Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park serves afternoon tea in the Rosebery, a light salon with a view of the park, with a pastry kitchen that is often ranked the best of the London hotels for the quality of the pieces.

The Edwardian building on Knightsbridge, once a gentlemen’s club, reopened after its 2019 restoration with the Rosebery as its tea room: cream walls, a high ceiling, a view of the Hyde Park riders through the windows. The tea is the pastry lover’s choice in London: a modern tier built by a large brigade, seasonal flavours, less sugar, and a scone that is baked in small batches through the afternoon.

The hotel also runs a small cake shop, the MO Cake Shop, in the lobby, following the Hong Kong tradition of the group; the Rosebery remains the reason to come, and it is easier to book than the Ritz or Claridge’s.