Best afternoon tea in London: From the Ritz to Browns Hotel

Afternoon tea at Drury Lane provides a reason to visit one of London’s most beautiful theatres without having to put on a synthetic blue dress and sing along to Frozen. Tea is a recent addition to the 360-year history of a building where Nell Gwyn caught the eye of King Charles II while selling oranges, and is certainly a more sophisticated proposition than a bag of citrus fruit. The £59 price-tag buys an afternoon tea from east London baker and Instagram sensation Lily Vanilli: scones with cream and jam, of course, but also vanilla cake filled with passionfruit and buttercream and topped by a handmade chocolate cupid. Savouries cooked by the in-house chefs include crumpets and seasonally changing mini pies (chicken and mushroom, steak and ale). There are vegan, gluten-free and kids’ options, too. The Grand Saloon, meanwhile, is a space as theatrical as the address, with soaring ceilings, sparkling chandeliers, a terrace for summer and walls hung with pre-Raphaelite paintings from the private collection of the theatre’s owner, Lord Webber.

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