When it comes to tennis, as nation, we’re pretty ‘meh, take it or leave it’, but for one fortnight only we care about nothing else. During Wimbledon we’re obsessive, dyed-in-the-wool tennis fans, digging out our whites, restringing our rackets, a state of heightened national excitement extinguished at the very moment that Andy Murray crashes out. Then equalibrium breaks out again, and we couldn’t’ care less for another 50 weeks.

Given that we’re going to be spending (upto, depending how Murray does in the doubles) a fortnight living and breathing the game,  you’re going to want to know where to head for your tennis fix. Here is all the Wimbledon stuff happening over the tennis festival period…

The Rubens at the Palace

The Rubens at The Palace will be getting into the Wimbledon spirit with a special Lanson Champagne Dinner in The English Grill. The dinner, held during the second week of the championships, will involve a five course gourmet dining experience, paired with Lanson Champagnes to celebrate the release of their new vintage Lanson Gold Label 2009, launching at the Wimbledon Championships.

Thursday 11th July

Where: 39 Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria, SW1W 0PS
Nearest station: London Victoria (0.2 miles)
Website: Get tickets here...

Battersea Power Station

With more power than Andy Murray’s forehand, Battersea Power Station is a natural place to head for a dose of Wimbledon fun, and not least because there’s going to be a large screen showing all the action. Swapping court-side for river-side, the power station will host all the big games, and accompany them with Pimm’s from the Pimm’s bar before sitting back in a deck chair and gobbling up strawberries and cream. If you want a bit of the tennis action yourself, settle for table tennis and to make a real day of it you can pick up a hamper from the The Battersea General Store or wander round the restaurants at Circus West Village.

Where: Circus West Village, Battersea Power Station, London, SW11 8AH
Nearest station: Battersea Park (0.4 miles)
Website: www.batterseapowerstation.co.uk

The Milestone Hotel and Residences

Celebrating Wimbledon in true style, The Milestone Hotel and Residences are rolling out a range of Wimbledon themed cocktails, including Grand Slammer Serena, honouring the big woman herself, a combo of Havana Especial Tequila, Disaronno, crème de cacao brown and Angostura bitters. Andy Murray gets the same treatment with Murray’s Smoke over the Highlands, whose Scottishness is highlighted through the medium of Famous Grouse, Cynar, Fernet Branca, Soco and vanilla syrup. Sharapova’s Strawberry Crush, though, sounds like our bag: clotted cream, Milestone home-made strawberry preserve, vodka, blackberry, vanilla syrup, home-made lavender bitters and lime juice. Whatever you make of the tennis, these cocktails will knock the ball back across the net with quite some force.

Where: 1 Kensington Court, London W8 5DL, UK
Nearest station: High Street Kensington (0.4 miles)
Website: www.milestonehotel.com

Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar

You don’t need to be in SW19 to enjoy the Wimbledon Championships, in fact you can get a piece of the action while looking straight at the Houses of Parliament thanks to Gillray’s. The steak restaurant will be a home-from-home for tennis fans as they live-stream each of the matches throughout the championship. What’s more, with a gin and tonic or a strawberries and cream in hand, it’s like being on Murray Mount, but without the queueing.

Where: Gillray's Steakhouse & Bar, Westminster Bridge Road, London, United Kingdom
Nearest station: London Waterloo (0.3 miles)
Website: www.gillrays.com

Sanderson Hotel

Handbook fave, The Sanderson, have put their restaurant on the Wimbledon case and they’ve cooked up a real tennis-y treat. Shaped like a tennis ball, the limited edition pudding includes pistachio and desiccated coconut, yuzu marshmallow and lemon mousse cake. What a serve!

Where: 50 Berners Street, London, W1T 3NG, United Kingdom
Nearest station: Goodge Street (0.4 miles)
Website: www.sandersonlondon.com

Covent Garden Hotel

Sir Cliff may be Singing In The Rain at Wimbledon, but the real pouring’s going on Brasserie Max. The Covent Garden Hotel dining room will be serving a tennis tea including finger sandwiches (cucumber, egg and watercress and coronation chicken, obvs) as well as sweet treats including Pimm’s and mint jelly, elderflower and white chocolate macaroons plus the traditional Wimbledon pairing of a strawberries and cream tart.

