SAUCE LOVES… AFTERNOON TEA
Afternoon Tea Week runs Monday 14th – Friday 18th August and below you’ll find a selection of must visit restaurants serving some of London’s best afternoon tea treats.
Delight in Afternoon Tea Week at Thomas’s Café at Burberry
This August, enjoy Afternoon Tea Week at the fashionable Thomas’s Café in Burberry’s flagship store at 121 Regent Street. Take a front row seat in the heart of London while enjoying a quintessentially British afternoon. Priced at £32, Afternoon Tea includes a complimentary glass of Nyetimber rosé, an assortment of finger sandwiches and tea cakes, served on a brass and glass shelved cake stand.
Miniature British favourite finger cakes, including Victoria sandwich and lemon drizzle, will be served alongside Thomas’s signature pale orange fondant fancy and apple crumble choux bun. Dine in style while watching fashions finest come and go.
For reservations, contact Thomas’s Café at Burberry on +44 (0)20 3159 1410 or book via OpenTable: https://www.opentable.co.uk/thomass
Japanese Afternoon tea from Sosharu
For an indulgence that will transport you to the Far East, head to Sosharu for their Japanese-inspired afternoon tea. Centred around the tea ceremony traditions of Japan, the menu features iconic wagashi (confectionary) of the sweet and savoury variety, alongside unique tea blends and specially designed cocktails. The menu replaces traditional British fare with Japanese treats ranging from open tamaki to matcha iced fingers and Taiyaki, a fish shaped cake filled with white chocolate crème patisserie and seasonal fruits. Available at Sosharu Friday or Saturday, 12pm-4pm.
Nordic Afternoon Tea at Aquavit London
The Nordic Afternoon Tea at Aquavit London offers guests a wonderful array of traditional Nordic delicacies all served in the stylish new restaurant in St James’s Market. Featuring both sweet treats and savoury delights, the afternoon tea perfectly combines the finest Nordic dishes for which the restaurant is renowned, with the quintessentially British tradition of afternoon tea. To start, an assortment of Danish open sandwiches, smørrebrød, features classic Nordic flavours such as Gravlax, Shrimp Skagen and Beef tartare, presented in a contemporary style on the restaurant’s distinctive house-made rye bread. The culinary journey continues with a selection of traditional Swedish cakes and tarts from the Fika trolley; as well as a Punsch-roll. There are three afternoon tea packages available, with the Fika Afternoon Tea (£25) allowing guests to enjoy the savouries and sweets alongside Swedish coffees from Johan & Nyström and teas from Hoogly (a British brand with Danish roots), and the Champagne Afternoon Tea (£37) also including a glass of Ruinart Brut Champagne. For a touch of luxury, the Aquavit Afternoon Tea (£65) has been developed in collaboration with the iconic Danish design company, Georg Jensen, being served in an award-winning tea service from designer Henning Koppel, and also including a glass of Dom Pérignon, as well as having the addition of freshly baked cinnamon and cardamom buns. www.aquavitrestaurants.com/london
Afternoon Tea at The Game Bird
The Game Bird recently launched at The Stafford London under the helm of Executive Chef James Durrant, and the restaurant has already become renowned for serving wonderful British comfort food dishes with innovative, modern touches. Alongside the à la carte menu, The Game Bird also serves a traditional Afternoon Tea, available in the relaxed restaurant and drawing rooms, as well as the beautiful secluded terrace. The menu includes four bespoke signature blends of tea including the Queen’s Stafford Blend, and the aptly named The Game Bird, to be enjoyed alongside a selection of finger sandwiches, homemade scones with seasonal jams and Cornish clotted cream, and freshly-baked patisserie (£36 per person). The option to add a glass of Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut Champagne is also available, or a bespoke Tea with the Queen cocktail, made with Prosecco, thyme and raspberry syrup, brandy snap and mango sorbet. www.thestaffordlondon.com/the-game-bird
Afternoon Tea at the Conrad London St James
The Summer Afternoon Tea at the Conrad London St James is bursting with colours and flavours that celebrate the warmer months of the year. Created by Executive Pastry Chef Diana Sedlakova, who has elegantly blended the tradition of a classic afternoon tea with contemporary flavours and techniques, the tea is served in the stylish Emmeline’s Lounge, so named after the 19th century British political activist Emmeline Pankhurst. There is an extensive range of teas from Harney & Sons available, with tea sommeliers on hand to ensure a personalised experience, and for a little extra luxury guests can enjoy free-flowing champagne during both weekday and weekend services. The menu starts with a selection of savouries including a prawn and crab Bloody Mary or pea and mint panna cotta, as well as sandwiches such as coronation chicken on caraway bread and pickled cucumber with lemon and mint cream cheese on beetroot bread. To follow, there are sweets including a raspberry and pistachio choux bun; strawberry and cream pearl, as well as fresh scones, clotted cream, strawberry jam and zesty lemon curd. On Saturdays, afternoon tea is accompanied by live Jazz, the perfect addition to this quintessentially British treat. www.conradhotels.com/london
High-class afternoon fizz at Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square
The Four Seasons Hotel at Ten Trinity Square opened earlier this year, making its afternoon tea offering one of the freshest in London. Beneath the Rotunda Lounge’s grand domed ceiling, the menu is served from Fridays to Sundays. The Ten Trinity Heritage Tea (£52) offers a classic spread of finger sandwiches, French pastries, homemade scones, seasonal jams and Devonshire clotted cream, with an optional glass of Delamotte Brut Champagne (£10). Alternatively, The Royal Afternoon Tea (£78) adds a sumptuous glass of Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millenaires Champagne and a slice of the freshly baked cake of the day. Tea lovers are spoilt for choice, with a globe-spanning range including leaves from Cornwall, Malawi, China and South Africa.
www.fourseasons.com/tentrinity/dining/lounges/rotunda-lounge
Nathan Myhrvold, Modernist Bread: The Art and Science
Don’t feel like going out? Why not try preparing your own afternoon tea at home for your friends. The latest cookbook to be launched by Nathan Myhrvold and the Modernist Cuisine team, Modernist Bread: The Art and Science, comprises a host of exciting new bread-based recipes – perfect to keep you all going until dinner. We love the team’s nutella Babka, with step-by-step instructions on how to perfect your yeast-risen dough before filling it, rolling it and baking it! The book is available for pre-orders now at Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modernist-Bread-Science-Nathan-Myhrvold/dp/0982761058