London


<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-where">WHAT? WHERE? </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="681" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Ampersand-©-Amy-Murrell-2012-24-1-1024x681.jpg" alt="Ampserand Hotel in London " class="wp-image-18485" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Ampersand-©-Amy-Murrell-2012-24-1-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Ampersand-©-Amy-Murrell-2012-24-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Ampersand-©-Amy-Murrell-2012-24-1-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Ampersand-©-Amy-Murrell-2012-24-1.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>If you’re planning to visit the Natural History Museum, V&amp;A, Science Museum or Buckingham Palace in the Feb half term or Easter hols, <a href="https://ampersandhotel.com/eat-drink/the-drawing-rooms/science-afternoon-tea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ampersand Hotel</a> is <em>the</em> place to book for a mid-afternoon treat during your museum crawl. Just around the corner from South Kensington tube, this smart grey and white hotel is within strolling distance of some of the best experiences in the City. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-vibe">THE VIBE</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="681" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Ampersand-©-Amy-Murrell-2012-264-1024x681.jpg" alt="Ampersand Hotel afternoon tea" class="wp-image-18486" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Ampersand-©-Amy-Murrell-2012-264-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Ampersand-©-Amy-Murrell-2012-264-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Ampersand-©-Amy-Murrell-2012-264-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Ampersand-©-Amy-Murrell-2012-264.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>Family-friendly luxe. It&#8217;s as shiny and smart as you’d expect from a five-star in the heart of South Ken, yet it doesn’t feel frosty if you rock up with a boisterous ten-year-old. The pretty Afternoon Tea lounge was full of families with kids of all ages on our visit, plus a sprinkling of couples too. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-afternoon-tea">THE AFTERNOON TEA</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="991" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Afternoon-Tea-1-991x1024.jpg" alt="Afternoon tea at the Ampersand Hotel " class="wp-image-18487" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Afternoon-Tea-1-991x1024.jpg 991w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Afternoon-Tea-1-290x300.jpg 290w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Afternoon-Tea-1-768x794.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Afternoon-Tea-1-1486x1536.jpg 1486w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Afternoon-Tea-1.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 991px) 100vw, 991px" /></figure>



<p>You can choose a Science or Dinosaur Afternoon Tea, and my ten-year-old son Sol and I opted for the former, which turned out to be as tasty and entertaining as we&#8217;d hoped. Things started strong with a make-your-own lemonade kit for Sol, which included a variety of pipettes, liquids and beakers, think GCSE lab vibes. He happily experimented with them while I sipped a Jing jasmine tea and the end result &#8211; a pale blue fizzy drink &#8211; might have tasted dubious, but much fun was had creating it.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Next, the kids&#8217; afternoon tea arrived at the table on a red rocket carrying an impressive cargo, including a cute mini hot dog, rocket cheese scones, mini scones and, the crowning glory, orange and strawberry jelly, chocolate planets and cake pops with sprinkles to add. Sol demolished the lot, declaring everything delicious, and still had room to scoff a chocolate fossil hidden in a tin of chocolate earth. </p>



<p>Adults don’t miss out on the fun either, though my treats were served on a more traditional tiered cake stand and included beef sliders, salmon and cream cheese blinis and mini quiche below, scones in the middle and a mandarin and redcurrant jelly petri dish, galactic macaron, coffee-flavoured chocolate astronaut, planet and, most delicious of all,  mango and pistachio moon cake at the top.&nbsp;</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="681" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Ampersand-FB-©-Amy-Murrell-August-2018-3-1024x681.jpg" alt="Kids' science afternoon tea at the Ampersand Hotel " class="wp-image-18488" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Ampersand-FB-©-Amy-Murrell-August-2018-3-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Ampersand-FB-©-Amy-Murrell-August-2018-3-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Ampersand-FB-©-Amy-Murrell-August-2018-3-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/london/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2026/02/Ampersand-FB-©-Amy-Murrell-August-2018-3.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<p>If that were the full experience, it would already be way above your average afternoon tea, however our lovely waiter reappeared with a jug of water which he poured into the base of the stands and suddenly a cloud of dry ice appeared. There were &#8216;ooos&#8217; and &#8216;ahhhs&#8217; as it cascaded dramatically over the cakes, and even more when a hot chocolate with mini mallows and crunchy chocolate balls and my glass of champagne turned up.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Warning: there&#8217;s <em>a lo</em>t of food. Learn from our mistake and leave a big gap between afternoon tea and dinner. Despite walking around the Natural History Museum all afternoon, we were still too full to eat at 6pm so ended up shifting our dinner reservation to 8pm!&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-else">WHAT ELSE? </h2>



<p>Some of the best museums in the world are on your doorstep, including the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and V&amp;A, plus Knightsbridge is down the road and leafy parks are all around. In short, this is a great place to stay if you want a central London weekend break with the family &#8211; there&#8217;s even a games&#8217; room, with shelves of boardgames and a full-sized ping-pong table (we lost thirty minutes of sightseeing to competitive matches).  </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">THE MUDDY VERDICT </h2>



<p><strong>Good for: </strong>Kids (and adults) who love experimenting: this is a free pass to mess around with pipettes, test tubes and colourful drinks and food &#8211; what&#8217;s not to love? </p>



<p><strong>Not for:</strong> If you&#8217;re an afternoon tea purist, the test tubes and squeezy tube of lemon curd might be one (small) step too far&#8230;</p>



<p><strong>What&#8217;s the damage? </strong></p>



<p>Science Afternoon Tea, adult £64.50, child £39.50 at the <a href="https://ampersandhotel.com/eat-drink/the-drawing-rooms/science-afternoon-tea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ampersand Hotel</a>. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-want-more-nbsp">WANT MORE?&nbsp;</h2>



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Review: Science Afternoon Tea at the Ampersand Hotel

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