A traditional afternoon tea at some of London’s top hotels can certainly be glamorous, but can also be pricey. Try the light-filled atrium-style Restaurant at the Wallace Collection as an alternative.

The Wallace Collection is one of the UK’s best collections of fine arts, paintings and porcelain. Better still, it’s just minutes from the hubbub of Oxford Street and a short stroll from Marylebone Village and Baker Street.

Wander through 25 galleries of paintings and porcelains in a historic townhouse in Manchester Square.  During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the first four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the son of the 4th Marquess, amassed the collection which was bequeathed to Britain by Sir Richard Wallace’s widow. Hertford House, home to the Collection, was one of the family’s London properties in the nineteenth century.

The Collection’s restaurant is in a central covered light-filled courtyard, dotted with trees and sculptures. Where better for a decadent traditional afternoon tea of dainty sandwiches, scones with cream and jam and a selection of bite-sized cakes?!

Admission to the Wallace Collection is free. Open daily from 10am – 5pm. On Fridays/Saturdays, the restaurant stays open until 11pm.

Further details from the Wallace Collection.