Our party of four decided to celebrate a birthday at the Wellington Lounge in the Intercontinental Hotel, having scrawled through the web for the “right” place to enjoy a luxurious but not bank breaking afternoon tea. It wasn’t our first choice but nonetheless it hit the right spots.
There are many names along Piccadilly that are synonymous with afternoon tea, many much fancier and more well known, but they either had an impossible wait list or a bank breaking bill, hence we landed at The Wellington Lounge. The surroundings didn’t have the air of “glamour” we would have liked, it was more akin to a high end hotel, which it is, and there’s nothing wrong with that, just go in expecting that. This might also be because we were seated away from the main thoroughfare and in a corner where guests of the hotel would frequently pass by.
Service was impeccable, our waitress was a joy to talk to. One of my friends is vegetarian and despite not having given prior warning they accommodated her exceptionally by making sandwiches especially for her.
On the whole the food was decent, everything made well, though not necessarily any standout pieces. There was also a wide selection of teas and the freshly made scones were crumbly and moist. I must admit, I would never be able to justify the price of afternoon tea based on the food alone, for me it has to be more down to the experience.
There was so much that we couldn’t actually finish! We all felt that the top layer was a little too rich to end the meal on especially with the added birthday treat!
Overall, go to The Wellington Lounge if you’re looking for a classy afternoon tea but when those big names seem a bit “out of reach”.
Address: The InterContinental, 1 Hamilton Place, London, W1J 7QY
Telephone: 0207 409 3131
Mind The Gap:
Mon – Sun: 8am – 1am
/10
Panda ate, shot and left.
PANDA EATS LONDON 