For a more modern take on afternoon tea rituals try Hush whose peaceful courtyard and elegant dining room are a quick detour from Regent Street and New Bond Street.

The decent selection of sandwiches and scones are ample to snack on while drinking the Hendrick’s Gin-based cocktails. There are a couple of moleculars, a couple of infused martinis and a hot tea infusion for the brave. Try the Hendrick’s Spring from the infused section, Hendrick’s Gin infused with Lavender and Cucumber, garnished with a Lavender Flower.

Once you’ve worked your way through the short but effective menu bring yourself round with a sugar-shot from a Bougie mini macaron and prepare for some frivolous shopping. Our advice, head straight to Sandro on South Molton Street, a pleasant 2 minutes wobble away.

£24.74 for High Tea with one cocktail
Surplus cocktails are £9 each
8 Lancashire Court, Brook Street, W1S 1EY
020 76591500

Neon are scouring the office for ‘curious items’ to submit at Hendrick’s Horseless Carriage of Curiosities.

The restored 18th century train carriage is going to be pitched in London’s Manchester Square from 1-4 October and is “an evolving collection of oddities (including Europe’s only collection of Japanese warrior butterflies, an ingenious teacup stirring engine, a gin-cooled high-speed ticket punch and a Dodo bird-caller), a mad scientist’s lab and an eccentric bar”. Top spot must go to the Victorian enamel bath with gin and tonic taps – amazing!

Apparently people come along in the day to submit their own ‘curious item’, the best items win places at a dinner held in the evening created by food architects Bompas and Parr. The carriage will transform into a dining room at night with an 8-seated dining table lowered from the ceiling.

The menu is made up of dishes that have been created specifically to pair well with Hendrick’s – an edible rose bush and candied rose petal starter followed by guinea-fowl pyramid served with marmalade then glow in the dark Hendrick’s and tonic jelly with bergamot and cucumber ice cream.

Neon recently saw a preserved siamese piglet exhibit in a taxidermy shop. It would certainly win us a place at the table but even such a menu could not persuade us to go near that again.