The SavoyAfternoon Tea at The Savoy

The Savoy delivers the most dramatic room of the five, missing the top tier on pastry finesse rather than atmosphere. Afternoon tea is served in the Thames Foyer, a light-filled space topped by a glass dome with a wrought-iron gazebo at its centre, where a pianist plays. The spread runs to finger sandwiches, the hotel's signature scones and a procession of sweet pastries, backed by a list of more than 30 teas. For evening visitors there is a Twilight Tea, served daily from 6pm, that swaps the daytime formality for elegant bites and a Berry Royale cocktail. At around £95 a head it sits alongside the other grand-hotel teas on price, and it is the choice for a celebration where you want the setting to do some of the work.