Untrammelled excess is the guiding principle at the Park Lane Hilton’s Podium Restaurant & Bar, where afternoon tea goes by the name of ‘confessions of a chocoholic’. You don’t have to like chocolate to eat here, but it helps. The four-course feast (£29.50) opens with dainty open sandwiches ahead of the main event: a tiered stand loaded with chocolate scones (plus homemade chocolate praline spread), pastries and fancies including white chocolate and cherry cheesecake, pistachio macaroons and meringue lollies served on a chocolate plate. Diabetic, gluten-free, nut-free and dairy-free variations are all available on request – heck, they’ll even do you a chocolate-free version. Specially blended loose teas by Harney & Son (including Earl Grey with lavender and Darjeeling with a hint of Lapsang) complete the offering. The ground-floor room is as colourful and contemporary as its tea.