Afternoon tea at Chez Mal, Malmaison

7th January 2026

Back to the heart of York for a very contemporary afternoon tea. I have to say even though they have many locations and looks rather a chic place to stay I had never crossed paths with Malmaison hotels before. Apparently it was inspired by a love story of a man who comes home from war knowing that his wife has been unfaithful to him, a story of love, infidelity and forgiveness. That woman was named Josephine and that man…..was called Napoleon Bonaparte. And Château de Malmaison was their home. This story has no relation to why we chose it or anything to do with our afternoon tea, I just love a good story. The in-house restaurant of Malmaison, Chez Mal, was a chic modern location and their take on afternoon tea was no different.

Everything starting off this afternoon tea was not much different to any other, it was set in a light modern restaurant, glass of prosecco after being seated, the standard coffee, tea (and hot chocolate for those who haven’t outgrown it yet like myself) selection offered. But then once the afternoon tea was brought out and placed on our table we were in for a surprise. I am not exaggerating when I say my friends jaw dropped. In the normal tier where we would expect a few finger sandwiches was an array of savoury delights. Miniature versions of main courses you’d be delighted to order. My eyes took in the slider first, technically it is a sandwich but the best kind….the burger kind. Then my mouth watered at the smell and sight of the buffalo chicken thigh pieces, flavourful and coated with sauce and spices – but much easier to eat than a wing so it doesn’t end up mostly on your face. And frankly a mini fish taco is one of my favourite things so that really bumped up the scores. In fact for their savoury selection I gave this place full marks. They didn’t let tradition stand in the way of creativity and embraced new modern twists on an afternoon tea.

This creativity didn’t just stop at savouries. The scones, of which I have now had many, was different to any I’ve had before. A sticky toffee flavoured scone, substituting the jam for caramel sauce and the standard clotted cream and served warm. Oh it was delightful and different. Traditional scones are always delicious but it was really refreshing to try something unique. And the sweets were just as scrumptious and delicately prepared. The caramel choux and the pina colada trifle were again little twists on classics and were absolutely executed to perfection.

All in all this afternoon tea was perfect when you want something a little different, traditional but with modern twists. And the flavours chosen make it a perfect autumn/winter afternoon tea with the favourites of caramel, Sticky toffee, rum roasted pineapple. Easy to get to location in York city centre, albeit not the most picturesque part of the city but the atmosphere inside is inviting and I’d say the value for money was excellent. So if you’re in York on a cold winters day and fancy rewarding yourself with some delicious food served afternoon tea style, this is your place.

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