Mary Evans Young has a tea time treat

I was sure my friend would appreciate a classy afternoon tea in Oxford, so on a sunny early autumn afternoon we turned off Cornmarket into St Michael’s Street to arrive at the 18th Century Vanbrugh House Hotel.

Jean remembers her childhood in London and the much-anticipated special treat of tea with her parents at the Marble Arch Lyons Corner House – perfectly attired waitresses, white table cloths, gilt chairs and a live band. She says it’s been a long time since she enjoyed afternoon tea and certainly not in a luxury boutique hotel like the Vanbrugh.

‘Boutique’ is usually spin for small, and the Vanbrugh is that; 22 bedrooms, narrow corridors, a small restaurant/bar (20 covers) and a small patio on two levels – just five tables. Be warned, because of its listed status the hotel has no lifts and there are 10 steps down to the restaurant, and steps up on to the patio area. But boutique can also mean intimate and friendly – and that’s what the Vanbrugh offers. And it works a treat.

The outside area, although enclosed by buildings on all sides, could be described as a veritable oasis of calm. Our waitress said they plan to build a conservatory soon. We got chatting to a couple at the next table, who were afternoon tea aficionados. We swapped anecdotes and I noted down recommendations. Our newfound friends agreed this was ‘a good ‘un’ – but he would like more choice of teas. Neither of us held back on a glass of bubbly, served in generous flutes. The patio is a suntrap and when the tea stand arrived the metal glistened and the display of delicious looking food shone brightly on the china plates. Light, fresh finger sandwiches of smoked salmon – oh, so tender, egg mayo, home cooked ham with mustard, cream cheese and cucumber.

Warm, fruit scones, light and buttery inside with a bit of a crust on the outside, and clotted cream and home made strawberry jam. Then homemade cake of the day – lemon, but this varies: banana, fruit, Madeira. Finally, to top it off, little glasses of tangy lemon posset, home made fudge and strawberries. All this was nicely washed down with a London Tea Company blend (alas, it was in tea bags and the Fair Trade sugar was in packets) but it was Antony Black china, so I overlooked those little quibbles; I was feeling at one with the world, and so was Jean.

Cream Tea £6.25; Traditional Afternoon Tea £16.25; Champagne Afternoon Tea £22.50

Vanbrugh House Hotel, St Michael’s Street, Oxford. 01865 244622 info@vanbrughhousehotel.co.uk