About.com Rating

Nestled within the ladies designer clothes department on the second floor of Fenwicks on Bond Street, one of London's department stores, is Bond & Brook - a glamorous restaurant and bar. Firmly aimed at the fashionable ladies who lunch, I hear this venue is already popular with Vogue House and their PR team.

For more afternoon tea reviews see:
Best Afternoon Tea in London.

Afternoon Tea Information

Venue:
Bond & Brook, 2nd Floor, Fenwick, 63 New Bond St, London W1A 3BS


Nearest Tube Station: Bond Street.
Use Journey Planner to plan your route by public transport.

Days and Times:
Monday-Wednesday: 3-6.30pm.
Thursday: 3-8pm.
Friday & Saturday: 3-6.30pm.
Closed Sunday.

Cost: From £18.50 per person.

Dress Code: Smart casual.

Reservations:
020 7629 0273 or book online.

Photography: Permitted.

Music: Background music. Not necessarily afternoon tea music as this is within a fashion store.

Bond & Brook Afternoon Tea Review

Bond & Brook is the first project from conception to completion by "rhubarb" and A Private View – the partnership of Evening Standard restaurant critic Fay Maschler, and journalist and broadcaster Simon Davis.

They wanted to create a restaurant of "oversized appetisers" as they had found the canapes on offer at London parties and events were often so much better than the dinners they went to later in the evening. Afternoon tea fits perfectly into this plan so I paid a visit during London Fashion Week in February 2013.

Venue
I usually enjoy afternoon tea in luxury hotels so this was a nice change for me.

Fenwicks is a high end department store in Mayfair on the corner of Bond Street and Brook Street, hence the restaurant's name.

The space is all white and feels sophisticated rather than clinical. There's a central burnished pewter cocktail bar with fresh orchids and large fashion photographs on the walls. One wall has a library of fashion books and from the entrance you can see the designer clothing in the store.

This is a place to be seen and a regular haunt of stylish shoppers. Staff know their guests well and Champagne is suggested upon arrival.

Other reviewers have commented on the staff and yes, they've got it right here. Staff are welcoming and friendly but are not constantly coming over to check if you need anything and to confirm everything's OK. They have a good balance between being attentive and not invasive therefore letting you enjoy your time here which is not as easy to achieve as you might think. And the fact staff smile really makes a difference. We were served by Maria who deserves a mention as someone who does her job well.

Tea Selection
There is a fine choice of loose leaf teas on offer, by Tea Palace with the classics - English Breakfast, Earl Grey, Darjeeling, etc - plus plenty of caffeine-free options as well as my favorite tea: Jasmine Silver Needle. My friend had never tried white tea so this seemed like the perfect time to introduce her to its delights.

While the crockery is all plain white, tea is served in a silver teapot. Staff are happy to pour for you and a strainer is left on the table for you to enjoy the rest of the pot. There is no internal infuser so the tea leaves can't be removed but we loved the tea and didn't leave it long enough to over-brew.

Sandwiches
The three-tier cake stand has finger sandwiches on the lower level with classic fillings such as Wiltshire ham and mustard, or smoked salmon and cream cheese. Vegetarian options are available too.

Scones
The scones are on the middle tier with two for each guests, served with clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam. The scones are quite petite but are very delicious.

Sweet Treats
Our "couture cakes" on the top of the cake stand included a mini lemon curd & chantilly roulade, a soft-centered mango & tea friand, and a fondant fancie. The roulade was our favorite as it was so soft and sweet.

When your cake stand is removed and you think it's all over a silver dish of brightly colored chocolate Smarties are brought to the table which made us very happy.

Conclusion
I really enjoyed the afternoon tea at Bond & Brook. I'd say it's perfect for meeting with a friend and treating yourselves so don't wait for a special occasion. My companion had only been to The Langham for afternoon tea before but felt our afternoon at Bond & Brook was just as enjoyable. She was so impressed by the tea we went straight to Tea Palace in Covent Garden to buy Jasmine Silver Needle. A new happy convert to quality tea and the pleasures of afternoon tea.

As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary services for review purposes. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our Ethics Policy.