There is a leather briefcase marked 'Classified' in front of me, placed next to a plane propeller, a mini submarine, and an old military-style telephone. These are not artefacts but delicious cakes representing key elements of the top-secret World War II mission Operation Mincemeat, which recently became an award-winning West End musical. This cunning plot helped turn the war in Britain's favour. It was devised by spies in a basement room beneath the panelled drawing room in Churchill's Old War Office, where today I am drooling over my plate.
Operation Mincemeat and Its Legacy
To divert Hitler's 100,000 troops from Sicily so the Allies could invade, the British floated off the coast of Spain the dead body of a fake British 'officer' carrying papers revealing plans for a Sardinian incursion. The plan worked; Hitler moved his soldiers to the other island. One of the plotters was Bond author Ian Fleming. Together with his MI5 colleagues, he was based at the Old War Office in Whitehall. This building has been transformed over eight years with a £1.4 billion renovation into the sumptuous Raffles London at the OWO Hotel, hailed by Time as one of the world's greatest places to stay.
The Afternoon Tea Experience
This month, the hotel launched an afternoon tea inspired by those incredible events. Each bite takes me back in time: the chocolate briefcase, a copy of the one carried by the fictitious officer, is a delicious mix of coffee and barley malt, nodding to wartime staples. Another cake called 'Unspoken Hero' is shaped like a propeller to represent a plane that crashed in Sicily, paying tribute to the island's flavours of lemon, olive oil, and basil.
My favourite is the Intelligence Room, a cake shaped like an old rotary telephone with dark chocolate and whisky, tasting of masculinity and army messes. The Navy cake is shaped like a submarine in honour of HMS Seraph, which dropped the dead officer off the Spanish coast, featuring Spanish flavours such as turron. It is evocative and delicious in equal measure.
A customer sitting next to me remarks that West End themed teas usually fail to deliver. 'They're all style over substance,' he says. But this mission has succeeded, just like the original.
Savouries, Scones, and Inclusivity
Sandwiches arrive first and are both fresh and generously loaded. The smoked salmon is a particular treat. Scones follow with indulgent cream, while the cakes are the finale and worthy of a medal. A huge shout out goes to the restaurant team, who have devised a magnificent, near-identical vegan version, as well as diabetes-friendly, nut-free, and gluten-free options. It is rare to find such an inclusive menu. As a mother to a daughter who must avoid peanuts and therefore cannot attend most afternoon teas, I could not be more delighted.
The Setting and Atmosphere
The setting is perfect: panelled walls, formal pictures, comfortable chairs, and smart leather Chesterfield sofas give an air of an officer's mess. A pianist plays daily from 3pm, adding to the atmosphere. The staff work with military-style precision and are so attentive they even recall that I am drinking sparkling water. Raffles OWO is teeming with history and is a spectacular destination in itself. We walk along long, historic corridors where, in wartime, young messengers would ride bikes because of the distance between offices. Two heritage Pashley bikes in reception nod to this history. Generals, I am told, also rode the bikes but with stabilisers, lest they become casualties of war.
Practical Information
Head here for a celebration, an experience, a date, or before you race off to see the five-star musical on which it is based. As the first line of the musical goes: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to MI5! And what a delicious welcome this proves to be.
Afternoon Tea is served daily in the Drawing Room from 12pm to 5.30pm. You can book on the Raffles website. Classic Tea and Tours are held around four times a month at £155pp, including a history of the hotel. Spies Tours begin at the Old War Office and take guests around Whitehall and the surrounding area, held Mondays and Tuesdays at £157pp.
