Mar Hall

This one is contentious. It is on the list because the scones are excellent, the sandwiches great and the patisseries are the best I have ever tasted. The mini chocolate éclair is a thing of wonder. However (and this is a big however) the service is scrappy and they have no leaf tea. The paltry selection of tea bags we were offered is an insult to refined tea drinkers the world over – and for a 5 star hotel with such a great pastry chef to let down the side in this way is frankly astonishing. When asked the hotel assured us they were in the process of assembling a list of leaf teas. If anyone loves pastries enough to go and test this do please let us know. With decent tea and better service it could climb the list – but only because I am a sucker for an excellent éclair.