A Mother's Day Treat: Afternoon Tea at the Athenaeum Hotel (Afternoon tea)

Member Name: jammaker49

Product:	Afternoon tea
Date:	31/03/03 (1365 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good food and service, Reasonable Price

Disadvantages: Parking a nightmare

I have just returned from a very civilised afternoon at the Athenaeum Hotel, in Piccadilly, London. Some of you may have read my previous ops on Afternoon tea in general in London, and on Afternoon Tea at the Lanesborough Hotel at Hyde Park, and will already know that I have had great trouble in finding many venues where one can take tea in a civilised manner, as in days of yore. This one is a gem in a city where it is becoming almost impossible to find a traditional teashop.(see my op on "The Disappearing Teashop")

ABOUT THE ATHENAEUM

The Athenaeum can be found in Piccadilly, right opposite Green Park, and within a short distance of Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park. The nearest tube station is Green Park, and many buses run past the Hotel.

Originally built in 1925 as a luxury apartment building and run on the lines of a private club called the Athenaeum Court, the building became a hostel for air crews on leave during the war. In 1971, it was bought by Rank Hotels and underwent a two year refurbishment before re-opening as the Athenaeum Hotel and Apartments in 1973

The property was purchased from Rank Hotels by Ralph Trustees Ltd, in September 1992 and underwent a £10 million refurbishment programme, completed in September 1994.
The Athenaeum Hotel and Apartments is owned by Ralph Trustees Ltd, a private company controlled by two brothers.

The Hotel boasts guest rooms, guest suites, and has a Presidential Guest suite which
is on the 10th floor, and has stunning panoramic views over Green Park.

All rooms and suites have the following facilities:-

TV, CD and video with a wide choice of music and films from the complimentary library
Two-line telephone
Voice mail
Fax and modem link facilities
USA voltage sockets
Power showers
Personal room safe
24hr room service
Complimentary tea and coffee-making facilities
Minibar
Free direct access to

telephone charge card operators - AT&T, MCI, Sprint

Iron and ironing board


The Hotel also offers a pick up service from both Gatwick and Heathrow Airports at a charge of up to £70.

Located in a row of Edwardian townhouses immediately adjacent to the Hotel, the Athenaeum Apartments combine the very best of staying in a luxury hotel with the added benefit of your own apartment. These one and two bedroom, fully serviced apartments are ideal for long stay guests, for families, and for business travellers requiring suite-style accommodation.


The Apartments have their own separate and private street entrances with video entry phone system. They boast large spacious sitting rooms with fully equipped kitchens. To help, a grocery shopping service is provided. The Executive Apartments also have a clothes washer/dryer and a sofa bed for visitors.


The adjoining deluxe bedrooms with king size beds have large closet space, trouser press, iron/ironing board and a personal safe. The marble bathrooms have power showers and luxury bathrobes, and the apartments are fully air-conditioned. The Apartments also benefit from all the services and facilities of the hotel.

Staying at the Athenaeum does not come cheap, but then, it is a 5 star hotel in the centre of London!

Standard Room £265.00 £285.00
Executive Room £295.00 £315.00
Park View Room £315.00 £340.00

Studio Suite £415.00 £415.00
Park View Suite £445.00 £445.00
Deluxe Town House Suite £445.00 £445.00
Penthouse Suite £750.00 £750.00

Executive One Bedroom Apartment £415.00 £415.00
Standard Two Bedroom Apartment £520.00 £520.00
Executive Two Bedroom Apartment £600.00 £600.00

There are some special offers available, which can be checked out online. These include a special spring offer of £135 per night in an executive double room, or a suite at £199 per night.




The Athenaeum has a variety of venues for both dining and drinking, and offers a pre-theatre 2 or 3 course meal for £16 or £21 respectively.

DINING OPTIONS

1) Bullochs at 116

The Restaurant's light, magnificent design, featuring a conservatory roof and a Jerusalem stone floor bordered in antique mosaics, helps create a wonderful atmosphere. Award winning chef, David Marshall has created an imaginative and innovative menu with a Mediterranean feel. The restaurant has already won critical acclaim both for its cuisine and decor, and has become a favourite haunt for celebrities whose names adorn the backs of the dining chairs.

The menus change regularly, and below you will find just a sample of what is on offer. All starters cost £8.45, and all main courses cost £19.45. Side dishes are £3.50, and deserts are £7.45.

Starters

Roasted Tiger Prawns, Malay Spices, Light Curried Sauce

Fresh Crab Salad, Assorted Leaves, Olive Dressing

Wild Mushrooms, Melted Brie with Pine Nuts on Toasted Ciabatta with Truffle Oil

Smoked Scottish Salmon, Lemon, Onions and Capers

Caesar Salad served Plain, with Anchovies or Corn-Fed Chicken

Plum Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella and Avocado Salad with Fresh Basil and Olive Dressing

Spicy Beef Salad with Spicy Chinese Vegetables served with Soya Dressing

Main Courses

Seared Medallions of Monkfish with a Warm Gaspacho Sauce, Truffle oil and Parmesan Shavings

Tom Yam Ta Lay
(Salmon, Tiger Prawns, Monkfish and Lobster Chilli Sauce)

Char-Grilled Mediterranean Vegetables, Herbes De Provence with Pesto and Balsamic Dressing
Whole Grilled Dover Sole with Béarnaise Sauce and French Beans
(Supplement £8.00)

