Afternoon Tea

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Afternoon Tea at Dukes

Afternoon Tea at Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill

Big Ben, London Bus and Afternoon Tea at The Howard

Bob Bob Ricard for Afternoon Tea

Chai Bazaar at Chor Bizarre

Chinese Afternoon Tea at Grand Imperial

The Dorchester for Afternoon Tea

Front Room at Flemings Mayfair

Indigo Afternoon Tea - One Aldwych Hotel

InterContinental for Afternoon Tea and Summer

The Lancaster London Hotel Peter Pan Afternoon Tea

Men’s Afternoon Tea at De Ville restaurant

Tea and Crumpets - Margaret M. Johnson

Tuttons for Tea

The Dorchester for Afternoon Tea

I am an unashamed supporter of The Dorchester. It’s iconic and has endured – it’s been around for decades, since the start of the 1930s, and its façade still reflects those striking and chiselled architectural features of the Art Deco era. The Dorchester is a vision of pale grey but its colourful and ever-changing front garden softens those sharp lines. Spring presents local and tourist alike with a swathe of yellow daffodils and purple-blue pansies. Manicured, immaculate and welcoming, as one would expect.

It’s not just the planting that gives a welcome. Dark wood and brass are a-gleam with old-fashioned solidity but the staff at The Dorchester is the element that will assure your return. True, it’s unlikely that any of them have worked here since 1931 but they are each instilled with an old-fashioned hospitality ethic that’s hard to find these days.

Guests entering The Dorchester are immediately introduced to the impressive Promenade which must surely be one of the most photographed corners of any hotel. A lesser establishment would have installed a viewing gallery. The Promenade was refurbished in 2005 by Thierry Despont, and he has presented a sumptuous and classic space that is perfect for afternoon tea. In fact, The Promenade changes that typically British culinary institution into an event.

That last phrase isn’t just a poetic exaggeration. Afternoon tea at The Dorchester is considered THE venue of choice for those with an appreciation of genteel class. It’s an ideal spot for birthday celebrations (the piano player will gladly oblige with “Happy Birthday” if tipped the wink) and even the smartest of Hen Parties. The Dorchester is high-end but thoroughly accessible.

The tables are spaced to allow for private conversation. A gentle hum of chatter keeps the Promenade alive but one is never burdened with snippets of others’ lives. You really don’t care if Abner broke his leg on the cruise over. He is doubtless a fine man but he is not yours. Equally Abner's wife isn’t interested in your horrendous electricity bill, though she would likely sympathise. No, the Dorchester Promenade is discreet, but it’s not a dusty library.

“There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea.”
- Bernard-Paul Heroux and my grandmother.

Tea refreshes like no other beverage. It has the unique ability to heat in cool weather and cool in the heat of summer. It quenches the thirst but the very process of ‘taking tea’ creates calm. Add plates of sandwiches and some delicate sweet fancies and that simple pot of tea is elevated to the status of a light meal.

The Dorchester is serious about its tea. It offers an excellent range of carefully selected leaves that are not available elsewhere. I had previously enjoyed The Dorchester Blend, a melange of Sri Lankan Ceylon and Golden Assam teas – a bright tea with a malty character and just a slight hint of caramel. It presents a brew best enjoyed with milk and was my tea of choice for breakfast a while back.  This time I was looking for something that would complement the savoury sandwiches as well as those desserts from the top tier of the traditional stand.

Single Estate Greenwood 2nd Flush Assam (strictly limited) is one of the finest Assams from the Greenwood Estate, established in 1839. Do take the opportunity to try this rare tea. I would suggest that you don’t add milk. You will enjoy this tea’s qualities au naturel or with just a slice of lemon.

Your pot of selected tea will arrive and so will a plate of assorted sandwiches. These are of the refined sort with crusts removed. The various fillings are surrounded by complementary flavoured bread which is apparently made by an artisan baker. It’s one of the few items that The Dorchester doesn’t make in-house or more accurately in-hotel: they prefer to source this essential ingredient from a specialist.

The usual form is to have the sandwiches served on that three-tier stand and that always looks impressive but it does have its practical drawback: that aforementioned bread can dry out as you socialise. The waiters at the Dorchester bring around a plate of sandwiches for you to select a few at a time; once you’ve enjoyed those the attentive waiter will supply you with some more.  Sandwiches here can be appreciated at their freshest: cucumber with cream cheese on caraway seed bread, egg mayonnaise with shiso cress on white bread, chicken with wholegrain mustard mayonnaise on basil bread, smoked salmon on granary bread.  Yes, you can pick your favourites and graze till you are suitably semi-packed with savoury, leaving a nook of space for all that is to follow.

What should follow, if you want to stick to the teatime rule, are warm scones served with homemade strawberry jam, or a jam that changes with the season, and Cornish clotted cream. The scones here are two-bite-size, moist and moreish. The joy of The Dorchester is that you can ask for more and the baked goods will arrive warm to your table.

The plate at the summit of the stand will tempt you. These are mostly mousse-based desserts with a layer of shortbread here or a square of brownie there. They are dainty and exquisitely moulded. They remind one of the glittering jewellery that one might have noticed in display cases on the way into the hotel. Small and marvellously decorated, these are gems that are almost too beautiful to eat... almost.

The Dorchester offers various styles of Afternoon Tea and also the more substantial but equally traditional High Tea. There are some tempting Occasion Teas throughout the year: soon the Chelsea Flower Show will be here and they pay homage to that very well at The Promenade.

Chelsea Flower Show Rose Garden Afternoon Tea

SUNDAY 20 MAY - SUNDAY 27 MAY
Enjoy a multi-sensory feast of delicious cakes, Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé, floral arrangements by award-winning garden designer Arne Maynard, and evocative scents by master perfumer Roja Dove.

