Fortnum and Mason’s elegant The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon has been serving tea since way back in 1926 – before that, this spacious dining room on the fourth floor of the Mayfair department store was the Fortnum family apartment. While the decor is classic – and a little old-fashioned in parts – the aqua-patterned carpet, bright lights and mystical music will have you feeling like you’re in a fairytale, which only adds to its unique charm.
As for the afternoon tea itself, you can't really get better than a Fortnum and Mason's tea. Aside from the usual suspects (bubbles, scones and a selection of tea), the finger sandwiches are a variety of the classics – think smoked trout and chive cream cheese, cured ham and English mustard and cucumber with lemon and mint – and the scones are served up fresh with clotted cream fresh out of Somerset and Fortnum's very own strawberry preserve and orange curd. But the real draw here? The freshly baked patisseries that include a heavenly lemon meringue tart and a super-indulgent dark chocolate hazelnut praline. Enjoy.