Nutcracker Festive Afternoon Tea

The Milner York is running its Nutcracker Festive Afternoon Tea in The Garden Room from 9 November to 23 December, so it's on for a good stretch of the run-up to Christmas. It's a daily thing, open from 12 noon to 4pm, which makes it easy to slot in around other plans.

The menu is the work of Executive Chef Aaron Craig, and he's taken the Nutcracker theme and run with it. The sweets are inspired by the chocolates so many of us grew up with, turning those familiar flavours into an elegant selection of treats. They're served alongside festive sandwiches and homemade scones, so it's the full afternoon tea spread. There's a children's version too, for anyone 12 and under, and well-behaved dogs are welcome, which is handy if you're bringing the whole lot along.

It's held in The Garden Room, inside The Milner York—the city's original station hotel, a Grade II listed building. The room is dressed in seasonal décor and looks out across the landscaped gardens towards York Minster, so you've got the view while you eat. On Sunday 6 and Sunday 13 December, a live pianist adds gentle melodies to the afternoon, which changes the feel a bit from the weekday sittings.

It's pitched as a seasonal experience to treasure, whether you're celebrating with family, catching up with friends, or taking a festive treat after a wander through York's Christmas markets. It runs daily from 9 November to 23 December, 12 noon to 4pm, at £39.50 per adult and £19.95 per child under 12, rising to £45 per person on Sunday 6 and Sunday 13 December.