The ‘Rosé Garden Afternoon Tea’ includes white and pink rose chocolate mousse flower heads, raspberry tart with crystallized rose petal garnish, chocolate macaroon with passion fruit creamaux and orange marmalade, and Earl Grey chocolate mousse with gold leaf, and a selection of finger sandwiches and scones complemented by Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé served in an elegant cherry-blossom design glass.

Garden designer Arne Maynard will transform The Promenade into a representation of the Laurent-Perrier Bicentenary Garden designed for this year’s show. Using a variety of roses and delicate plants known for their floral fragrances, the garden will explore the theme of scents and is The Dorchester’s pastry team’s inspiration for the tea cakes.

Working together with Arne, world renowned perfumer and leading fragrance ambassador Roja Dove has created a limited-edition candle, using one of the world’s rarest floral oils, which will be lit during tea service to further enhance guests’ ‘scent’ experience. Inspired by the Laurent-Perrier Bicentenary Garden, the candle features the scent of the rare Rose de Mai.

£54 per person including a glass of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé
£49 per person including a glass of Laurent-Perrier Brut NV

Five sittings daily: 1.15pm, 2.30pm, 3.15pm, 4.45pm, 5.15pm

Prices are inclusive of VAT and exclusive of service charge at 12.5%.

London restaurant review: The Dorchester
Park Lane, London W1K 1QA

Phone: 020 7629 8888
Reservations: 020 7317 6500
Fax: 020 7629 8080
E-mail: info.thedorchester@dorchestercollection.com
E-mail: reservations.uk@dorchestercollection.com

Visit The Dorchester here

Afternoon Tea at Dukes

location is part of the charm it still stands apart from much of the local competition. It has quality in every gleaming fingerplate, every vase of fragrant blooms and every reflection in polished dark wood. It’s been enjoyed for over a century by those who expect and appreciate good taste in both furnishings and food.

Afternoon Tea here is a classic affair. The Lounge offers a quiet idyll, a comfy mix of contemporary seats and sofas with prints and paintings, and intimate nooks in which to unwind. Perhaps this is the most ideal spot for quiet conversation. It’s not a stuffy lounge with silent waiters in squeaky shoes but rather a place to pause the day and recharge batteries. We settled in a corner with a view over the Cognac and Cigar Garden. This is a covered court with couches on which to recline while puffing a fragrant Havana after dinner. It’s open from 8pm.

Afternoon Tea at Dukes is traditional and substantial. Overseas visitors might appreciate some advice about an English teatime. If one is only slightly peckish after a good lunch then perhaps a Cream Tea would be in order at 3pm. This consists of scones, clotted cream and jam. A Devon native will have a slightly different order of application than one from Cornwall. An inhabitant of one of these counties puts the cream onto the scone first and the jam second, and vice versa, but I can never remember who does what. Be assured that your scones will be delicious spread in either fashion.

Clotted cream is another mystery. The name suggests something lumpy and unappetising but the reality is rich and memorable. Clotted cream (sometimes called Devonshire cream) is thick, yellow and made by heating full-cream cow's milk using steam or a water bath and then leaving the milk in a shallow dish to cool slowly. The cream rises to the surface and forms a thick layer. Cornish clotted cream was given a Protected Designation of Origin in 1998 by European Union directive, as long as the milk is produced in Cornwall and the minimum fat content is 55%; so leave your diet at the door.

A full Afternoon Tea includes that aforementioned cream tea but also savoury sandwiches and other sweet treats and traditional cakes. The Dukes’ tea arrives, as do most other hotel or restaurant teas, on the 3-tier stand. The top plate offers a selection that would have been familiar to Victorians. They would have enjoyed those toasted teacakes, warm scones and slices of fruit cake just as you will. Teatime is about continuity.

The middle plate is the savoury layer of filled sandwiches. There are a lot of sweet temptations on a tea-stand so those salty diversions will help you stay the course. This isn’t a snack to be rushed. An Afternoon Tea worth its name is a hearty meal and one over which to linger. We enjoyed finger sandwiches, naturally sans crusts, filled with ham, beef, salmon or cream cheese and these, we were told, would be replenished on request.

The lowest layer will be the one you will have had your gaze fixed upon since its arrival. This is a plate of fancies and all made in Dukes’ kitchen: miniature chocolate éclairs, Madelines, brownies, and a chef’s special that changes with the season and is mostly fresh fruit-based. The pièce de résistance was the individual lemon meringue pies. They looked almost too good to eat ...almost. The case was light and delicate, the filling tangy and fresh and the topping was soft Italian meringue that was deftly torched around the swirls.

You will obviously want tea with your Tea and there is a good selection from which to choose.  I always enjoy Earl Grey on such occasions as the citrus hint of bergamot works as a foil to the sweetness of the pastries. It’s a tea to take without milk for it to be truly refreshing.

Dukes is a hotel with an unsurpassed reputation for class. It offers the discerning guest a tranquil oasis in the centre of London and just a short distance from all of the best that the capital has to offer. It’s appreciated by tourists and locals, and its timeless quality is prized by all.

