Last Updated on November 12, 2025
Bringing afternoon tea classics into the 21st Century
Joia’s new afternoon tea offer at Art’Otel’s Battersea location is a suitably glam offer that hits all the right notes to create a recognisable but finessed product that doesn’t leave you feeling heavy and sluggish.
The renovation of the Battersea Power Station area has been controversial to say the least, having never seen it before the area’s decline into dereliction I for one am glad something was done with it. The underground station feels like something out of a JG Ballard novel, but once you emerge, we were greeted by a chirpy pair handing out free Sprite cans, you find a sweeping shopping technoplex that leads you to the power station itself, now swaddled in the steel and glass of new luxury apartments.
In contrast to the industrial gloom of the interior of the power station proper, Art’Otel Battersea Is light and airy in its location opposite the behemoth. Rising to Portuguese chef Henrique Sá Pessoa’s restaurant Joia, on the 14th and 15th floors, we were in the Bar. With the subtle strummings of live jazz guitar, from our seats, we enjoyed the view of the luxury apartments atop the power station opposite. The space itself is a pastel Memphis Group oasis above the adjoining buildings’ whites, greys and browns.
We enjoyed the Champagne afternoon tea (£65pp) which included a glass of Telmont Brut Réserve Champagne, you can go without for a £10 saving, but I can’t imagine why you would. The bubbly had apple notes with a hint of lemon peel at the end.
You can’t have afternoon tea without tea, and in warmed teacups arrived a jasmine pearls green, Smooth, buttery and lightly savoury and a ruby oolong, burnt and smoky with the aroma of dark fruits.
A helpful palate cleanser in between was a bottle of Blenheim Palace still water.
Next arrived a fittingly architectural cake stand filled with a range of delights. Starting we had the salt beef with horseradish and watercress which was bright but the horseradish was thankfully not too pokey. Next was egg and Dijon mustard mayonnaise with the eternally enticing bright orange egg yolk with warming mustard on soft wholemeal bread. Rounding out the trio was a generous helping of smoked salmon with cucumber, dill and cream cheese on tender rye bread.
Ascending the stand, we next found the classic scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream. I put the clotted cream on first because I’m not a crazy person (you wouldn’t put jam on your toast before your butter would you). And these were warm, melt-in-your-mouth scones with a light and almost honeyed clotted cream and a smooth and fresh jam.
The top tier was where the more delicate skills of Joia’s chefs were allowed to shine. Cinnamon custard tart with raspberries, a heightened pastel de nata, with meringue on top and raspberry three ways- fresh, curd, coulis, our favourite of the trio.
Next, a chocolate and banana mousse with white port and lime cream looked sort of like a steam train, it was banana forward, of course suitably chocolatey and warmly spiced.
Finally, a pear and almond choux bun with a passion fruit cremeux was mild and crisp, with toasted almond warmth and zingy pear at the base.
Some afternoon teas leave you lethargic and heavy with cream and butter but we left Art’Otel Battersea relaxed and satisfied with a well-thought-out and delivered offer.
Joia’s afternoon tea is available every Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to 4pm
Art’Otel Battersea
1 Electric Boulevard,
Nine Elms,
London SW11 8BJ
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