The Palm Court, The Ritz London

Afternoon tea in the Palm Court of the Ritz London is the ceremony all the others copy: a cream and gold salon with a glass roof, a pianist, five sittings a day and scones that come in relays until you decline.

The Palm Court is a raised salon off the Long Gallery, with mirrors, a fountain, palms and a glass ceiling that turns the light cream. The tea: finger sandwiches, then warm scones with Cornish clotted cream and strawberry preserve, then a tier of pastries and cakes, with a choice of eighteen teas and the option of a second round of everything. A pianist plays; on Sundays a harpist.

The dress code is enforced with a smile: jacket and tie for men, no jeans, no sportswear. The Ritz is the only tea in the guide where the rule is part of the pleasure.