Hello again,
Happy October! We can’t believe we’re already swiftly on our way to the Christmas season. We also know we have been oddly quiet on here, but as it happens, sometimes life takes over and we have to press ‘pause’ on all our grand Afternoon Tea plans and schemes. That said, we haven’t been completely negligent, we have actually managed to try a new Afternoon Tea this year! After copious research and long discussions about the daintiness of cakes and the tea selections, we settled on none other than The Lanesborough.
For those of you who haven’t heard of The Lanesborough, it’s an unassuming, but stunning 5-star hotel situated a few minutes away from Knightsbridge, Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park. It’s so well-located that there is almost no excuse to not go!
The Afternoon Tea itself is served in Céléste – a beautiful Michelin-starred venue with stunning, gilded light blue and golden interiors. The tables are generously spaced out, and if you’re lucky, you will be seated at a table that guarantees you a view of the entire room. Natural, sparkly light streams in from their skylight, making it the perfect place to take those artistic photos (of yourself, the scones and cake, of course…!). If you don’t believe me, see for yourself…
What really made this Afternoon Tea stand out for Gabriella (aka Lemon) and I was the savoury selection. Instead of the typical sandwich selection, The Lanesborough delivers with an equally formidable, but slightly lighter savoury selection including a smoked salmon bun with yuzu cream, a heavenly chicken bon bon with tandoori mayonnaise and a pea tart with caramelised onion – a perfect option if you’re looking for something lighter, or in our case, if you’re having Afternoon Tea on an incredibly hot day! I was personally obsessed with the bon bon, but trust me, all of it was delicious, but light, leaving you plenty of space for the pastries.
Here’s the absolute best part: you could replenish your savoury selection as much as you liked. I proverbially went to town, so much so that Lemon had to stop me! The staff were so very helpful, friendly and went that extra mile to spend some time chatting with you. There was nothing perfunctory about the service.
Before I go on, just a quick note on allergies and dietary requirements (i know you’re all curious.) The Lanesborough take all allergies and dietary requirements very seriously, so if you are coeliac or have a non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, trust me, you’re in very capable and good hands here! They can also cater to vegans, vegetarians and those who do not particularly like fish!
The scones followed. Let me just say, The Lanesborough know how to do scones well. The scones are served ‘just out-of-the-oven-warm’, which basically means that the clotted cream melts in to your scone and the jam goes slightly gooey! Trust me, it tastes heavenly. It has also altered my perspective on how scones should be served. Unfortunately, I couldn’t capture that feeling in a photograph, but you can see the fluffiness of the scones for yourself. This is also, by far, the best gluten-free scone I have had to date! I would book this Afternoon Tea again just for the gluten-free scones!
Finally, the sweet selection is in a nutshell, ‘dainty.’ Dainty and artistically beautiful, they were almost too pretty to eat. Evidence below. The ‘Cherry’ is clearly also the star of the show.
The pastries included: A ‘Cherry’, a Milk Tart, a Coconut Lamington Cake, a Strawberry and verbena Pavlova and a Treacle Tart. The gluten-free variations included ginger biscuits, but luckily for me, most of the pastries were already naturally gluten-free, meaning I didn’t feel left out. These could all be replenished as well, so overall a win-win.
The complete experience was delightful. The Afternoon Tea offering was slightly different, but in a welcome way! The staff were knowledgeable, friendly and prompt with their service. All of the pastries were delicious and I had a particular love for the savoury bon bon. The actual tea selection was extensive. Although this is one of the less publicised Afternoon Teas, it is most definitely worth it!
As with most hotels in London, The Lanesborough will be serving a festive Afternoon Tea over the Christmas period. However, their typical Afternoon Tea runs all year, with slight variations in themes (Autumnal Afternoon Tea, Summer Afternoon Tea, you get the picture…) If you’re tempted (go on, you know you are, that ‘Cherry’ is calling your name, you can book here !)
At a fair £53 per person for the champagne-free option, this Afternoon Tea is definitely a must-try!
Let us know how you get on! We always love to hear about your Afternoon Tea experiences
Xxx
hotcross & lemon 