Reform Social and Grill is in central London, in Marylebone, at the Mandeville Hotel. They pride themselves on being quintessentially British offering an informal yet sophisticated dining experience. The restaurant was inspired by classic British gentlemen's clubs for both the restaurant's interior design, and food and drink menus.

For more afternoon tea reviews see:
Best Afternoon Tea in London.

 

Afternoon Tea Information


Venue:
Reform Social & Grill
Mandeville Place
London W1U 2BE

Nearest Tube Station: Bond Street

Use Journey Planner to plan your route by public transport.

Days and Times: Daily 3pm to 5pm.

Cost: From £26.50 per person.

Dress Code: Smart casual.

Photography: Permitted.

Reservations: 020 7224 1624

Official Website: www.reformsocialgrill.co.uk

Gentleman's Afternoon Tea Review

From the moment you arrive you know you're somewhere good as the staff are well-dressed and efficient. We were walked to our table in a booth which had dark red leather seats and a dark wooden table. It was an excellent size for two people but, I imagine, four could use the booth at a push. For afternoon tea, using the space for two was ideal as there is so much needed on the table for this special meal.

I visited on a Saturday afternoon and the restaurant was busy for afternoon tea with lots of groups rather than couples.

There was lounge music playing quietly in the background, and the lighting was lowered after lunch which meant it was a little dark in some spots within the restaurant but our booth was fine.

Menu

As you would expect, the Gentleman's Afternoon Tea has a more unusual menu. Instead of sandwiches the savories are three classics loved by English men but all with a twist. Presented on a wooden board instead of on the cake stand, there's a sausage roll, a fish finger with mushy peas, and a steak and snail open sandwich. While you can eat finger sandwiches with your fingers these savories will require cutlery to be used.

The steak and snail sandwich was certainly the most unusual inclusion on the menu and while the steak was appreciated the snail actually didn't add much to the flavor.

(I'll add here that I'm vegetarian so alternatives were provided for me but my companion tried everything on the Gentleman's Afternoon Tea menu.)

Each place setting has a side plate on top of a dinner plate and as there is no room on the table to put one next to the other we both ate our savories on the side plate while it was still on the dinner plate. That was a bit odd and I don't think a dinner plate is really needed for afternoon tea. You will need to ask for a clean knife before cutting your scones too. 

Tea

There are more than ten teas on offer and all are from the Jing tea range so are high quality loose leaf teas. The Mandeville Special Blend is a blend of Assam and Darjeeling and we enjoyed a pot's worth each so it must be good.

The teacups and saucers are all mis-matched vintage styles and suit the venue.

The Cake Stand

The silver cake stand has 'fancies' on the top tier, Devonshire clotted cream and strawberry preserve on the middle tier, and one fruit scone each on the lowest level.

The sweet treats, unusually, include no chocolate fancies but more traditional English classic comfort foods such as Jam Roly Poly, Lemon Pound Cake, and Treacle Tart. My favourite was the Bananas and Custard which is not a dish I enjoyed when young but was delicious here.

Conclusion

It's a lovely venue with excellent staff. For such a large restaurant I was surprised to find only one ladies toilet which meant there was quite a wait during the afternoon but, that aside, it is a venue that makes you feel special and this afternoon tea offers something different to a traditional tea. Diners are encouraged to stay longer as there are options available for "free flowing Prosecco" or "free flowing Champagne" at just a few pounds more.