Monday 1st July until Sunday 14th July

Where: 10 Monmouth Street, London, WC2H 9HB, United Kingdom
Nearest station: Covent Garden (0.2 miles)
Website: www.firmdalehotels.com

Haymarket Hotel

Glamorous Haymarket Hotel, just off Trafalgar Square, have devised banana and chocolate “tennis ball” macarons to accompany their Wimbledon afternoon tea. Accompanied by blueberry cupcakes with chocolate rackets and Pimm’s jelly mousse along with all the usual tea stuff, including finger sandwiches, an apple and sage sausage roll, scones with clotted cream and preserves.

Monday 1st July until Sunday 14th July

Where: 1 Suffolk Place, London, SW1Y 4BP, United Kingdom
Nearest station: Piccadilly Circus (0.2 miles)
Website: www.firmdalehotels.com

Roast

Raise a toast to Roast, and make it a Pimm’s. In fact, make it a Pimm’s and strawberry layer cake, because that’s what’s on offer at the Borough Market restaurant over the course of Wimbledon. Not only that, but strawberry Eton mess too, with both available as part of the of the Wimbledon-themed afternoon tea which also includes an array of finger sandwiches, scones as well as a selection of baked goods. Not only is there Pimm’s but also Champagne on offer alongside a selection of teas.

Available Monday to Saturday

Where: The Floral Hall, Stoney St, London SE1 1TL
Nearest station: London Bridge (0.2 miles)
Website: www.roast-restaurant.com

The Petersham

Go straight past Wimbledon and keep going and you’ll hit The Petersham. The Richmond-based luxury hotel has given head chef Jean-Didier Gouges free rein to come up with a Wimbledon concept, and he’s not disappointed. The chef’s refreshing strawberry and elderflower mousse, encased in a hand-crafted white chocolate exterior is a masterpiece, while he’s also given the famous afternoon tea a Wimbledon makeover, with another tennis ball dessert, a ‘mango and passionfruit Eton mess tartlet’ to a ‘white chocolate truffle with Champagne and dried raspberry’.

Where: The Petersham Hotel, Nightingale Lane, Richmond, TW10 6UZ
Nearest station: Richmond (0.8 miles)
Website: More information here...

The Athenaeum Hotel & Residences

Galvin at The Athenaeum have not only created a Wimbledon afternoon tea to celebrate the tournament, but they’re also throwing in the obligatory bottomless Pimm’s or Prosecco.

Where: 116 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 7BJ, United Kingdom
Nearest station: Hyde Park Corner (0.4 miles)
Website: www.athenaeumhotel.com

InterContinental London Park Lane

Arch Bar at InterContinental London Park Lane will be all over the Wimbledon vibes over the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world. Launching two cocktails for the event, the Centre Court Champagne and the Wimbledon Negroni, both, naturally, accompanied by strawberries and cream. The cocktails are perfect for sipping as you watch the action unfold on the bar’s large screen.

Where: One Hamilton Place, Park Lane, London, W1J 7QY, United Kingdom
Nearest station: Hyde Park Corner (0.2 miles)
Website: www.parklane.intercontinental.com

The Sheraton Grand London Park Lane

Smith & Whistle, the Mayfair ‘local’ on Piccadilly within The Sheraton Grand London Park Lane, are celebrating the tennis season and Wimbledon 2019 with four exclusive tennis themed cocktails. Available throughout the tournament, guests can enjoy a ‘Cambridge Bramble’, a special Strawberry Daiquiri, a Murray Mint or a Pimm’s Cup.

Where: Sheraton Grand London Park Lane, Piccadilly, London, United Kingdom
Nearest station: Green Park (0.4 miles)
Website: www.sheratonparklane.com