27a Devonshire Street, London, W1G 6PN www.beas.london

The newly refurbished Bea’s Cake Boutique in Marylebone has not only overhauled its look, but is now offering a refreshed Afternoon Tea, with new cakes and sandwiches. We had the chance to head over and give a selection of the new treats a go.

We started by trying the savoury aspects of the menu – the Afternoon Team sandwiches, which are all served on mini brioche. Although incredibly aesthetically pleasing, we did find that some of these lacked that touch of magic you expect from Afternoon Tea.

The pistachio Parma ham was perfectly pleasant, but the honey and fig relish was disappointing – especially for someone who adores that sticky sweetness that normally comes from a fig relish. However, the toasted walnuts with cream fraiche stole the sandwich show – the perfect amount of delicately smoked salmon, I’d go back for that every time.

The main downside we found with the savoury dishes, sadly, was the brioche bun. The thickness wasn’t well balanced with the sandwich toppings, leaving a slight dryness in the mouth. This was made slightly more disappointing when we were served some sandwiches on rye bread instead, which was a vast improvement.

However, then came the cupcakes which absolutely won us over. The chocolate espresso cupcake had a real caffeine kick, which was a delight to eat.

The lemon vanilla had a great balance of sweetness vs tangy lemon, and the strawberry vanilla wasn’t overpoweringly sweet, which was a concern. It tasted real, unlike some strawberry flavoured cupcakes that can give off an artificial flavour.

Finally, my absolute favourite and as far as I am concerned the pièces de résistance, the red velvet cupcake. A perfectly moist cocoa vanilla sponge topped with a light mascarpone cream cheese frosting to create a smooth, velvety cupcake. Delicious.

Overall, I would say the cakes are unsurprisingly the best part of Bea’s Cake Boutique, with the sandwiches slightly lagging behind.

 Bea’s Marylebone is located at the corner of Marylebone High Street & Devonshire Street and will be open 7 days a week, with prices for afternoon tea starting from £24.50.