New Fancies & Foliage afternoon tea launched in the heart of Mayfair

Five-star hotel, The Athenaeum Hotel and Residences, is launching a brand-new afternoon tea experience inspired by the venue’s iconic Living Wall and the surrounding Royal Parks. Launching on Thursday 1st May 2025, the exciting new addition has been coined ‘Fancies & Foliage’ and will include exquisite cakes, handcrafted sandwiches, and a unique tea blending trolley experience, all of which will follow nature’s changing cues.

In line with The Athenaeum’s sustainability efforts, with the hotel having proudly achieved its EarthCheck Silver Certification in 2023, the new afternoon tea will utilize the best of the best produce, including British-grown tea.

Starting at £60 per person, the traditional afternoon tea will feature unlimited teas, delicious sandwiches, fluffy warm scones and carefully created sweets served on an aesthetic and Instagrammable dessert tree. Sandwich options include the likes of Maldon Cured smoked salmon with horseradish crème fraiche and greenhouse cucumber on overnight rye, Coronation chicken with fresh coriander on khobez bread and Singaporean Kaya eggs on overnight sourdough. After indulging in warm plain and raisin scones, served with Tiptree jam and English clotted cream, diners will move onto nature-inspired sweet fancies, feasting on matcha and yuzu cheesecake, mimosa cake, forest Rose tart, blueberry hydrangea cake and strawberry and cream cake. The afternoon tea takes inspiration from the timeless British tradition of fondant fancies with tea. Each season, the culinary team, including Head Pastry Chef Sergei Kuzmin, will craft a delicate fondant fancy as a nod to this timeless classic. 

Those looking for something extra special can upgrade their traditional afternoon tea to include a bespoke tea trolley experience. The trolley features 45 different blend ingredients that have been expertly crafted by the industry’s renowned Master Tea Blender, Alex Probyn, from Blends for Friends. The trolley also features English grown Tea from Cornwall, by Tregothnan. Guests can experience classic black, green and white tea, and combine this with individual flavours such as cherry black, coconut fruit and rose petals. The ritual builds on the hotel’s ethos of “stay individual”. After asking a series of questions to discover guests’ tastes and preferences, The team will use their expert knowledge to assign each diner their own bespoke tea blend, guaranteed to provide a delicious drinking experience. The upgrade will also include a unique cocktail that builds on the seasonal flavours of the afternoon tea dining experience, while their tea is delicately blended, offering both an alcoholic and non-alcoholic option.

The new signature afternoon tea will be served in the hotel’s contemporary British restaurant, ‘116 at The Athenaeum’, from Monday to Sunday between 12pm-5:30pm. The upgraded version, featuring the unique tea blending experience and seasonally inspired cocktail, will also be available for just £75 per person. 

Embodying five-star luxury with an independent spirit, The Athenaeum Hotel and Residences is an award-winning, family-run hotel. Its prime location, overlooking London’s stunning Royal Green Park, offers easy access to the West End, the designer boutiques of Bond Street, and the regal Buckingham Palace, making it an ideal temporary 'home' in London.

Bookings for The Athenaeum’s new afternoon tea can be made here: https://www.athenaeumhotel.com/restaurantbar/afternoon-tea/