Grilled Rack of Lamb marinated with Mint, Soya Sauce and Madagascan Green Peppercorns, served with Soya-Wilted Spinach, Spring Onions and Mushrooms

Char-Grilled Ri
b Eye Stea
k with Cor
n, French Fries

Char-Grilled Corn-Fed Chicken with Balsamic Jus

Side dishes

Potatoes: -Sautéed, French Fries, Crushed New Potatoes with Olive Oil and Rock Salt

Vegetables: - Leaf Spinach, French Beans, Mixed Seasonal Vegetables, Stir Fried Vegetables

Salads: - Tomato and Basil, Mixed, Chicory, Plain Caesar

Cheese and Desserts


A Selection of International Cheeses with Walnut and Raisin Bread with Celery and Grapes

Chocolate Pecan Brownie with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce

Trio of Melon, Plum and Orange Sauce with a Vanilla Parfait

Banana and Almond Parfait with a Spiced Passion Fruit Sauce

Flan de Pina Y Lima
(Pineapple Juice, Dark Rum and Lime) served with Crème Fraiche and Pineapple-Lime Compote

2) The Windsor Lodge.


This is the perfect place to relax with afternoon tea in blissful seclusion, or conduct an informal meeting. It consists of several groups of settees and armchairs positioned around low tables, or, if you prefer, there are also a number of tables and chairs around which you can sit up to 6 people for afternoon tea.

3)The Malt Whisky Bar

The Malt Whisky Bar at the Athenaeum has long been a favourite meeting place for guests and Mayfair residents. Well known amongst malt whisky aficionados, the bar offers a unique selection of 157 malt whiskies.

TAKING AFTERNOON TEA AT THE ATHENAEUM

The tradition of taking afternoon tea continues in most of the big London Hotels, although it seems to have almost died out at other venues, to be replaced by coffee shop chains, and other fast food outlets. Having experienced "taking tea" in a couple of the other up-market hotels (with the prices to match!) I was pleasantly surprised when my 2 children booked us in for afternoon tea at the Athenaeum as a Mother's Day treat.

The day began with us
taking the trai
n up to London (it isn't worth taking the car, even on a Sunday, as there is precious little parking space to be found.) We arrived about an hour early, so went and sat in Green Park on a beautifully warm spring day.

At just before 3.pm we crossed Piccadilly, and a top-hatted concierge opened the door of the Athenaeum, and in we went.

We were given a full choice of seating arrangements, ranging from window seats, to alcoves, tables and chairs or settees and comfort! After a little discussion we chose a group of 2 settees and an armchair, with a low table in front, already set with crockery and cutlery, and menus.

There were a number of alternative afternoon teas to choose from. These ranged from a simple pastry or patisserie selection (£3.95) right up to the full works of finger sandwiches (smoked salmon, egg mayonnaise, ham, and cucumber), 2 scones, cream and choice of jams, a selection from the pastry trolley, choice of tea, and a glass of Champagne (£19.50).

There was a bell on each table with which to summon the waitress when you were ready to order. In the event, we ordered 2 Athenaeum teas (the full works) and 2 Windsor teas (scones and tea), with our choices of tea being 2 Breakfast teas, a Darjeeling and an Earl Grey. We were also given the option of having our Champagne first or last. We chose to have it at the end.

The tea arrived first, with each order being in a separate pot, with a further pot of hot water for topping up, and 2 large jugs of milk. It was made with proper loose leafed tea, and silver tea strainers, and we were told if we wanted any more, we could just ring the bell and ask. We did!

The food arrived on a tall stand, with the sandwiches at the bottom, 8 warm scones on the next level, and a humungous pot of clotted cream at the top! There were individual jars of jam already on the table.

I didn't have any sandwiches, but I have to say they looked d
elicious, and I was
assured by daughter and hubby that they were as delicious as they looked.

I began on the scones. They were light, well browned on top and full of fruit. We had mainly raspberry jam on our table, so we rang the bell and asked for strawberry, which was quickly brought to our table with a minimum of fuss. There was also butter if you didn't want the cream, but that remained unused!

The chocolate cake I chose was rich and light, and hubby's chocolate raspberry cake was out of this world. It really was the bee's knees, and we all sampled a forkful!

Our tea was replenished as requested, and we must have each had at least 4 cups. The glass of Champagne was chilled nicely, and rounded the meal off perfectly.

Altogether, we took nearly 3 hours, just sitting chatting, eating and drinking, and had a thoroughly pleasant and civilised afternoon. At no time were we rushed, or felt that we needed to hurry up. It was comfortable and a good afternoon was had by all.

The bill for the 4 of us came to exactly £60, or £15 each, which is half what we paid at the Lanesborough, for a very similar tea last year.

CONCLUSION

I would thoroughly recommend the Athenaeum for afternoon tea in comfortable, informal surroundings. The Hotel may be 5 stars, but the ambiance was not stuffy or overpowering. Although smart dress is obviously the order of the day , there was no stipulation that ties had to be worn by the men.

You could easily pay much more than £15 for a meal out, and taking afternoon tea is a different and enjoyable way of celebrating.

Tea at the Athenaeum is affordable, and, unlike the Savoy or Dorchester, you don't necessarily have to book in advance. Indeed, even though it was Mother's Day, the room was not packed, and at no time did we feel we had to vacate to let another party in.

I would certainly go back for afternoon tea there, either for a speci
al occasion, or even for
a non-special occasion!

Thanks Amanda and Ian for my Mother’s Day treat.

Details of hotel taken from http://www.athenaeumhotel.com

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