friendly, smart and attentive; after a certain passing of time the waiters would replace your tea pot with a fresh hot one and you could of course change the type of tea at any point. When we had our fill of sandwiches we were presented with a picture box of mini cakes on a silver tray. We divided and conquered picking different ones each containing mixes of creams, fruit, chocolate and meringue. When we were just about ready to explode and despite spreading things out over a few hours we were offered a hefty slice of cake which I forced on myself determined to eat my weight in pudding. Oh, and I forgot to say they preceded the cake-fest with some rocky road with a candle in and ‘happy birthday’ scribed in chocolate sauce to mark my unforgettable day. Happiness is tea at the Savoy.

He said: It's just as well that, as far as tourists are concerned, the Ritz has the best rep for afternoon tea. That means that locals can keep the Savoy, the true champ in this category, for themselves. This really is the way it's meant to be: flawless from start to finish, walking that tightrope between exclusivity and hospitality, generous and attentive, all in a really handsome, classy and comfortable setting. Tea can sometimes be twee and girlie, but not here, where the decor is a contemporary twist on 18th-century exoticism. It's a room in which to linger, which we did, trying out the various  teas brews from the extensive list, and endless cut sandwiches and sweets. Skip lunch, go early and spend the afternoon.