The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences

"The Athenaeum Hotel in Mayfair does a couple of tea menus, most notably a savoury tea which includes cheddar scones with chorizo jam. There’s a lot to like here: the elegant setting, the option to add a glass of champagne, and the good value. They do a ‘normal’ afternoon tea as well as a £10 ‘cream tea’ if you’re after just scones and cream, but the savoury one is definitely one to keep in mind if you’re with someone who claims they don’t get down with sugar—just know that you need to request this 48 hours in advance." - rianne shlebak, eileen twum

"The Athenaeum Hotel in Mayfair does a couple of tea menus, most notably a savoury tea which includes cheddar scones and chorizo jam. There’s a lot to like here: the elegant setting, the option to add a glass of champagne, and the good value. They do a ‘normal’ afternoon tea as well, but the savoury one is definitely one to keep in mind if you’re with someone who claims they don’t get down with sugar—just know that you need to request this 48 hours in advance." - Team Infatuation

"This Mayfair address, across the street from Green Park, has lived many lives since it opened in 1850 as the mansion of a member of Parliament, before becoming a Victorian private social club and then an Art Deco apartment block in the 1930s. When it was transformed into a hotel in the 1970s, the Athenaeum instantly became a hotspot for celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, and Steven Spielberg, who edited E.T. and Indiana Jones from one of the residential suites. (These days, V.I.P.s hang out in The View, the guests-only lounge on the top floor.) Afternoon tea here is an unsurprisingly elegant affair, with sweet and savory bites such as Welsh rarebit English muffins and Lincolnshire Poacher Cheddar scones, and you’ll love how customizable it is: You can opt for vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free options; upgrade with bottomless prosecco; or dine alfresco with a picnic tea in Green Park. If that verdant landscape inspires you, you’ll be smitten with the hotel’s 10-story “living wall,” which bursts to life with hundreds of native and exotic plant species." - Nicholas DeRenzo