Mel Fewster tries the tea at Oxford's Macdonald Randolph Hotel

The MacDonald Randolph in the heart of Oxford was my tea destination on this beautiful summer’s day.

The concierge showed us to the Drawing Room, where we waited for a few minutes to be seated, and were given a table by the window overlooking the Ashmolean.

It was laid with a white cloth, a dainty purple orchid, Villeroy & Boch china and a sugar bowl complete with silver tongs. The seats were comfortable, upholstered tub chairs and the room had a grand but cosy feel, a stunning chandelier taking centre stage, framed by large drapes and bold artwork on the walls.

There was a good vibe – easy going and not at all stuffy, appealing to all ages from couples with small children to the quite elderly. The tables were spaced nicely and the room had good acoustics so you could chat easily.

The tea choices, all from the East Indian Tea Company, were displayed in pretty vintage glass jars, and although the tea I chose was the most expensive on the menu it was worth it; Silver Cloud from Sri Lanka where they pick the first leaves and keep them whole, brewed for five minutes for perfection. It was golden in colour, light but full of flavour, utterly delicious, low on caffeine and full of anti-oxidants.

The Earl Grey, was also super good, a zesty fresh aroma and really clean taste, very different to the usual.

We had the Celebration Afternoon Tea which started with a glass of Moutard Champagne and three blueberries. The sandwiches were served on three different breads and were tasty but the chicken with tarragon and grape stood out from the crowd.

And so on to the cakes. The lemon mousse tart with pistachio was really tasty, my favourite combo, although the crisp pastry was slightly soggy in places, I think because it had rested on the chilled coconut panecotta with mango and passion fruit jelly, which was sharp and full of flavour.

The raspberry delice packed a punch but sadly the macaroon that sat upon it didn’t taste of much and was a bit dry. The exquisite workmanship of the Black Forest chocolate cup, however, had to be admired as it was rich and flavoursome. The fruit scones were really good; buttery and warm, and to make my day they came with lemon curd as well as strawberry preserve and thick clotted cream.

We were looked after very well and the service was good – all-in-all, tea was a very enjoyable experience.

The MacDonald Randolph, Beaumont Street, Oxford. Call 01865 256400
Celebration Afternoon Tea £35, Traditional Full Afternoon Tea £25, Cream Tea £17

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