The Luxury Travel Magazine
The Luxury Travel Magazine
In the past, tea and coffee were considered indulgent drinks reserved for the upper class. Today these beverages are an accustomed commodity as a feature of everyday life. However, while one can enjoy a coffee at home, drinking a latte within a coffee shop with plush chairs and abstract artwork on the walls is a more elegant affair. Arguably the best area in the UK to enjoy this type of luxury is Mayfair. The district is radiant with boutique galleries, and irresistible cafes amongst elegant townhouses. Beau Monde Traveler has gathered a list of the top cafes in Mayfair London for lovers of café culture to explore.
The Roseberry Café is located in the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel. Guests can share a pot of tea from the finest teas worldwide, such as the Afternoon Blend and Apricot White. The Roseberry has a rich interior, with a circular copper bar, oak tables, and chairs with velvet cushions. One can enjoy an afternoon tea experience that blends traditional British high tea with a touch of Asian finesse.
The executive pastry Chef Emmanuel Bonneau has curated a selection of delicate pastries to be served alongside any tea. A unique choice is the Mandarin fan, a sweet combination of mascarpone and yuzu, puffed rice, and white chocolate. Another pastry a guest can select is the caramelized banana parfait with Orelys chocolate and passionfruit coulis. Traditional homemade scones and finger sandwiches also feature within the experience.
The café Queen’s of Mayfair is owned by Grace and Victoria Sheppard. The sisters have designed a menu that pays homage to their home county of Dorset in the South of England, including delicacies such as rich Dorset cream teas. Queen’s of Mayfair has a unique art deco interior, with a deep blue bar and gold cabinets sporting a variety of floral tasting gins. Past the bar and espresso machines, the main dining room is furnished with bright orange benches and turquoise-coloured chairs. The café offers a delicious menu for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon drinks. One savoy option a guest will relish is the Shakshuka, a rich tomato and bell pepper casserole laced with coriander. If a guest prefers something on the sweeter side, they can order the vanilla pancakes with a compote of wood berries and creme fraiche.
If one finds themselves passing by Park Lane and is in need of a warm beverage, then our next café is a must. The Parcafe is located inside the world-renowned Dorchester Hotel in Park Lane and overlooks iconic Hyde Park. While the café is small, it is an elegant space with marble floors, warm wooden dune tiles, and a bountiful display of floral bouquets by the Dorchester’s resident florist, Phil Hammond. A guest also can choose from a wide selection of sandwiches, salads, and sweet treats such as buttery cookies, pain au chocolates, and fudge to accompany the perfect cup of coffee.
EL&N Café is considered among the most instagrammable destination in all of London. EL&N stands for eat, live and nourish. These three ideals inform all that the café delivers . The founder of the cafe is Alexandra Miller who initially had a career in the luxury fashion industry. Alexandra was driven by her passion for luxury goods and wanted to create a fashion-led food and drink destination. In 2017, she opened the cafe’s first branch in Mayfair, Park Lane. Today, the café brand now has five branches that can be found across London, such as Chelsea and Covent Garden.
The EL&N café’s interior décor is unlike any other, with ceiling-to-floor colour pallet of pink, flowers walls, and neon light features. On offer is a range of exotic drinks such as a blue sapphire latte, which includes sapphire flower petals, condensed milk, and vanilla syrup. Or a Rose Spanish Latte, which combines a classic Spanish latte with rose water and beetroot juice.
Mayfair is one of London’s toniest districts, full of elegant townhouses, luxury hotels, and gourmet restaurants. While the area has world-famous retailers, including bespoke tailors on Savile Row and designer fashion stores like Burberry on Bond Street, it is also home to a suite of stylish cafés as sophisticated as their neighbouring boutiques and shops. While drinking tea and coffee isn’t necessarily a mark of wealth anymore, there is nothing like sitting outside a coffee shop in the warm spring sun and slowly sipping on a latte in one of the poshest corners of Londontown.
