The perfect 1920s Low Tea...

A Second Serving reviews The Luggage Room in Mayfair..

The Luggage Room is an intimate cocktail bar located at the side of the Marriott Hotel. You have to knock on the big black door to be let inside and then you're led through to the bar which is really oozing with style and elegance. There's a tiled floor and dark leather studded wood on the walls and this really draws on the spirit of the roaring twenties. We went to try out the Low Tea, which we soon learnt was first created by the Duchess of Bedford after she began the habit of taking tea and biscuits on a low side table to staff off hunger late afternoon. I like her thinking! Our food was served in a quirky brown box, in keeping with the era, and the lovely waitress also helped us pick a favourite tea by holding a 'tea sniffing' and telling us all about the different blends.

Why go?

If you feel like being indulgent and are after some fantastic service, this is the place to go. Even if you don't fancy trying out the Low Tea, pop in for a quirky cocktail to start off your night as they're really delicious and the barman was super friendly. I kicked things off with an Alfonso cocktail - a blend of champagne and orange bitters (served long) and this was just what the doctor ordered (even on a hangover!)

Before long, our Low Tea had arrived. It came in a big brown box with three different sections. The crème fraiche and horseradish vol au vents were rich yet light and disappeared in seconds, so we moved straight onto the wild boar sausage roll with mustard sauce - amazing. The cheddar and sage scones were full of flavour and the scotch egg had been cooked to perfection as it was perfectly runny inside. There was also a quirky little pot of tea infused salmon. My faves from the sweet section were the carrot cake, the beautifully sweet meringue and the trifle that came in a jar. We finished with a Punch a la Romaine cocktail - a fancy rum infused sorbet that you pour champagne over. From start to finish, the whole experience was fantastic and I really do need to find an excuse to go back! Great value too as it's £48 for the Low Tea and you can add £10 on for a glass of champagne. This was afternoon tea with a twist, and a really personal experience.

The champagne sorbet cocktail

Downsides?

It's super hard to fault this place as everything was so amazing! But, if I'm being really, really picky, we could have perhaps each done with an extra plate on the table to make it easier when going from savoury to sweet. Desperate, right?

Location?

84-86, Duke Street, London, W1K 6JP.