time for tea @ the thistle

As a Mother's Day treat in April, Sarah and I whisked our dear mothers to the oasis of the The Thistle Afternoon Tea at Marble Arch, a four star Art Deco themed hotel located just minutes away from the hustle and bustle of London's Oxford Street.

I'm not sure if it was because The Thistle had such a tough act to follow, but suffice to say that sadly it didn't live up to expectations at all. The now newly refurbished Amba Hotel, boasts four stars, a dramatic foyet, and an AA Rosette awarded restaurant, but prior refurbishment, when we sat down to enjoy our afternoon tea the setting felt dim and stuffy.

I fell in love with the kitsch service, the crockery was all so charming and a delight to use but unfortunately that was the most memorable thing about this afternoon tea. From memory, the sandwiches were dry and staff went to know extra effort to substitute for my friend who was unable to eat most of what they had to offer. The scones were served cold, and desserts were fine, if considerably plain.

We purchased this tea, with champagne, at a 50% off price with Groupon, and sadly I do feel that the we got what we had paid for in terms of value. As I mentioned previously, the hotel has now undergone refurbishment and though I'm not incredibly anxious to do so, I would head back to try it again if I could get as good an offer as before. The location is incredible, the actual hotel and decor is so lovely to explore, a really cute touch is that they offer Afternoon Tea for Little Ones. I do feel that this could be the perfect place to treat yourself and unwind after a hard morning's shopping! But when tried at tested I'm saddened to say that it was forgettable at best.