Surrey Hills · Silent Pool
The proper British afternoon tea ran away to India. It came back more interesting.
If you have done the polite hotel version and fancy something with more colour and a bit of spice, this is your table. We kept the generosity of the British classic and gave it an Indian heart: Bombay bhel and cocktail samosas where the plain sandwiches would be, masala and cardamom scones, Indian sweet fancies, and bottomless masala chai.
It is served in a 400-year-old barn above Silent Pool, which is probably the last place you would expect to find seriously good samosas. That is rather the point.
A barn above the Silent Pool
We are in an old cowshed on the Albury Estate, on the track where pilgrims once walked the North Downs, with cardamom drifting across the Surrey Hills by mid-morning. The pool below is a spring-fed chalk quarry, so still and clear it looks lit from underneath. People come for a walk and stay for tea, which suits us nicely.
Good questions, briefly answered
What makes it different from a traditional afternoon tea?
It keeps the shape of a British afternoon tea but gives it an Indian heart: bhel and samosas instead of plain finger sandwiches, masala and cardamom scones, Indian sweet fancies, and bottomless masala chai or Darjeeling tea.
How much is it?
£35 per person, or £70 for two. A Prosecco upgrade is £7.50 per person.
Do you offer a vegan or gluten-free version?
Not at the moment. Do tell us about any allergies when you book and we will help where we can.
Do we need to book?
Pre-booking is recommended, especially at weekends, as the barn is small by design.
Book a table for afternoon tea
Served every day from 12pm, on the track above Silent Pool.
Book Afternoon Tea → or send the Afternoon Tea for Two voucher