Afternoon Tea available daily from 3pm-5.30pm
DUKES Champagne Afternoon Tea £34.50
    A glass of Champagne
    Selection of finger sandwiches
    Assorted cakes and pastries
    Traditional fruit cake
    Warm fruit scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam
    All served with your choice of tea

DUKES Afternoon Tea £24.50
    All of the above without the glass of Champagne

    Champagne by the glass £12.00
    Selection of finger sandwich £10.25
    Warm fruit scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam £8.50
    Assorted cakes and pastries £6.50
    English fruit cake £6.50

Dukes Hotel
35 St James's Place, London SW1A 1NY
Area: St James's
020 7491 4840
Visit Dukes here www.dukeshotel.com

Afternoon Tea at Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill

Afternoon tea is very much in vogue these days, so why wouldn’t you have a traditional afternoon tea in London, the capital of European tea-drinking? If you are going to the trouble of visiting London then you want to enjoy afternoon tea at its best and that’s just what Hyatt Regency The Churchill offers.

This striking hotel can be found just a couple of minutes’ walk away from Oxford Street, one of London’s most popular shopping thoroughfares and a magnet for those seeking therapy of the retail sort. The Churchill has views over the gardens of Portman Square, the sight of which sweeps one back to a gentler age when this open space echoed to the sound of the clip-clopping of horses rather than the roar of Mercedes horse power. It’s not only the hotel in general with those stunning views: the Montagu restaurant in particular boasts windows to this quintessentially London scene. It is named after socialite Elizabeth Montagu and her husband Edward, grandson to the first Earl of Sandwich, whose home occupied part of this site. Black cabs, tourists, office workers now create a moving foreground to the lush vegetation.

The Montagu seats up to 130 guests in contemporary but stylish comfort. Its dark wood, crisp linen, muted taupe walls are bathed in light from huge chandeliers and the aforementioned windows. It contrives to be both traditional and modern and it works. Yes, indeed there are classic elements to this restaurant but they are marvellously contrasted with a bar sporting a bank of horizontal wine bottles (practical but very chic), and the most open of open kitchens.

We have all seen them, those open kitchens. They are often no more than a slit in the restaurant wall and showing

nothing more of the chefs than their white-clad shoulders and perhaps a daringly coloured bandana or two. The Montagu kitchen, however, is part of the restaurant. One can watch the theatre of food preparation by staff who, I guess, must be well-behaved at all times. Perhaps that’s the reason why such an arrangement would never do for some of Britain’s more “animated” celebrity chefs.

The Chef’s Table gives a few visitors the opportunity to take an even closer look at proceedings. Once again The Montagu has gone the extra mile, this time in order to give a close but civilised view of chefs in action. The concept of eating at the chef’s table has been around for a while. Other restaurants might have a cramped table for two between the dishwasher and the swinging kitchen door, with the diners’ eye-level being waist-high to the chef, allowing a view of just a profile of a stock pot and lots of blue flames. Here the guests are seated at a raised island with vistas of the whole kitchen. The Chef’s Table seats two to nine people on high stools and is available for lunch or dinner during the week. It costs £75.00 per person for five courses including matched wines, or £95.00 for eight courses including matched wines.

It was springtime in London. Cold and wet and I was looking forward to the comfort of an open fire (yes, dear reader, there is such a thing to hand) and an afternoon tea with all the elegance and charm that notion conjures. As a member of the Tea Council’s prestigious ‘Tea Guild', Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill sounded like an ideal spot for a cuppa and some sweet and savoury delights. I was not disappointed – they presented the most iconic and relaxing of afternoon teas.

Even from a distance The Montagu

Big Ben, London Bus and Afternoon Tea at The Howard

Bob Bob Ricard for Afternoon Tea

Ricard is in fact a chap called Richard Howarth and the Bob Bob a wealthy Russian by the name of Leonid Shutov. Richard gave Leonid the nickname of Bob as he found Leonid unpronounceable. I guess Leonid renamed Richard out of revenge. The restaurant name is a bit of whimsical mathematics. Leonid is said to have put up two-thirds of the finance for the venture so he gets twice the mention.

We were going for afternoon tea. Bob Bob Ricard is found at the far end of Carnaby Street. Yes, that bastion of all things tie-dye and joss-sticky has changed out of all recognition into a street of chain boutiques. BBR is, however, a haven of class with a front door and monograms to encourage the prospective diner to expect something a bit special. This prospective diner was not disappointed.

Designer David Collins has introduced the same humour and melange of cultures displayed by the owners into the restaurant itself. It’s a veritable snapshot of an enlarged Orient Express. A stylish impression of a bygone but classy age when there were plenty of staff to polish the brass. It’s a restaurant which would seat 1930’s starlets, spies from Istanbul as well as Ladies wot lunch. On reflection it’s a restaurant that should be appealing to anyone with an eclectic taste for the finer things in life.

We were settled into our comfy blue leather-upholstered booth. Plenty of marble-esque table top and aforementioned brass. Each booth is furnished with a power point. No, dear reader, that’s not for your computer. BBR serves breakfast as well as afternoon tea (and every conceivable meal either side of tea), and the socket is for the toaster. An amazingly practical idea. Aside from the energy outlet there is a button marked Press for Champagne. It doesn’t have a tap, it’s rather just a means of calling the champagne waiter. I am sure that button has an almost hypnotic draw for some.

The afternoon tea here is classic but thoughtful. The crustless sandwiches include tomato bread for the ham and mustard, and coronation chicken on carrot and coriander bread. The ubiquitous cucumber sandwiches are made with onion bread. Nice elevating touches.

Scones at Bob Bob Ricard are served with a liberal helping of clotted cream and artisanal jam. A couple of cups of hot and reviving English Breakfast tea (OK, I know it’s no longer morning but I was the customer and the customer is always right) helped down this substantial spread, and we hadn’t even reached the top of the three-tier stand.

Notice it was “we”. Well, this stand gave enough food for two. I’d recommend you start with just that, if there are a couple of you. In the unlikely event that you are still peckish then try some of the other delights such as crumpets, muffins, teacakes and that toaster.

