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Afternoon Tea Week: Here are nine quirky choices to try this week

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(Picture: James Bedford / 45 Park Lane)

Today marks the start of Afternoon Tea Week.

And whats not to love about a week-long celebration of finger sandwiches, sweet treats and endless cups of tea?

Plus the odd glass of champagne, of course.

Whether youre partial to the traditional scone and clotted cream or prefer something a bit more modern, London is a veritable feast of afternoon tea experiences.

From pop art-inspired delights to Asian influences, youre spoilt for choice.

Yummy.

Biscuiteers Icing Boutique & Icing Cafés, Notting Hill & Clapham Junction

(Picture: Biscuiteers icing boutique & icing cafés)

The clue is in the name.

Get creative at the Biscuiteers Icing Cafés, where you can upgrade the standard afternoon tea into a DIY icing session.

Diners can choose from a daily selection of biscuit designs and icing colours, as well as a plethora of decorations to sprinkle on top.

While you create your masterpieces, you can stuff your mouth with miniature sugary treats, including the brands own special biscuit, fruit scones with jam and clotted cream, hand-piped macaroons, salted caramel brownies, rose and strawberry Victoria cakes and a glistening violet and blackcurrant entrement.

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Its considerably cheaper than most of the afternoon teas on this list; £28.50 per person and an additional £10 if you want to ice your own cakes.

Ginza Onodera, St Jamess

(Picture: Ginza Onodera)

Colorful, creative and delightfully different.

Ginza Onodera restaurant has joined up with Tsujiri Matcha House to create an Asian fusion afternoon tea inspired by traditional Ochakai tea parties in Japan.

Savoury flavours are favoured over sweet, with sushi spider rolls, seared salmon tataki and lightly battered chicken karaage served with lemon and sundried chillies on the menu.

Though, one dessert dish is served – kinako blancmange pudding, drizzled with black sugar syrup.

There are several packages to choose from and prices start from £27.50.

And theres matcha tea, of course.

The Ivy Café, Blackheath

(Picture: The Ivy Café)

If youre after a luxurious setting but dont want a stuffy atmosphere, the Ivy Café is a good choice.

The chefs have added new dishes to the afternoon tea menu specifically for this week, to be served from Tuesday 14 August until Monday 20 August.

One such dish is the Ivy Nursery Pot with its chocolate topping, lavender cream and edible flowers.

The quirky spin? You can eat the pot, too.

Other delights include fruit scones, freshly baked on site, truffled chicken brioche rolls, an assortment of finger sandwiches and other sweet treats.

Served the classic way – with tea or champagne.

Youll have to fork out between £19.75 to £27.50.

45 Park Lane, Mayfair

(Picture: James Bedford / 45 Park Lane)

Lets start with something a bit different.

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The afternoon tea at 45 Park Lane hotel is inspired by a contemporary, American menu.

Nicknamed Cutcakes & Tea, after CUT, the hotel restaurant, guests can gorge on cola cakes with caramel corn, black truffle grilled cheese sandwiches and Wagyu beef sliders.

To be drunk with craft beers, not a cuppa.

The experience is available Monday to Saturday and costs £55 or £72 per person, depending on if you want to add a glass of champagne.

Thomas Café, Regent Street

(Picture: Thomas Café)

Located inside Burberrys flagship store, the afternoon tea at Thomas Café is just as decadent, delicate and quintessentially British as youd imagine.

Munch on finger sandwiches and tea cakes, Victoria sponge cake and lemon meringue tartlets, served with the cafés signature pale orange fondant fancy and walnut whip.

Wash your treats down with unlimited pots of tea, but not your average supermarket stuff – were talking 2016 2nd flush grand reerve Darjeeling.

Priced at £32 and it includes a glass of Nyetimber Classic Cuvée sparkling wine, too.

Lanes of London, Mayfair

A chocolate afternoon tea? Count us in.

For one week only, Lanes of London is serving up traditional treats from its botanical afternoon tea, but with a twist.

The restaurant has teamed up with Kerr Dunlop and Flo Broughton, the father / daughter duo who own the chocolate company, Choc on Choc.

Nibble on chocolate cucumber sandwiches, chocolate digestive biscuits and chocolate scones with a jam centre.

The mouth-watering delights are made using a patented production method.

Indulge yourself at a cost of £39.50 per person.

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Rosewood hotel, Holborn

Picture: joyliciouscakes_and_crafts Afternoon tea week round-up
(Picture: joyliciouscakes_and_crafts)

Art connoisseurs will go crazy over the tea served at Mirror Room.

The award-winning experience is based on pop art and cubism, with executive pastry chef, Mark Perkins at the helm.

You start off with a treat inspired by Andy Warhols famous Campbell soup cans; a black forest gateau designed in the shape of the can, complete with a silver can top made out of chocolate and filled with cherry jelly and chocolate mousse.

The cake is topped with vanilla crémeux and a bright red glaze.

Next up is Roy Lichtensteins Brushstroke canvas, emulated in a banana cheesecake sprayed with tinted blue chocolate, topped with yellow passion fruit and caramel mousse, dipped in yellow chocolate.

And lastly, you travel to Japan for contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama, as you relish in a matcha green tea sponge with strawberry and yuzu jelly, finished with a white glaze and pink decorations.

The cake rests on a pink sablé biscuit base, and is topped with white and pink chocolate decorations.

Your artistic affair will cost you £58.00.

More: Food

Chakra, Kensington

Not everyone has a sweet tooth.

For diners who prefer a savoury snack, Chakra presents its Indian Afternoon Chai.

The venue has just been refurbished and if the weather allows, you can tuck into your tea on the outdoor terrace.

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So, whats on the menu?

Dig into vegetable samosas, cakes and pastries and a wide selection of drinks including, of course, Masala Chai.

Prices start from £15.95 per person.

Aqua in the Shard, London Bridge

How do you make an afternoon tea just that bit more special?

You add a theme.

Aqua, the restaurant situated high up in the Shard, has just launched an afternoon tea inspired by the adventures of author P.L Travers popular character – Mary Poppins.

Go down memory lane, as youre presented with a custom-made tea stand (with an umbrella on the top) and a gold gilt mirror that serves as your menu.

Sweet and savoury treats are on offer, including finger sandwiches and crumpets.

The afternoon tea offering coincides with the relaunch of the five original Mary Poppins books which were released last month.

MORE: A pub is serving afternoon tea in Yorkshire Puddings

MORE: An afternoon tea made out of chocolate is coming to London

MORE: You can now have afternoon tea with the queen at Madame Tussauds

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