No matter though as it has had a major, swanky overhaul and looks every bit the modern hang out it seeks to be. What I must just recommend at this point, is booking through afternoontea.co.uk as, while it wasn't necessary (I'm guessing it might be peak season), it was incredibly easy to do and we had a lovely little table by the window overlooking the river waiting for us as we arrived. Give them a try!
It really is a beautiful view too. Afternoon tea should be luxurious and watching the people and the punters is a delight at any time of year.
Now onto the good stuff! I wouldn't have said that the menu for afternoon tea was the most traditional I've encountered. It's a little bit touristy and being from Cambridge myself, I guess I didn't really need that. But I hardly suffered - it was all delicious. Take a butchers here if you want to see what's on offer. There are two menus but they largely only differ on the one layer - The Byron menu offers you bear biscuits and chocolate books, the Hartnell gives you handbags and shoes!
Otherwise you get the usual range of sandwiches - smoked salmon, cheese and cucumber, egg and cress and ham and mustard. There is also a cream tea (although once again my mum would be horrified to discover you do not get the option of plain scones, only fruit). And if you're a real trouper, there's Cambridge burnt cream, Eton mess and a sherry trifle. Tea is Twinnings although there is a selection.
The price is a 'treat yourself' worthy £29.90 for two. You can also add a glass of champage each for an extra £14.00 - I don't know, maybe you can tell yourself that the bubbles aid digestion ;)
We opted for the Hartnell. Another picture for your delectation - is there anything quite as exciting as the afternoon tea stand?
The bit that I found a little like tourist fodder was the biscuit and chocolate shoes and handbags that came with this option. The biscuit was fine but the chocolate, while a nice enough quality, was really just there to give a little novelty. It was so rich I had to leave some of mine (not typical).
The sandwiches were as dainty and tasty as you'd hope. A nice selection and more than enough for two. It may look like a little selection but surprisingly filling!
I was in familiar territory with the scones of course. They were nice and fresh, the clotted cream was plentiful and the jam good too. It wasn't necessarily the best quality cream tea but I wouldn't have expected that, it not being their speciality. I was actually pleasantly surprised.
Now I have to confess to feeling like I'd over indulged on the last course. I was very relieved that although they had provided us with two large pots of tea, in order for us to have a bit of a break, they were happy to bring two fresh pots to top us up.
All of the desserts were extremely tasty. Very rich so it took a while to get through them! Personally I found the sherry trifle just right to finish on, it was fruity and sweet but perfectly manageable.
Overall, I'd recommend the Doubletree at Cambridge. It may not have the quaint surroundings that you might want from afternoon tea but it is very pleasant nevertheless. The staff were very friendly and helpful, the view, if you can get by the window, is pretty and a people watching delight. And it doesn't do you any harm to be spotted sitting in front of an enormous plate of cakes does it?
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