The top plate would have been beckoning to you while you munched your scones and savouries. It’s the cakes. These were a divine selection of half a dozen miniature fancies that will take you back to your childhood, or they will if you are English and of a certain age. Battenberg, Victoria sponge, Rum Baba and Cream Horn were tempting but the Custard Tart and Chocolate Beleron fair turned this reviewer’s head.

Bob Bob Ricard is ideal for an afternoon break. One can enjoy an unhurried atmosphere of old-fashioned charm and elegance. The staff were attentive and enthusiastic. The location is convenient for shopping trips to Liberty’s and Hamley’s and the prices are no more than one would expect. It’s a spot I’ll return to often – yes, for tea, but I hear the evening menu is well worth exploring.

Bob Bob Ricard, 1 Upper James Street, Soho, London W1F 9DF
Phone:0203 145 1000   
Email reservations@bobbobricard.com
Visit Bob Bob Ricard here

Chai Bazaar at Chor Bizarre – Teatime treats & traditional temptations

Chai Bazaar at Chor Bizarre was London’s first Indian Tea Bar. Other restaurants serve tea but, take my word for it, tea and its associated snacks at Chai Bazaar are an experience, and one seldom found outside the subcontinent. These days the bar isn’t a physical structure, but rather a menu separate from the restaurant bill of fare.

cuppa might even be served in earthenware kullars. These cups are considered disposable in India, but they are not so easily come by in London’s department stores, so the staff at the restaurant prudently hangs on to them.

What would teatime be without something toothsome to accompany the ‘cup that cheers’? Our food arrived on a silver Thali tray rather than being stacked on the typical English three-tier cake stand. This was a striking presentation and gave an agreeable sensation of just having popped over to see a Maharaja for the afternoon. The spread was a magnificent display. Chef Manpreet Singh Ahuja and the other Chor Bizarre chefs offer a selection of spicy and aromatic snacks to replicate those found on tea stands in India. Papri chaat, hot pakoras, kathi rolls and naanwiches (sandwiches of naan rather than white sliced) and Indian sweets which are delicious and

Chinese Afternoon Tea at Grand Imperial

We think of afternoon tea as being the quintessentially English event. Well, in fact if we were to be purists we would say that it’s a traditionally Chinese occasion. Tea is, after all, Chinese, although India can lay claim to commercial production for mass export. The British were not even the first Europeans to appreciate tea.

The tea timeline runs something like this:

2737 BC. The second emperor of China, Shen Nung, made the first cup of tea when leaves accidently blew into his cup of hot water.

400 AD. Tea is now called Kuang Ya in the Chinese dictionary. Instructions on how to make a good cuppa are given. During the T'ang Dynasty tea becomes a popular beverage in China and is prized for both its flavour and its medicinal properties.

1589 Europeans first take an interest in tea when a Venetian author suggests that the long lives of the Chinese are due to tea drinking.

1635 Tea becomes trendy at the Dutch court and in 1650 they introduce tea to New Amsterdam, which later becomes New York.

1706 Thomas Twining serves tea at Tom’s Coffee House in London.

1773 The Boston Tea Party marks the end of the American love affair with tea. Colonists disguised as Native Americans board East India Company ships and throw hundreds of chests of tea into the harbour. Had history been different then New Yorkers might now be ordering a cup of delicate Taiwan Oolong Osmanthus instead of a “cup o’ Joe” (I never have discovered who that “Joe” was.)

1840 Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, introduces Afternoon Tea, which eventually becomes the English ritual we know today.

We see that our love of tea has endured for several centuries, but the Chinese have been enjoying its qualities for thousands of years. Ask Mr. Wong, the restaurant manager of Grand Imperial, for advice on which teas might be the best for you. They have a marvellous selection here so take advantage of expert advice and try a couple.

Oriental Afternoon Tea at Grand Imperial is remarkable. It has the formal elements of a real English afternoon tea but the fare on offer is unmistakably Chinese, with a contemporary and chocolatey twist. There are regular cups and saucers and, yes, the traditional three-tier stand, but those plates are piled with delicious morsels that are much more exciting than a curly sandwich of white sliced and a wedge of Victoria sponge.

Front Room at Flemings Mayfair

Indigo Afternoon Tea - One Aldwych Hotel

Indigo Restaurant at One Aldwych Hotel is the ideal spot for a spot of tea. Its unique location allows for the essential “people watching” without the disadvantages of traffic fumes and noise, and with the added benefit of those aforementioned people being kept at a healthy distance. You’ll have a good view of the moving London landscape from your cosy eyrie.

Indigo restaurant now offers the celebrated British afternoon tea with a delicious twist on the much-loved experience. Tony Fleming, the hotel’s executive chef, takes advantage of the finest, freshest ingredients and has tweaked the classic dainties – both sweet and savoury – to present a contemporary version of the typical afternoon tea. Nothing too outlandish or shocking to refined sensibilities, just changes to offer a lighter although equally indulgent experience.

This restaurant is a favourite of mine. In fact the hotel with both Indigo and Axis restaurants is a haven of understated good taste and a refuge from the bustle of city life. We ordered Assam and Darjeeling teas and settled back. I was expecting something charming and different and that’s what I got.

The three-tier stand is traditional and there were sandwiches. Roast beef, pink and tempting and spiked with horseradish, in my opinion the essential condiment, is served on caramelised onion bread. Smoked salmon is a must and here it has a spread of cream cheese on onion bread. Cucumber and cream cheese is matched with caraway bread to make one feel elegant and a bit Victorian (although they might have missed out on the cream cheese, and the bread would doubtless have remained sans caraway).

