Japanese afternoon tea in Marylebone

Afternoon tea is one of London’s enduring rituals. At Aki, it takes a Japanese-led form: savouries such as chicken katsu, green-tea-smoked salmon and golden yolk eggs with summer truffle; warm dorayaki pancakes in place of scones; and a pâtisserie selection shaped by yuzu, pistachio, chocolate and black sesame.

Created with tastemaker Milly Kenny-Ryder, Aki Executive Chef Collin Hudson and Head Pastry Chef Cosimo De Fusco, the menu brings Japanese flavours and European pastry technique to a long afternoon in Marylebone. Japanese afternoon tea is served daily, with first seating at 2:00pm and last seating at 4:00pm, on Aki’s private terrace at The Atrium: a light-filled setting above Cavendish Square, with a retractable glass roof that keeps the afternoon open to the sky whatever the weather decides.

Set inside Aki’s restored former bank at 1 Cavendish Square, it is a relaxed way to experience the restaurant during the afternoon, within easy reach of Oxford Circus and Bond Street. Discover the story of Aki at Cavendish Square.

What is included in Aki’s Japanese afternoon tea?

The experience begins with a savoury selection, continues with warm dorayaki pancakes served with fruit preserves and clotted cream, and finishes with pâtisserie. Each guest also chooses one teapot from Aki’s tea selection, including Japanese green teas, tea blends and herbal infusions.

Afternoon tea on the terrace at The Atrium

Aki’s Japanese afternoon tea is served on The Atrium’s private terrace, set above the former banking hall at 1 Cavendish Square. Reached by a backlit spiral staircase, the terrace sits apart from the main restaurant: daylight through the retractable glass roof, fresh air above Marylebone, and none of the pavement-table noise that usually comes with outdoor dining in the West End.

When the afternoon sun holds, the roof slides open and the table sits beneath the sky. When the weather turns, it closes, and the tea, the setting and the plan for the afternoon all stay exactly as booked. It is the rare afternoon tea in London where the forecast never needs to be part of the conversation.

A choice of Japanese tea, blends and herbal infusions

Each afternoon tea includes one teapot per person. The tea list moves from Japanese sencha, kabuse saeakari and gyokuro to oolong, black, white and herbal teas, allowing guests to choose a traditional Japanese green tea or a more familiar afternoon-tea favourite.

The creators behind Aki’s afternoon tea

This afternoon tea brings together a tastemaker’s eye for London hospitality, an executive chef’s approach to Japanese savoury cooking and a pastry chef’s precision on the sweet selection.

Japanese afternoon tea prices at Aki

Choose the Classic Afternoon Tea or Champagne Afternoon Tea. Every option includes the full savoury selection, warm dorayaki pancakes with preserves and clotted cream, pâtisserie, matcha madeleines and one teapot of tea per person.

Japanese afternoon tea in Marylebone

Aki is at 1 Cavendish Square in Marylebone, within easy reach of Oxford Circus and Bond Street. Served daily on The Atrium’s private terrace above the restored former bank, the experience gives afternoon tea a setting with more light, air and character than a typical hotel lounge. Aki is also listed in the Michelin Guide.

The experience suits birthdays, a catch-up with friends, a thoughtful gift or a relaxed afternoon before the West End. If you would like to give an Aki experience, explore the Aki gift voucher. For larger celebrations, the terrace and adjoining dining room are available through private terrace hire at The Atrium.

For guests continuing their visit into the evening, Kiyori, Aki’s cocktail lounge in the former bank vault, offers an after-dark change of pace.

A different kind of afternoon at Aki

Aki’s Japanese afternoon tea begins with chicken katsu, green-tea-smoked salmon and golden yolk eggs with summer truffle. It continues with warm dorayaki pancakes, fruit preserves and clotted cream, before ending with pâtisserie and matcha madeleines, all beneath the open sky of The Atrium’s terrace.

Choose the Classic Afternoon Tea or Champagne Afternoon Tea, and take the afternoon at your own pace.

Aki London serves Japanese afternoon tea daily at 1 Cavendish Square, Marylebone, London W1G 0LA, on The Atrium’s private terrace. First seating 2:00pm, last seating 4:00pm. Choose Classic Afternoon Tea (£49.50 per person) or Champagne Afternoon Tea (£70 per person, including two glasses of Champagne).