For a luxury hotel in the heart of bustling Manchester with such rich heritage, King Street Townhouse feels wonderfully unpretentious. Effortlessly slick and stylish, the boutique hotel almost has the air of a seductive 1920s speakeasy, with its quirky interiors and seemingly secluded location.

Nestled just inside is their Tea Room, a cosy retreat serving Afternoon Tea where you’ll instantly feel at home. We were greeted and led to a comfy corner seat, where we settled into the plush sofas and marvelled at the décor. The walls are adorned with a mismatched assortment of bookcases, mirrors and cool, commissioned artwork, giving the Tea Room a real home-away-from-home feel.

Here at AfternoonTea.co.uk we truly appreciate service with a smile, and our server couldn’t have been more welcoming. He talked us through the Afternoon Tea menu and recommended some of his favourite teas. We finally opted for Jasmine and Orange, as we perused the menu to find out what treats we had in store.

Tea was flowing, and we were soon presented with a vibrant plate of freshly-cut sandwiches with an array of different fillings. Having opted for the pescatarian Afternoon Tea offering, our sandwiches consisted of Smoked salmon, cucumber and crème fraiche on lemon bread, Truffled egg mayonnaise on cocoa bread, Cheese and chutney on spinach bread, and Parsnip hummus and watercress on tomato bread. We particularly enjoyed the cocoa bread, and the parsnip hummus was a firm favourite -  a combination of flavours neither of us had never tried before, but one which worked delightfully well.

The staff were kind enough to accommodate our request for the pescatarian Afternoon Tea and can cater to a whole host of dietary requirements upon request, including vegetarian, vegan, halal and gluten-free.

We both opted for the Traditional Afternoon Tea, but for those with less of a sweet tooth, King Street Townhouse also offer a High Tea menu, featuring a selection of mouth-watering savouries. Think Crispy truffle mac ‘n’ cheese, Beer battered cod with mushy peas and tartare sauce and a cheese board to finish things off. As a self-professed cake-a-holic, it was hard to resist the sweet selection on this visit, but I’d certainly be intrigued to try the High Tea offering next time!

Next up, the sweets. Our mouths watered as we were presented with a three-tiered stand adorned with cakes and pastries, each one dazzling with colour and reminiscent of little jewels. The sweet treats consisted of Triple chocolate torte, Passionfruit, mango & coconut tartlet, Spiced pear, blackberry & mascarpone cake and a Mojito macaron.

I usually favour chocolate above everything, but was pleasantly surprised to discover I enjoyed the tartlet the most. A thin pastry case filled with the tangy favours of mango and passion fruit, beautifully balanced out by the creamy coconut. Another highlight of ours was the Mojito macaron. Coated in a smooth layer of vibrant green chocolate, the zesty lime and cooling mint flavours were a welcome treat after consuming nearly a full Afternoon Tea!

With Afternoon Tea it’s often easy to feel like you have over-indulged, but the sweet treats were so wonderfully light that both me and my guest agreed we felt perfectly content with the amount of food on offer.

We had a busy afternoon of shopping ahead of us, so we decided to take our scones with us for the road. Our server kindly boxed these up for us, and we were able to enjoy them at home later that evening cosied up on the sofa, with strawberry preserves and a generous (to say the least!) layer of clotted cream.

Sipping on tea with friends in this cosy retreat, it’s easy to forget you’re right in the bustling heart of Manchester. King Street Townhouse is a true hidden gem offering the perfect respite from a fun-filled day of shopping or sightseeing.

Afternoon Tea at King Street Townhouse is priced from £28 per person and is available every day from 12pm - 6pm. Click here for full details, or to book.