Sandwiches constitute the majority of that lower layer but Indigo has added some savouries and they are miniature versions of the dishes that were so popular as part of a High Tea a century or so ago. The hearty Scotch Egg is now made with a quail egg, and the Welsh Rarebit is a crunchy crouton topped with the cheesy mix.

The usual route to teatime satisfaction lies in starting at the bottom with the sandwiches and working up. I would counsel that you should have the ground floor platter first and then pass swiftly to the third. The Eton Mess is presented in a small glass and will captivate anyone with a passion for sweet decadence. Dive in, as this concoction is best consumed fresh.

Traditional warm Scottish drop-scones served with berry compote and clotted cream also grace that top deck. They replace the notoriously fickle regular scones. They are light and delicate and a worthy addition to the plate. But cakes are perhaps the most eagerly anticipated of the collection and they grace the middle level of the stand.

The Bitter Chocolate Tart has a truly adult and sophisticated taste. It might look a small slice but it’s rich; and there is pink and yellow checker-board Battenberg to follow. This really will evoke memories of childhood, although my childhood was punctuated with Battenberg from a box, a pale imitation of this Indigo delight. But there is more to come in the guise of carrot cake. A great example here with evidence of both nuts and carrots, and aromatic with warming spices. A substantial slice.

Afternoon tea at Indigo is a new enterprise. It’s only been available for a few weeks but it’s already popular. There was a pre-wedding celebration party, the girls wearing flowery dresses to complement the pastel teatime display. Another table held a family of three generations, grandparents sipping champagne while baby in high-chair tucked into a finger of sandwich and squidgy fist or two of cake. Contentment and joy reigned. I’ll return for another tranquil Saturday afternoon and I am sure the others will as well.

Afternoon tea must be booked in advance.
£26.50 per person
£35.00 per person including a glass of Louis Roederer Champagne

Indigo Restaurant - One Aldwych
1 Aldwych, London WC2B 4RH
Tel: 020 7300 0400
Fax: 020 7300 0401
Email: indigo@onealdwych.com

InterContinental for Afternoon Tea and Summer

London is acknowledged to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It’s been a magnet for tourists for generations. Plenty of celebrated museums, and all free, galleries to admire, and then there is always retail therapy, and that has never gone out of style.

Yes, we have famous buildings by the score and our green spaces are loved by local and visitor alike. Hyde Park, Green Park, Kensington Gardens and Regents Park have great appeal when the sun shines. Tourists enjoying a stroll, mums with energetic toddlers and office workers snatching some rays all take advantage of an hour or so of tranquillity.

But what do we think of when we consider a traditional English summer? Taking a boat trip on the Thames? Some open-air concerts? A picnic? Perhaps all of the above, and if you are fortunate enough to be staying at InterContinental on Park Lane then you can pamper yourself with a bespoke picnic to enjoy at any outside event or even while your riverboat motors under Tower Bridge and past the Houses of Parliament.

Picnics aren’t necessarily just a showcase for curly cheese-and-pickle sarnies. Executive Chef Paul Bates offers some of his favourite foods for the delicious alfresco menu:
Roasted ratatouille, cous cous and chorizo
Chicken salad, shredded and tossed in sherry-hazelnut vinegar dressing
Tuna-salmon sashimi, wasabi and ginger
Lightly poached lobster, mango-basil salsa
Mixed leaf, cos, rocket, mache, sweet cherry tomatoes, bell peppers
Palm heart, artichoke and avocado, light garlic dressing
Demi baguettes
Sharphams rustic (hard cheese)
This season's pear chutney
Sinful chocolate fudge brownie
English bakewell tart
Large still or sparkling water.

But there are those rare days (yeah, right) when the sky is grey from edge to edge and there might even be the threat of rain. Tourists should note that it’s almost guaranteed to rain for Wimbledon Tennis or any international cricket match. Nothing worse than damp grass when one is looking for a spot to consume delicious deli fare and some sweet pastries, so consider the alternative venue of a traditional afternoon tea in the classy shelter of the InterContinental’s Wellington Lounge.

The ground floor of this popular hotel has undergone a complete makeover. It’s now light and bright with soft taupe and powder-sage hues. The picture windows offer vistas that are typical of this remarkable corner of London: red buses, black London taxis, iconic architecture and views across to Wellington Arch and Hyde Park. The decor has been designed to “bring the outside in” and it does that in the most attractive fashion.

Try the hotel's own designer Wellington Blend tea, created by Executive Chef Paul Bates in conjunction with Modern Tea Emporium. The tea selection is a delicious companion to the spread of delicate delights. Even the crockery is new and mimics the geometric design on carpets and soft furnishings. The afternoon is an event, attracting both Intercontinental guests and those who are just passing. It’s a hotel that is famed for its quality cuisine at the Cookbook Café, and now in the Lounge.

There are several ‘Teas’ available in Britain. You will see restaurants and cafés offering different ‘teas’ appropriate to the time of day. Traditionally, the upper classes would take ‘afternoon tea’ around four o'clock. A ‘cream tea’ is a lighter version of this. The middle and lower classes would have a more substantial ‘high tea’ a little later in the day, at five or six o'clock, in place of dinner. Working classes had dinner at lunch time and tea nearer dinner time. Sunday lunch was always a full dinner, when high tea might be replaced by supper. Clear?

Afternoon Tea Menu

Sandwich Selection:
Speyside smoked salmon, cucumber linguini and Sevruga caviar. A traditional topping with a twist.
Rare roasted sirloin of beef, Piccalilli, chives and horseradish. Who could visit Britain and not try some roast beef?
Steamed Devon red chicken, hen egg mayonnaise and baby red-stalk sorrel. Flavourful and light.
West coast Scottish lobster, shrimps, olive oil tomato emulsion. Rich and decadent and a showcase for some of the best seafood in these isles.

