Tucked away on Pont Street in Belgravia, Anya Cafe offers a spring Afternoon Tea that feels quietly magical without ever becoming overdone. This season’s “Wishing Tea” leans into folklore and the idea of renewal, but it does so with the cutest and such fun touches with clear attention to detail. 

The first thing you notice isn’t the food, but the stand. Each table is set with a custom-made wooden Afternoon Tea stand, hand-carved and illustrated, with small moving elements that bring it to life. Painted with Anya’s signature clutch designs and populated with tiny folkloric characters, it feels closer to a piece of art than servingware. It turns gently as you explore it, revealing different tiers and details, and sets the tone for everything that follows.

The savoury course keeps things familiar yet fun. Sandwiches - smoked salmon with lemon and dill, cucumber, egg and cress - are neatly cut into playful shapes that echo the café’s design language. They’re delicate without feeling insubstantial, and refreshingly straightforward in flavour.

Then come the baked pieces, and this is where the tea begins to feel more distinctive. Alongside a traditional scone, still warm and ready for cream and jam, there’s an Eccles cake and a soft, slightly spongy pikelet. The pikelet, in particular, stands out: served with hedgerow jams in unusual flavours like gooseberry. Even the butter arrives stamped with a small smiley face, which fits in with the whimsical, fun theme.

The sweet tier is where the whimsy sharpens. The Green Man nettle cake is the most striking: deep green, topped with fondant leaves, earthy rather than overly sweet. Next to it sits the Meringue Chick, filled with lemon curd, which is as light as it sounds. There are also the more familiar Anya-style touches: a chocolate and raspberry “chubby heart” and frosted berry caterpillar tarts, all carefully made but not overly precious.

Instead of the usual tea-first approach, you’re also served a glass of dandelion and burdock cordial, which adds an unexpected, slightly nostalgic note. Tea and coffee are still there, of course, but the cordial ties back neatly to the seasonal, folkloric theme.

Running alongside the food is the idea of the Pont Street Wishing Tree. Guests are invited to write a wish or intention onto a ribbon and tie it to the tree outside. 

What makes this Afternoon Tea works so well is that it doesn’t try too hard to be grand. It’s not about silver service or rigid tradition. Instead, it’s thoughtful, a little eccentric, and very specific in its point of view. Some may find it less polished than the big hotel teas, but that’s part of the appeal: it feels personal and welcoming.

It’s the kind of place where the details matter: the carved wood, the unusual jams, the tiny smile pressed into butter. None of it is essential, but together it makes the whole thing feel considered, and these unique elements make it so memorable.

Afternoon Tea at The Anya Cafe starts from £50pp. Please click here for more details.