It’s too early for dinner and too late for a spot of lunch, so why not go into the arms of The Strand Palace Hotel, where a delectable treat of afternoon tea awaits you.

The Venue
Conveniently placed in the middle of The Strand is a hotel that offers refuge from the busy nature of Covent Garden and its environs. Before entering the building a smartly dressed doorman in top hat and tails ushers you inside where you’re immersed in a grand art nouveau-style foyer. Walking straight down towards reception, you will see a sign on your right for The Lounge Bar.

The bar service area is the first thing to catch your eye but as you walk around the corner, you get to see the entire space. There are large red and green paisley sofas scattered about the place and a more sobering brown for the leather arm chairs twinned with the small pine tables. The best seats are two booths as they have their own dimmer switch and you don’t feel as exposed to the rest of the room.

On the walls, continuing the art nouveau theme, are pictures of famous Italian spirits such as Campari which makes the bar a bit more vibrant.

The Atmosphere
As it is in a hotel you can expect a lot of business travellers and tourists, but it is also on the doorstep of many shows, meaning some people might pop in here for a quick drink and a bite to eat before heading off to the theatre. At quieter times of day, the ambience can be a bit stifled as the lights in the bar are painfully bright, and the music can be a bit brash and random. However, around 5pm when people are leaving work or getting ready to go out, the mood lifts and it is becomes quite a lively and buzzing place.

The Food
A key feature of the Lounge Bar is its afternoon tea; served between 12pm–5pm, it starts at £8.95 per person for a simple selection of scones, clotted cream and jam. For the full whack with finger sandwiches and cakes as well, it is a very reasonable £12.95 a person. If you want to make your afternoon tea extra-posh, then you can add a glass of Champagne for £8.

When ordering, the first thing you need to do is to choose your tea and there are plenty to choose from. They are all organic and range from English breakfast, chamomile and peppermint to something a bit more exotic like apricot and vanilla, elderflower and lavender. When the spread is presented to you, it comes on a three-tiered stand and it looks wonderfully divine. On top are the miniature cakes such as date, coffee and chocolate, jam sponge and a fruit of the forest-style arctic roll placed in the middle to look like a crown.

In the middle are the finger sandwiches with the crusts, of course, cut off, containing traditional fillings like egg mayonnaise, salmon and cucumber and cheese and tomato. On the bottom are the plump and delicious scones crying out for you to sample them, with the clotted cream and jam placed on a separate plate.

The cakes vary in terms of enjoyment but, overall, they still hit the spot. The date cake is similar to a bite-sized sticky toffee pudding, sweet yet not too sickly and the arctic roll is very cooling, light and refreshing with lots of berries perched on top for added flavour. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of the jam sponge which is soggy and not very appealing.

Also, the finger sandwiches are a touch disappointing. The bread is a little hard which detracts away from the flavour of the different fillings. But, finally, the piece de resistance are the scones. With a dusting of icing sugar, these large scones are light, buttery and very moist. The best part of the afternoon tea by far.

If you don’t fancy the delights of the afternoon tea, there is a small selection of sandwiches and wraps to nibble on like The Strand club sandwich (£12.95), a ham and cheese toastie (£9.95) and an avocado, tomato, cheese rocket wrap (£10.95).

The Drink
The drinks menu is quite petite but has all the essentials on it, like house wine starting at £16.50 a bottle or just under £5 a glass for an Argentinean Chardonnay or Bright Brothers red. The Australian Captains Chardonnay (£20 a bottle) is the perfect accompaniment to a light lunch and, indeed, the afternoon tea. Considering it is a hotel, the prices for the drinks are decent and not overpriced, which is a pleasant surprise.

For something a bit fancy, check out the sparkly Yellow Tail Bubbles at £22.95 a bottle and £4.95 per 125ml glass. There are also four different types of Tattinger starting at £54 the bottle, £10.95 the glass, for a Brut Reserve, going up to £72.50 for the Vintage 2002.

The Last Word
The Lounge Bar is an ideal place to go if you’ve been shopping in Covent Garden and want a place to rest your weary feet whilst being happy in the knowledge that the staff will look after you to the highest degree.

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