I’ve always adored Harrods and have visited numerous times for coffee, icecream in the fantastic parlour, Oysters and champagne in the food hall or macarons and decadent hot chocolate at Laduree.  This time the purpose of my visit was high tea at Urban Retreat which, as the name suggests, is a little oasis away from what can be an overwhelming, yet always fantastic, department store.

We were lucky to be seated on the balcony which offers up a prime view of the stairs and escalators. This view may sound boring to someone who hasn’t been to Harrods, but the elaborate Egyptian and astrological décor of the stairwell is one of Harrods most famous attributes.

High tea was delicious and decidedly English, with the usual suspects of sandwiches and cakes, parfait trifle and a few slightly modern twists. Everything was delicious, however I would criticise that tea for two came with one portion of each sandwich flavour, which we then had to cut in half. It’s always an awkward situation when both friends desperately want to try an item but neither want to appear greedy, and some items were tricky or ruined by being cut.The actual food of Harrods lacks the pizazz or novelty factor of some of London’s other high tea locations, such as The Sanderson or The Berkley, but it’s all about old school glamour and feeling part of history. A perfect sport for tourists to try a more traditional British high tea, lovely for days out with your mum or a treat for a friend’s birthday.

Harrods: 87-135 Brompton Rd, London SW1X 7XL