AllBright’s terrace is Elle Woods in rooftop form

After the last year we’ve all had, who wouldn’t want stuff their face with scones and jam on a sunny roof while necking a glass of bubbly? Course you would. Unfortunately, if you’re a bloke, on this occasion you’re out of luck.   

Women-only Mayfair members’ club Allbright recently took the nan-friendly cream tea to the next level with an afternoon nosh-up featuring one of the world’s most historic champagne houses: Perrier Jouët. 

Private members’ club? Why the heck would anyone fork out their hard-earned cash to join one of those, you ask? Well, friends, this collective is made for and entirely run by women. Allbright is based in a gorgeous Georgian townhouse on Maddox Street spread over five floors, so it’s a pretty chilled space for us gals to network, unwind and dine.

Four flights of stairs and a lot of ‘I am very out of shape’ deep breaths later you’ll step on to the club’s roof terrace. The colour scheme screams summer: a mix of emerald greens, white wisteria, intricate floral displays and oversized parasols. Elle Woods would definitely approve. 

The afternoon tea menu features classic English sweet and savoury flavours, kicking off with a smoked salmon open sandwich, followed by Montgomery’s cheddar shortbread, accompanied by pickled cucumber and quail egg. But what would an afternoon tea be without scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream? There’s also a selection of assorted macaroons on the menu and more champagne.

Sure, AllBright has its detractors. How inclusive and empowering can it really be if access comes at such a premium? Then there are the accusations of sexism and the question of whether progress is really being made if it relies on the segregation of the sexes?

But I can only speak of my own experience. It was refreshing to be able to enjoy an afternoon surrounded by female professionals without having to contend with unwanted male attention or the repercussions of wounding their egos.

And you can’t really put a price on that.

AllBright, 24-26 Maddox St, W1S 1PP.

London’s best afternoon teas.

More clubs… but not of the members-only kind.