Winner of Best Themed Afternoon Tea in 2018, the Ampersand Hotel Science Afternoon Tea is an absolute treat for both adults and children alike. This 5 star hotel is located in South Kensington just a few minutes walk from the station. Their inventive afternoon tea menu plays on the location close to the Natural History and Science Museum in London.

The science theme features special touches such as digging for chocolate dinosaur fossils, creating your own special potions, planets in the form of chocolate mousse, and it’s all served on a rocket-shaped stand with dry ice shooting out the bottom. It’s an absolute treat for the eyes and the tummy.

The Drawing Rooms located inside the Ampersand Hotel are a mix of French bistro meets British style with comfortable sofas, red leather chairs and cafe style tables. It’s luxe without being pretentious or over the top. We had the place almost entirely to ourselves when we visited on a Friday afternoon with just one other table occupied.

The waiter was very attentive and patient with my son, interactive and engaging him in conversation about each element of the afternoon tea.
Children receive their choice of hot chocolate or juice. My son chose hot chocolate which comes in the form of warm milk in a space themed mug and and an astronaut shaped chocolate lolly. There are many interactive bits to this themed afternoon tea and this is just the first step. Children stir the chocolate shaped lolly into the warm milk and create their own hot chocolate drink.

After drinks were served we eagerly awaited the main course, a beautiful 3 tier rocket stand loaded with delicious treats. On the first level you have three sandwiches – jam, a rocket shaped cheese straw, and a hot dog served on brioche bun.

The second level features two scones – one plain and one white chocolate flavour with cream, jam and lemon curd. Ours were a little crunchy, perhaps a tad overdone, but still tasty. The third level features jelly served in a petri dish, a chocolate lollipop with DIY sprinkles and the piece de resistance – a gorgeous chocolate mousse shaped planet with the rings of Saturn. It’s really a piece of art!

In addition to the rocket stand full of treats, you are also served a box of chocolate “dinosaur fossils” and a special chemistry set to whip up your own magical potion of fruit juice. For some reason ours did not fizz as it was supposed to, but it was still an absolute highlight of the afternoon for my son and he wanted to mix everything at the table after that! You can check our instagram @hillingdomama for videos of our visit.
We absolutely loved our experience of the Sci-Fi Afternoon Tea at Ampersand Hotel. It is served Tuesday – Sunday 1pm – 5:30pm. For the month of October they are offering 50% off during the week, excluding half term. Prices start at £31.50 for children. There are vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options available. For adults, I would highly recommend the Science Teapot Tails which features a flight of three magical cocktails. The afternoon tea at Ampersand Hotel is certainly a firm family favourite of ours and we’d highly recommend it for all!





















The Jungle Monkeyz Adventure takes you on a two hour interactive journey with your Jungle Guide. The aim of the adventure is to help Alex the Monkey and his dad recover the seven gems of virtue which were stolen by the naughty monkey. As you move deeper into the jungle you’ll crawl through caves of mystery, cross the rickety rope bridge over crocodile infested waters, meet a giant gorilla and discover sea creatures beneath the sands of time.
It’s truly a one – of – a – kind experience! You will never find another adventure like this in all of London. In addition to the jungle adventure, children learn about animals, plants, conservation and the importance of recycling. Attributes such as kindness, bravery and love are woven throughout the story. The guide is very interactive and there’s activity breaks along the way to explore the crawly caves, colour your own sea creature, dig for treasure, listen to a story from a magical talking tree and even say hello to Zogo (a 7 foot silverback gorilla!).
Around the halfway point in the journey you can stop for a bite to eat in the cafe which serves both hot and cold food and a variety of snacks and drinks to suit everyone’s tastebuds. You will be offered a menu before you begin your journey to place your order and ensure your food is fresh and ready when you enter the cafe.
This activity is perfect for a family day out and the venue is well prepared for social distancing. Guides and management wear face shields or masks. Hand sanitiser is provided and regularly used by all guests and guides throughout the interactive journey. Entry must be pre-booked online and is only for families within the same household or your chosen bubble. There are markings along the floor throughout the jungle to ensure social distancing between guests and the guide. The entire premise is very clean and we had absolutely no concerns throughout our visit.
Jungle Monkeyz Adventure is recommended for ages 2-8 and they are open Monday – Friday 10am – 7pm and Saturday/Sunday 11am – 6pm. The details throughout the adventure are truly special and it is such a hidden gem in North London. For those local to the area, you may also know that Jungle Monkeyz has a soft play. Unfortunately at this time, due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, the soft play is closed. We highly recommend you check out the Adventure and continue to support this fantastic local business.
Leave us a comment and let us know if you’ll be visiting Jungle Monkeyz Adventure!




