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Afternoon Tea is traditionally seen as an activity enjoyed by the fairer sex, but this could be about to change.  The Mandeville has turned this idea on its head with the Men’s Afternoon Tea - a sophisticated yet manly affair, providing a unique and fun way to partake in some serious male bonding!

Head into the hotel’s lounge and you will be met by a stylish men’s club style room, with comfy armchairs and manly white and black décor, with smatterings of vibrant colour.   Afternoon Tea options include the classic style and a seriously tempting chocolate version, although it’s the Men’s Tea which we were here to try.

The menu includes your choice of tea but also provides the optional addition of a glass of Scotch to add a few hairs on your chest.  We obligingly took this option as we got ourselves comfy for what turned out to be a long Friday afternoon.   With bellies rumbling and big appetites at the ready, the trays of food arrived and we were seriously impressed.  Some of the finest roasted sirloin sandwiches around, potted shrimps with gentlemens relish, double chocolate brownies, bourbon laced fruit cake and the obligatory raisin scones with cream & jam were just some of the delights to be had.  Being the start of the weekend, we decided to have a glance at their extensive whisky list and ended up drinking our way through much of Scotland’s finest in addition to the glass which came with our Tea.

To add a bit of manly competitive spirit to the occasion, they also have a selection of games available at the bar.  Everything from poker and chess to a traditional backgammon set can be found, all adding to the experience.

If you’re after a venue to start a boy’s night out or require somewhere different to meet with clients, the Mandeville Hotel provides a stylish haven in the heart of the Capital for the modern male Londoner.  The pricing is also reasonable, with the Afternoon Tea with Whisky costing £31 – about the price of a decent lunch.  I think the most telling thing about our visit was that we ended up spending 4 hours at the Mandeville, and only left because of prior engagements elsewhere!

Food: 4/5
Venue: 4/5
Value: 3.5/5

Check out my site at lovefoodlovedrink.com

I love the Soho Hotel. I’ve had many a relaxed discussion there over contracts, and amsohohotel sure the décor and service helped clinch numerous deals.  But other than being high on the list of business rendezvous, the Soho Hotel’s ReFuel tearoom is a stylishly elegant haven for afternoon tea.

Myself and a buddy dived in there recently after the hell of a frenzied shopping trip along Oxford Street in London; only an aromatic pot of Lapsang Souchong could ease the pain of comfort buying and dented budgets. But décor would be important to our comfort, and as we were led through, the creams and clean lines of the restaurant segued into the foyer’s ochres, tangerines and modernism and on to the hot pinks and mushroom of the oh-so-snug tea lounge.  Hot pink and fancies may sound like too much ‘sugar’, but on a cool afternoon in March, with the wind whipping around corners, it made us feel warm and loved.

I chose the Soho Tea, while N opted for the Traditional Tea, accompanied by an aromatic Earl Grey. Ahhh, as relaxation began to set in, we enjoyed the intimate atmosphere of the lounge, coupled with efficient and charming service from the waitresses, also decked out in fetching hot-pink shirts.

Our prawn and spring onion/ ham and mustard/ smoked salmon/ egg and watercress sandwiches were good, if a little dry around the edges. The quality of the fruit and plain scones, excellent jam and cream, mini pavlova, gold leaf tiffin, macaroons, mini tartlets and mini cup cakes, however, more than made up for this.  I was particularly intrigued to try tiffin, with memories of Carry On Up The Khyber floating around my shopping-fevered brain, and, on trying it, could see why this chocolate confection with raisins and crushed biscuits might keep folk in on a brisk spring afternoon.

Refreshed, we headed off up the road. ReFuel – it’s so well named.

Food – 3/5
Venue – 4/5
Value – 3/5

Check out my site at lovefoodlovedrink.com

It’s amazing to think that London has any secrets in terms of dining destinations, but that’s exactly what we found with Alfie’s.  Having opened in the much publicised Bermondsey Square Hotel, it’s not as if Alfie’s has been keeping a low profile.  Perhaps it’s the restaurant’s unfashionable location or a lack of a big name chef.  However, should the UK’s food press dare to make the journey South across the river, they are likely to be met with some outstanding cooking at prices that would embarrass the average pub.

The venue itself is a fairly standard contemporary affair.  Essentially we’re talking avantgarde Ikea, with bright reds and dark woods, as well as big leather chairs and banquettes.  There is also a little bar area which serves up a small selection of cocktails etc, whilst summer time visitors can take advantage of a massive terrace garden.

However, seeing as the food is the real star of the show, it’s quite fitting that the open plan kitchen takes centre stage in the dining area. Executive Chef Andy Nolan has taken full advantage of the restaurant’s proximity to Borough and Billingsgate Markets by sourcing many of his ingredients straight from them.  Put simply, the hearty English menu combines great quality ingredients with some outstanding cooking skills.

For starters, the lightly buttered and well seasoned Potted shrimp allowed the wonderful shellfish to shine and was served with freshly baked Guinness bread.  For mains, Rainbow trout was pan-roasted to perfection, with the fish just falling onto the fork; accompanied by baby leaks and a warm potato salad, it was also beautifully presented and an absolute bargain for just £12.50.  Similarly, the Herb crusted rump of Devon lamb was full of flavour, beautifully cooked and served crisp potato rosti, onion puree & pearl onions. Even the home made chips and onion rings were a complete joy.  Desserts continued to impress, with an outrageously rich and moreish White chocolate rice pudding with peanut ice cream and a light Plum pie crumble with vanilla custard. 

Food: 4/5
Venue: 3/5
Value: 4/5

Check out my site at lovefoodlovedrink.com