Men’s Afternoon Tea at the Mandeville

Many of London’s men make the loose assumption that tea is for the likes of Boris Johnson and is only served within an arm’s length of where the Queen and Prince ‘flatulent’ Phillip reside – The Ritz, Fortune and Mason, Harrods…

But in equal measure many are too ‘busy and important’ on BlackBerrys and cocaine to realise that places other than the local pub do exist in the capital where you can meet, have a bite to eat and dare I say it, converse sans commerce.

Well, I put to you Men’s Afternoon Tea at the Mandeville Hotel. A matter of footsteps from where Mrs Beckham was photographed donning larger than face sunglasses on a winter’s evening, the Mandeville is located in the quietly trendy part of town – Marylebone village.

Welcomed on entrance by the charm of Hugh Grant and the subtle scent of cinnamon, my palate was pending satiation. I’d already forgotten about the splashed puddle commotion outside of a few minutes previous.

A polite ‘follow me please’ led into a violet-softened, androgynous room with silver lining and mirrored furniture purposefully positioned; not crowded, not deficient. Just right. Void of any pretension, it was a place to sit on a Saturday afternoon and have tea.

As the music you like but never remember the name of played, our Men’s tea was served. Presented on three tiers was an assortment of decadent creations; roasted sirloin with red onion thyme jam in foccacia, beef satay with chilli créme fraiche, chocolate–blueberry cheesecake, lemon-basil tart to name but a few.

Never has an onion been so well caramelised, has beef been so appropriately married with the nibble of sesame seed, has blueberry tasted so masculine with bitter bite of chocolate. Granted, scones and Earl Grey are customary but tea wouldn’t be the same without them. The board games, the splash of Highland Glen Garioch to finish and maitre de Claudio’s hospitality make tea at the Mandeville one to recommend.

* Star – Peter Mandelson
** Star – Mandy from Hollyoaks
*** Star – Nelson Mandela
**** Star – Mandevilla splendens
***** Star – Mandatory

Mandelvilla splendens: similar to this evergreen vine native to Brazil, men’s afternoon tea at the Mandeville makes high tea en vogue – infusing tradition with speckles of colour. Come springtime, it will be in every real man’s diary.

The Mandeville Hotel
8-12 Mandeville Place
Marylebone W1U 2BE

Tel: 020 7935 5599