Hi adventurer, 

I travelled to the UK in July for my sister’s 40th birthday, but I managed to make a holiday from it. I spent three nights in London and used the opportunity to see old friends and visit new places. The first thing I did was to have afternoon tea with my former schoolmother, Dami. Yes, you read right! She was in SS3 when I was in JS1; for those who don’t understand this, I was in my first year of secondary school, and she was in her final year when the relationship began.  Our time as schoolmother and schooldaughter wasn’t long but memorable. After many years, we reconnected on Instagram and planned to meet up when I was in the UK next. Dami chose the activity, location, and time because I trusted her to make the right choice.

The Athenaeum is in Mayfair, London. I went via train and got off at Green Park Station. It was only a ten-minute walk from the station, and the location was right across Green Park. I went into the park for a moment, sat on a park chair, and was just alone under the trees, watching people pass by. When it was time to meet, I strolled over to The Athenaeum.

The floral arrangement at the entrance is beautiful, and of course, I had to get a photo. I was ushered to my seat by a charming attendant. Not long after, Dami walked in, and it was really good to see her. I knew immediately that we were going to have a great time. Our waiter came by to introduce herself, gave us the menu, and walked us through what to expect. This wasn’t my first afternoon tea rodeo, but it was my first one abroad, and I was looking forward to an amazing experience. 

MENU 

The food menu included sandwiches, scones, cakes, pastries, and sweets. For drinks, there was a tea and infusions menu with a rich collection of tea options, coffee and milk, and also a wine and champagne list to pair with the food. 

WHAT WE ORDERED 

It was a set food menu, and we only confirmed if there was pork in any of the options. Thankfully, there wasn’t. For wine/champagne, we chose free-flowing Prosecco, and for hot drinks, I started with red berry tea and ended with peppermint. Dami started with coffee and also had some peppermint tea afterwards.

The sandwiches were tasty but the smoked salmon one was the best. The scones were decent; a scone lover would probably tell you it was heavenly, but I’m not a big fan. The highlight of the afternoon tea experience were the desserts. Each one had a different taste and flavor and I was happy all through.

The service was great, the food was great and the company was great. Our waiter was a bit chatty though but Dami found a way to engage her.

Stay tuned for more travel content from this trip. 

Mariam Shittu