"When we heard that Marylebone’s Nobu Hotel served a Japanese-inspired afternoon tea, our minds ran wild with tuna-topped crispy rice and tiny salmon tacos that would outshine regular finger sandwiches. Unfortunately, the five-star hotel’s take on afternoon tea is more like the reject section of a menu. Wagyu sliders are cold and bland, while the chicken kara-age is just fine. ‘Cup sushi’ takes what was already a foolproof finger food (nigiri) and turns it into something you need to awkwardly scoop out with a fork while losing half the rice in the process. The scones are small and dense, and the desserts, while stunning, are hit and miss. We’re fans of the apricot and tonka bean macaron, but things like sencha, peppermint, and basil cake lean more toothpaste than sweet treat. The lounge is laid-back, with comfortable sofas and people on laptops next to tables of hotel guests digging into burgers. You’re better off heading to the main restaurant than signing up for the mediocre afternoon tea, especially because there are way better options in London for the same price or less." - Rianne Shlebak
