Secrets And Scones: A Spy Themed Afternoon Tea Launched In London

Forbes

8 hours ago

A watch you can eat. Raffles London
London doesn't exactly have a tea shortage. You can sit in Mayfair with a £12 cup of something floral, eat cucumber sandwiches in Belgravia, or sip Earl Grey under a chandelier that could concuss a small child if it ever came loose. That's all fine. Predictable, even. But now? There's a tea service in town that's a bit more… covert.
Raffles London, which recently opened in the old War Office building (yes, that one), is now hosting an afternoon tea called Secrets & Spies. And before you roll your eyes—no, it's not a costume party. Nobody's handing out trench coats. You don't need a code word. It's actually very restrained, and more to the point: it's really good.
The War Office, for anyone who missed that particular history class, was where Churchill worked, where MI9 was born, and where a fair number of young intelligence officers were quietly ushered in, briefed, and then sent off to play dangerous games in occupied Europe. It's heavy stuff. And now, weirdly but wonderfully, it's where you can get scones.
The tea's held in The Drawing Room, which is all velvet and quiet lighting—basically what you'd expect if you imagined a very rich relative's living room and then doubled the ceilings. You sit down, you're handed a menu, and if you squint just slightly, you can almost hear old war secrets still echoing in the corners. Let's talk about the food. It's themed, yes, but not obnoxiously so.
The standout is a dessert called Time to Spy, a blackcurrant-and-dark-chocolate cake that looks like a pocket watch—more specifically, like the kind spies carried in the 1940s. You almost don't want to eat it. But then you do. Other sweets are inspired by real women who served in the Special Operations Executive during World War II. Noor Inayat Khan. Odette Sansom. Violette Szabo. These aren't made-up characters—they were real, brave, terrifyingly cool women who worked behind enemy lines and often didn't come back. Each dessert nods to one of them through flavor or design. It's subtle, not sentimental. If you catch the references, great. If you don't, you'll still get a really nice tart out of it.
The savory food leans traditional but with a few small changes that make it feel more thoughtful. The chicken sandwich, made with high-quality poultry, is paired with parmesan instead of the usual mayonnaise, which keeps it lighter while still adding flavor. The smoked salmon has been cured with beetroot, and it's served with lemon confit and horseradish cream, which adds a bit of brightness without overpowering the other flavors on the plate.
Cucumber sandwiches are there too, of course, but in this case, they're layered on rye bread and softened with cream cheese and a little mint, which makes them more refreshing than expected. The ham is honey-roasted and served with caraway bread and a slightly tangy spread that complements the richness of the meat. Even the egg sandwich has been given a bit more care, using Arlington eggs and a grain mustard that adds texture and just enough bite to make it interesting without complicating it.
Rather than overwhelming you with too many choices, the tea selection offers a carefully curated range that has been thoughtfully chosen. The house blend, created especially for The OWO, combines black tea with a touch of rose petal for a floral note that doesn't feel overly sweet or perfumed. There's also a Churchill blend, which leans toward a smoky profile, thanks to the lapsang, and includes a hint of ginger to add warmth. In addition to those, you'll find familiar names like Darjeeling and Earl Grey—nothing surprising, but all of it well prepared and served with quiet confidence.
What really gives the whole experience its character, though, is the room itself. The Drawing Room still carries the feel of its former life as part of the War Office, not through obvious decoration or forced storytelling, but in the quiet way the space holds its history. You notice it in the layout, in the weight of the architecture, and in the small moments—like sipping tea while sitting just a few feet from where military briefings once took place.
Will you leave changed? Probably not. But you'll leave charmed. And maybe—just maybe—you'll look over your shoulder as you walk out, half-expecting to spot a trench-coated figure watching from the corner. Because in this room, secrets aren't just part of the décor. They're baked right in.