Sultana scones with Cornish clotted cream and strawberry preserve are served after the guest has consumed the lowest tier of the stand, the savouries. Those scones and garnishes make a truly authentic treat alone, and are usually described as a ‘cream tea’.

But Intercontinental provides a full Afternoon Tea, which is rounded off with an overflowing top plate which one would have been gazing at since the arrival of the cake stand. I guess it’s called ‘cake’ stand to draw attention to the goods gracing the summit.

Vanilla and white chocolate cream profiterole.
Mango tranche with blackberry cream has full-on fruity flavour and one can feel noble: it must count as one of your 5 a day.
Dark chocolate torte is slightly bitter and has a sophisticated adult taste.
Preserved infused-fruit Madeira cake is old-fashioned and comforting.

All the above fancies, and some more, might be your reward for a hard day spent touring on an open-top bus, beetling around on a Boris-bike, hiking through designer boutiques and admiring historic sites. Enjoy it. You deserve it.

Selection of teas, cakes, sandwiches and scones.
£25 per person
£35 per person with a glass of Champagne

Monday to Friday from 1pm to 5pm. At weekends two sittings: 1.30pm to 3.30pm and 4pm to 6pm.

The Lancaster London Hotel Peter Pan Afternoon Tea

The bronze statue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens is one of the most popular monuments in London. He stands along the west bank of the Long Water. This site has a particular importance for Peter Pan and was specially chosen by J M Barrie – an enchanted glade where often, I have heard tell, one can find a golden sheen of fairy dust. But where can one get a bag of good quality fairy dust these days? The 5-star Lancaster London Hotel near Lancaster Gate has a supply.

The Lancaster London is appreciated for its panoramic views over Hyde Park, the largest of London’s Royal Parks; and then there is London’s famous skyline to enjoy. It is one of the tallest buildings in this prestigious area, with over 18 floors. The Lancaster boasts a brace of popular restaurants including the exotic and elegant award-winning Nipa Thai restaurant, but our goal was the Lounge Bar to enjoy an oasis of calm and a traditional English Afternoon Tea with a difference. One might describe it as a tea with character.

Not only does this attractive hotel have an amazing location but it also has that fairy dust. It’s probable that they have cornered the market. Rather than keeping it to themselves the management have chosen to donate a bag of the precious commodity (OK, so it looks like nuggets of bread) to every teatime guest. They have even included a map so you can find your way to Hyde Park to feed the aforementioned fairy dust to the ducks.

They do teatime so well at the Lancaster. The Lounge Bar is a vision of gold-hue carpet and dark wood. The bar area is an annex off the wide lounge area, which is lined with low tables, and the chairs and sofas are of the sleep-inducing comfort style. There is just a gentle buzz of discreet conversation from our fellow guests, some of whom were children utterly enthralled by the theatre of the event as well as the prospect of a glimpse of a particular lost boy. The ambiance is casually formal as one would expect and just right for a grown-up tea party.

The afternoon tea here is one of the most reasonable around. It has all the elements of the classic version but with thoughtful, not to mention delicious, extras. The tea table is laid with crisp white linen, sugar bowl, tea cups and plates, not forgetting the small pouches of the essential fairy dust. The traditional 3-tier silver stand arrives accompanied by squeals of delight from the smaller of the assembled guests. However many times I see such a display I am still excited. Nostalgia at its finest.

Crème Brulée isn’t a typical teatime item but here it is served as an Amuse Bouche before the main event. It was a Passion Fruit Crème Brulée served in a small taster ramekin. I trust this would be available in the Lancaster’s Island Restaurant along the hallway. It was a tangy stunner. One must have some savoury before the sweet so the lowest level of the stand housed the Lost Boy’s Sandwiches. These were a selection of Peanut Butter and Banana on wholemeal bread (sounds a strange combination but this really works), Smoked Chicken, Spring Onion and Mayonnaise on walnut bread; Egg Mayonnaise and Cress on herb bread. There were also miniature Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese scones with chives, and Cheese and Caraway scones with honey-roast ham and mustard. Little additions to the typical spread.
 
Scones are an essential part of any self-respecting tea, and the Lancaster offers Mrs Darling’s Scones (is this poetic licence or is the chef honestly called Mrs Darling?) These are served with strawberry jam or honey, and clotted cream. They were light and flaky scones and a good transition from the savoury sandwiches to the sticky sweetness of the delicately-executed fancy cakes garnishing the top layer of the stand.
 
As one would expect, these tarts, cookies and gateaux were labelled “Peter and Wendy’s favourite treats” and were a collection of strawberry mille-feuille, fresh fruit tarts, dark chocolate mousse, pecan tarts, Viennese shortbread and macaroons. All attractive and delicious, and helped down with several pots of hot jasmine and green tea.

One might not be able to “take tea” every day but The Lancaster provides a lovely venue for passing a few unhurried hours in the most perfect of surroundings. Great value for money for an exceptional experience.

The Peter Pan celebration tea is available in the hotel’s first floor Lancaster Lounge every day from 3pm until 5.30pm.

Lancaster London Hotel, Lancaster Terrace, London W2 2TY
Telephone:  020 7262 6737
Facsimile: 020 7724 3191
Visit the web site here

Men’s Afternoon Tea at De Ville restaurant

The décor of the dining room is of monochrome floral wallpaper of bold design with unique wall lights in the form of Venetian masks. The lounge area where tea is mostly taken offers the visitor sofas in chunky cord upholstery, puffy cushions and some truly original furniture. A comfy spot yet one that does make a fashion statement.

