Second helpings: More afternoon teas

Internal links

Ritzy business

The Orangery Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, London W8, tel: 020 7376 0239 A charming spot near the Duke and Duchess of Kent's pad, with Grinling Gibbons's pear wood carvings and Pietro Francavilla's statues of very undomestic goddesses looking over tourists tucking into the £8.95 Orangery Tea: cream-cheese and cucumber sandwiches (fresh), fruit scones (good), sponge cake (over-iced) and choice of leaf tea (excellent). Avoid the "wedding" cake (dry) on the current Wedding Tea menu (£7.95) – it's grounds for divorce.

Ritz Hotel Piccadilly, London W1, tel: 020 7493 8181 The afternoon tea by which all afternoon teas must be judged. Start at the foot of the silver cake stand with freshly made sandwiches, move on to scones, then work your way up to the delicate pastries. It costs £27 and the three sessions a day (1.30pm, 3.30pm, 5.30pm) are booked three weeks ahead mid-week and eight weeks ahead for weekends. Jacket and tie please, and no jeans or trainers. It's the least you can do.

Taplow House Berry Hill, Taplow Berkshire, tel: 01628 670 056 Sir Winston Churchill used to visit this elegant Georgian mansion to look at the trees that surround the house. A stroll can now be followed with afternoon tea (£12.50), as Taplow House goes all Oscar Wildeish daily between 2pm and 5pm. Sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, rich fruit cake and chocolate éclairs can be taken inside or on the weather-dependent terrace.