Afternoon tea | Hush, Mayfair

A fortnight ago now, my friend Vicky and I had a much-needed catch up – and she has booked afternoon tea at Hush, in Mayfair. This little gem was difficult to find, nestled in a side path just off Brook Street – but well worth the find, particularly if you love gin!

Vicky had booked us a table for 5pm, a little later than the traditional ‘tea time’ sitting – and there was only other one couple in the Silver Room, with all other tables already dressed for dinner service. With this in mind, the service was excellent, but there’s no reason why it should have been anything but. While one waiter brought our menus (beautiful, by the way – each page shone as the light hit it), another prepared our welcome cocktail. As Vicky had booked using the London Festival of Food offer we had two cocktails instead of one with our tea. The Pink Rabbit (Hush gin, lime juice, cranberry juice, vanilla and strawberry jam) was served in a Tipsy Teacup martini glass (google it – they are so cute) and as we sipped, we looked at the teas.

There were six teas to choose from, all were loose leaf and in caddies so we could read the labels and smell each variety. I chose the Zen: a blend of green and white teas, with orangey notes and a nutty aroma. I can’t describe it, but it was really enjoyable. I did get tea envy though, as Vicky chose a black vanilla tea (you can read her post here). This wasn’t the only decision we had to make – we also had to choose our gin cocktail. This was an easier decision, with only four to choose from and all were named after literary characters. I went for the Pippi Longstocking: Hush gin, pineapple juice, ginger beer and rhubarb jam. These were served in the cutest mini jam jars and topped with dried fruit – mine pineapple and Vicky’s orange (she picked the Paddington Bear).

Before I move onto the food, can we take a moment to admire all the china and the beautiful cake stand? It really was imposing on the table. We started with the sandwiches: smoked salmon on granary, cucumber on white, chicken & tarragon mayonnaise on sourdough and egg mayo & cress on brown. The open sandwich, topped with chicken breast & tarragon mayo was by far my favourite. It had a lovely buttery taste and while it was messy to eat, I could have eaten a whole tray of them.

We then began the sweet treats: scones with clotted cream and a variety of jams (apricot, cherry, gooseberry and strawberry), mini macarons and an earl grey crème brûlée. The scones were huge and dense – I could only manage one-and-a-half, but I really enjoyed the jams, especially the unusual gooseberry, which wasn’t at all sharp. There were four mini macarons and it was a like a roulette as to which flavours we’d get. I got a lemon one followed by coffee, while Vicky had white chocolate and chocolate brownie. The crème brûlée was also amazing: creamy, flavoursome and fragrant. I was a little disappointed the top didn’t crack and was syrupy.

For £35 per person, the afternoon tea was a great value, especially as we got an extra cocktail. The location was also great, away from the bustle of Bond Street. The Silver Room was also away from the bar, but there was a really lovely outdoor area, with artificial lawn and patio heaters – a great place to enjoy a gin cocktail. Vicky tells me they serve a bottomless brunch and there is plenty of gin to be drunk, so I’m sure I’ll be back.

Love, Lucy xx

Hush - No.8 Lancashire Court, Brook Street, London W1S 1EY

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