Men's Afternoon Tea at The Mandeville Hotel is the only Afternoon Tea especially for men in London. It’s a suitably masculine event but one which panders to refined taste. This particular tea also offers the guest a range of whiskies as well as the usual champagne. The Tiffany blue china is devoid of those chintzy roses that manly sorts often find intimidating.
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Men’s Afternoon Tea has robust sandwiches such as Crab and Shrimp in basil bread, Roasted Sirloin with red onion thyme jam in foccacia bread ( a particular hit with my manly guest), Beef and Chicken Satay with chilli créme fraiche for dipping, Grilled Mediterranean vegetables with tallegio, gratinated, on black olive ciabatta (an open sandwich and full of favour). Morecombe Bay Potted Shrimps were served with Gentlemen’s Relish and toast, which made this savoury selection a worthy meal in its own right.

Man cannot live by savoury snacks alone so this tea offered an assortment of pastries and cakes. Double Chocolate Brownie, Fruit Cake with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Lemon-Basil Tarts, Chocolate-Blueberry Cheesecake, Fig Chocolate Beignets, could all be garnishing your personal masculine three-tier stand. Scones, in my opinion, should always be included and they were here, freshly baked, with bowls of Devonshire clotted cream and strawberry jam. A splendid show.

Special mention must go to the Fig Chocolate Beignet. Looking like a small doughnut, the soft and spongy jacket protected a layer of chocolate and a whole fruit. This was quite a delicious innovation and one that I will be driven to replicate in my own home. Far from mundane.

Selected teas and herbal infusions are served to help down the mounds of savouries and sweets. The Mandeville Special Blend is a good standard tea, but the delicate Jing vanilla black tea was my guest’s beverage for the afternoon. There are a couple of whiskies here to add even more to the male teatime experience. Choose from Lowland Rosebank 12yr Old, Highland Glen Garioch 15yr Old, or Speyside Balvenie 12yr Old, any of which might appeal to those who arrive frozen after arduous hours accompanying enthusiastic shoppers – they have an excuse for a warming glass.

Afternoon Tea for the ladies includes a selection of traditional sandwiches such as Scottish Smoked Salmon, Free Range Egg Mayonnaise with Cress, Home Cooked Ham with Grain Mustard, Roasted Organic Chicken, and Cucumber. The Freshly Baked Raisin Scones, etc, are also a fixture along with a decadent and substantial assortment of pastries and cakes. The Zandra’s Pink Meringues are show-stoppers and big enough to defeat even the most ardent meringue lover. You might find a cupcake with delicate icing (these are also presented garnished with a candle for those special surprise occasions that one always dreads). Miniature éclairs and rose macaroons could also put in an appearance along with the ever-popular chocolate brownie.

You will obviously want a cup of reviving tea with your indulgent treat. Flowering Osmanthus, Whole Chamomile Flowers, Peppermint Leaf, Whole Rose Buds, Jing Blackcurrant & Hibiscus are all suitably feminine. The rose tea is perfumed and seems somehow appropriate for the china, designed by the aforementioned Zandra – none other than the celebrated Zandra Rhodes. Perhaps a glass of fizz would help the sweets along and the Champagne Afternoon Tea here is rather good value.

De Ville restaurant is contemporary but with the classic attentive service that one always hopes to find in boutique London hotels. It offers an island of tranquillity just a stone’s throw from the throb of city energy from the capital’s retail hub. Fine food with a touch of innovation at a reasonable price. An accessible gem.

Visit here for the Christmas Afternoon Tea.
Men’s Afternoon Tea £23.50
Whisky Afternoon Tea £31.00
Champagne Cocktail Afternoon Tea £33.00
Champagne Afternoon Tea £31.00
Laurent Perrier Rose by the Bottle £93.00
Afternoon tea is available from 3pm to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday

Breakfast
Monday to Friday from 7.00am to 10.00am
Saturday and Sunday from 8.00am to 11.00am
Lunch is served between 12.30pm and 3.00pm
Dinner is served between 7.00pm and 11.00pm
Reservations: +44 (0)20 7935 4040

De Ville Restaurant
The Mandeville Hotel, Mandeville Place, London W1U 2BE
Telephone: +44 (0)207 935 5599
Facsimile: +44 (0)207 935 9588
Email: info@mandeville.co.uk

Tea and Crumpets

Well, the name is tempting but add a subtitle of Recipes and Rituals from European Tearooms and Cafés, and my attention is captured!

Tea is a drink (or beverage if you hail from North American shores), yes, that’s true, but it’s also an institution, an event, a ceremony. A mug of tea, a doorstep sandwich and a doughnut (don’t write in – I do love them) does not amount to Afternoon Tea... even if you are drinking and eating the aforementioned items during those hours after lunch (that’s dinner if you are from some parts of England) and before dinner (supper if you are from those same parts of England).

Afternoon Tea is a rather formal pause. The table will be heaving with a selection of sandwiches and other small savouries, a cake to slice as well as small individual cakes, perhaps also some biscuits (those flat, crunchy things - cookies). This is somewhat different from High Tea which included a cooked dish and salads and was usually consumed late afternoon or early evening.

The author of Tea and Crumpets, Margaret M. Johnson, presents us with recipes for the best and most classic of Afternoon Tea delights. These are baked goods familiar to European teatime enthusiasts and include many traditional favourites from some of the finest venues in Britain, Ireland and France.

Cucumber sandwiches are a famed afternoon tea staple. Margaret offers Claridge’s Hotel’s version. The classic sandwich has the crusts removed and can best be described as delicate. These dainties would not fill a rugby player but work perfectly with all the other morsels on a three-tier stand. Perhaps crusts were as offensive as piano legs to genteel ladies of centuries past.

