AFTERNOON TEA AT THE SAVOY

We entered The Savoy on a bitter cold Saturday; tummies empty and mouths watering with anticipation for tea, scones and cake.

Our coats were taken upon arrival and we walked into the dining room; full of tables, armchairs and lamps, with a veranda slap-bang in the middle. We were shown to our seats in the corner, at a more domestic setting with sofas. The table was already arranged so all we had to do was peruse the menu and choose either high tea or afternoon tea, and pick a tea to drink out of 31 varieties. There were so many variations - from English to fruity teas. Upon settling on breakfast tea, we nestled into our seats and admired the beauty of the room.

There were film posters adorning the walls, with Alfred Hitchcock, Marilyn Monroe and Katharine Hepburn. The ceilings were high and there was a glass window overlooking the brown veranda. The room was vast, with other rooms leading off of it; darkly lit for nighttime parties. We spotted masks so assumed a masquerade party was happening.

Even though the room was full with tables and chairs, we had a lot of privacy in the corner. The other tables weren't too close so everyone could enjoy their tea with their loved ones in peace, without being bothered by what was happening on the next table.

Our waiter was extremely attentive and quickly came over to pour our tea, whilst also bringing us the first two courses: five kinds of sandwiches, including Coronation Chicken and Smoked Salmon with Mustard, and scones (plain or raisin) with cream, jam and lemon curd toppings. The sandwiches were small so you could enjoy each of them without feeling too full for the other courses. I tried them all, apart from one with Cream Cheese. I liked the Chicken and Ham ones best but maybe that's just me being boring.

We indulged too much on the sandwiches (asking for another plate), forgetting the three other courses we had to come. I quickly picked up a scone and applied my toppings. It was delicious! I would have preferred it warm but it was sitting on the plate for a while, as we devoured the sandwiches, so that couldn't be helped. It was so rich and tasty, especially after I spread lots of jam and cream on it, perhaps too much, as I could only manage one and a half.

Throughout all this, the waiter came to our table whenever our teacup was empty and filled it with more tea. I think I had about 7 cups so I was very bloated by the end of it. He was very particular too, ensuring the plates were facing the right way, the tablecloth was straight and that each person's place-mat matched the other.

After the first two courses, we couldn't contemplate more food but the next two courses were arguably the best with a selection of small cakes, and bigger slices for the final course. There were Pistachio, Mango and Passionfruit, Coconut and Blackcurrant, Creme Brulee and Chocolate cakes. I'm probably forgetting some but I only had room for Mango and Passionfruit, which was light but livened my tastebuds to their flavour, and Coconut and Blackcurrant, which I liked a little less but was delicious all the same.

I didn't eat any of the bigger slices of cake, containing banana and cinnamon. It was a shame that I was too full from the first two courses to fully indulge myself in the last two. I wanted to try all the cakes, even just a mouthful, to experience all the flavours. However, no one on our table could stomach them all - we were bursting with food and tea so we had to call it a day.

We remained seated for a while (trying to find more room in our stomachs for the food) and remarked on how lovely the evening had been. It was something a little bit different, and it was such a treat.

It was a deliciously indulgent evening, and as we headed back to Charing Cross station with our tummies full to the brim with tea, sandwiches, scones and cake, we vowed to go back again soon for another occasion.