Review: Street food inspired afternoon tea at the Arch London

It is no question that London is well known for its street food, with every kind of food under the sun available to eat in the capital.

From burger and vegan stalls to sweet treats, London has it all.

But what if you can't decide on what food to spend your hard-earned cash on? I'm sure we've all been there.

Thankfully, the Arch London hotel in Marble Arch has you covered.

Their street food inspired Afternoon Tea menu is one of a kind, serving a wide array of savoury and sweet bites, that will fill you up, despite their miniature appearance.

Split up into a savoury and dessert board, the menu features unique food not present at your typical afternoon tea.

Featuring fish and chips, cheeseburgers, chicken satay, scotch quails egg and chicken fajitas, the savoury board offers a wide variety with something everyone will enjoy.

The dessert board is something a sweet lover like myself can only dream of, with strawberry tarts, coffee éclairs, apple and cinnamon doughnuts, mango rice pudding, macaroons and the all-time British classic, Victoria sponge.

The 5* Arch London itself is thoughtfully decorated, it certainly feels luxurious, but without pretence.

The hotel is tucked away on a calm residential street a stone’s throw from the city bustle of Bond Street and Hyde Park, and spans seven Grade II listed former Georgian town houses and two mews homes.

The styling inside is unique yet still feels classic, with each room decorated with style possessing particular inspirations with something of a vintage 50's theme.

'Clear thought has been given to the street food inspired afternoon tea'

I sat down in the champagne lounge and was offered either traditional champagne or one of the Arch's own innovative street food inspired cocktails.

Opting for a mojito with no rum but lager instead, it offered a refreshing taste after a busy week.

I'm not usually the kind of person to order a cocktail, but the addition of lager instead of typical rum was somewhat a gateway drink into a wider world.

Clear thought has been given to the street food afternoon tea, with food representing different corners of the globe.

The unique variety of food means that there are no unwanted cucumber or salmon sandwiches at the end of your meal, all the food is interesting and diverse and in my case, there were no leftovers.

The cheeseburger was a particular favourite, the beef tasted top quality, with the cheese perfectly melted. It was everything you want in a burger packed into a tiny little brioche bun.

Also of note was the scotch quails egg, completely different to the packets you buy at a service station. For someone who is quite picky with their egg, the quails egg was well cooked with a still runny yolk inside.

In terms of sweet treats, the apple and cinnamon doughnuts are a welcome replacement to your usual scones, being beautifully soft and generously filled.

As a coffee lover, the coffee éclair was of particular note, with the coffee cream being strong with a well balanced sweetness, and yet again, generously filled.

'The perfect place to unwind, taking a break from city life'

While the finger food on offer may not look filling, each piece is surprisingly more substantial than it looks.

Aided by the fact that there are many elements to the menu, with the food being of exceptional quality and served within a beautiful 5* hotel (apparently Madonna owns a house opposite), you'd be silly to choose anywhere else to go for your afternoon tea with a twist!

The Arch London hotel in Marylebone is the perfect place to unwind, taking a break from city life and to enjoy an afternoon tea like no other.

The Arch London Street Food Afternoon Tea for two is priced at £29 or £38 with champagne or a unique street food inspired cocktail. More details can be found at the Arch London website.