Crumpets are the stuff of many a Victorian childhood dream. They come equipped with holes that beg to be filled with soon-to-be-melted butter. Not perhaps a healthy option but if you are going to have a tea party then you should do it well. Crumpets are made with a yeast batter poured into crumpet rings on a skillet (griddle). You could use egg rings or plain cookie (biscuit) cutters. It’s a simple recipe with a unique result.

Traditional scones (a bit like American biscuits – not cookies) are equally “evil”, being, if you are a purist, loaded with clotted cream and strawberry jam. They are perhaps the most celebrated of the teatime array as they also hold centre stage in another British institution, the Cream Tea, which consists of just scones with their garnishes, and cups of tea of course. Most British or Irish tea drinkers will take their regular beverage with a little milk but never cream. Or have those flavoured and aromatic teas without milk, but perhaps add a slice of lemon.

Queen Victoria loved Shortbread. It’s another of those iconic afternoon tea items. They are buttery and rich and come in a range of shapes and sizes. They are not difficult to make but they should never be overcooked. Just done with next to no colour is the secret.

Dundee Cake is another contribution from North of the Border. This is a hearty cake that is a must for those cold afternoons when rib-sticking fare and a roaring log fire (look, this is my review so I can conjure up a log fire if I want one) are in order. Spicy Marmalade Loaf is a lovely alternative and has Dundee orange marmalade as a key ingredient. Oranges don’t grow in Scotland but that country does make some of the most delicious marmalade.

Tea and Crumpets is a travelogue of smart tearooms. It’s a book that will be welcomed by those who would like to participate in the revival of a tasteful tradition. Tea taken at a posh hotel is a marvellous experience, but a real tea party in one’s own home is a pleasure. Get out your grandmother’s bone china service and charm your friends with an artful display of culinary elegance. It’s easier than you might think.

Cookbook review: Tea and Crumpets
Author: Margaret M. Johnson
Published by: Chronicle Books
Price: $19.95US, £12.99
ISBN 978-0-8118-6214-1

Tuttons for Tea

Henry VIII dissolved all of England’s monastic properties in 1540, because he couldn’t get his way with the Catholic church and the ‘Bishop of Rome’ with regard to his divorce. Much of Westminster Abbey’s ‘Convent Garden’ was granted to John Russell who was the 1st Earl of Bedford. The area has changed name to the tune of one letter, and the Russell family are remembered in the address of Tuttons: Russell Street.
 
In 1630 the fourth Earl of Bedford commissioned the celebrated architect Inigo Jones to build houses in Covent Garden that would be ‘fit for the habitations of gentlemen’. Jones was inspired by the grand buildings and spaces of Italy. He designed Covent Garden’s Piazza – the first open square in England.

Covent Garden became London’s largest market once the Great Fire of London saw off much of the opposition in other neighbourhoods. Many overseas visitors will still expect to see flower-sellers, and to hear them humming snatches from My Fair Lady. Those days are gone but Covent Garden Market has re-opened as Europe’s first speciality shopping centre. Not too many blooming bunches but there are some very attractive spots to take tea, and Tuttons is one of my favourites.

Newly re-opened after a major refurbishment, Tuttons Brasserie and Bar is found close to the Royal Opera House on the east side of the Piazza. Tuttons has been here for over 30 years (although eating houses have been around since the 1700s in Covent Garden).

This restaurant has the air of the Parisian haunt of those looking for good food, but this is England and we do love afternoon tea. For a quintessentially British experience, and to celebrate the 350th year of our love for that civilised habit, Tuttons is offering a delicious Cream Tea.

Afternoon Tea reached the height of its popularity in the Victorian era. Well-stayed and wasp-waisted ladies could not enjoy huge meals but preferred to have a lighter lunch and then have a delicate nibble in the afternoon. They could choose the elaborate stand of cakes and sandwiches or the very traditional but simpler Cream Tea. This consisted of scones (like American biscuits but sweet), some thick and rich clotted cream, and jam.

My companion and I had enjoyed a substantial lunch and had spent a pleasant hour or two wandering the shops and stalls of Covent Garden. Lots of tourist souvenirs but I did spy a rather nice Mandarin-style jacket. We were truly ready for a sit-down, a nice cuppa and just a little taste of something sweet. Tuttons provided the appropriate venue for our pause.

It was a cold and windy day so we were glad of the cosy shelter. Warmer weather will find the French doors open onto an outside seating area – much prized in this magnet for visitors. We settled ourselves and ordered pots of tea. Tuttons offers a wide selection of exotic and perfumed teas but I am a conservative in such things so settled on Traditional English. Real leaf tea in the Twining’s teapots, as well.

We had a brace of scones apiece and they were much lighter than most I have eaten in restaurants, or have cooked at home. Almost a cross between a scone and a sponge. I had a generous pot of clotted cream and my guest chose a pot of equal size of butter. Afternoon Tea isn’t just a hot beverage and a snack, it’s a well-loved institution. It’s a time to sit and reflect, to chat in unhurried fashion and to rummage through the shopping bags. One might doubt the wisdom of some of the day’s purchases but the Tuttons Cream Tea will be your bargain buy: it’s a very reasonable £8.50. It will help to restore the equilibrium of your outing in the most delicious style.

Cream Tea served daily from 3pm till 5pm in the main restaurant.
Saturdays - only available at the bar area.

Opening hours
Mon-Sun 8.00am-11.30pm (12 midnight on Fri & Sat)

London restaurant review: Tuttons Brasserie and Bar
11/12 Russell Street, Covent Garden, London WC2B 5HZ
Phone: 0844 371 2550
Email: reception@cgrestaurants.com