mad hatters tea - sanderson london hotel

you would be mad!. i went for my birthday. very disappointing. in particular the finger sandwiches. they were dry and curled up. when i complained to the manager he did not apologies but offered the assurance that they had been made that morning, at £35 a head i think they should me made fresh to order! i suggested that they ought to invest in cling film or foil if they had to make them ahead of time. he thanked me and moved on. i'd given the perfect opportunity for them to reduce the bill, but no. the service is polite with stuck on smiles but they really couldn't give a hoot. i even emailed the hotel but received no reply. i've hadteain so many better places in central london. the mad hattersteaat the sanderson, give it a miss!

if you’re not a) a woman or b) planning a hen night you probably stopped reading this at the headline. the mad hatter’s afternoonteaat the sanderson is largely full of groups of ladies dressed up to the nines with silk sashes draped across their bodies, or wearing silly things on their heads. we did spot the odd regular couple scattered amongst them, in fact we sat next to one so ade and i weren’t alone. although being a keen people watcher and more in touch with his feminine side than the average man, ade was in his element. i think he wanted to swap me for a hen party instead, it wouldn’t be the first time.

for we love food's full review and more pictures go to... http://welovefood-itsallweeat.com/2014/05/05/madhatterstea/

the mad hatters afternoonteawas great but there are definitely better themed-afternoonteaoptions in london. i feel they could have added more to the alice in wonderland/mad hatter theme in the dishes and decor. nonetheless the home blended teas were great! i had the mint chocolate chip and the strawberries and cream, both had a perfectly mild flavour. the desserts were great too! personally for me, the sandwiches lacked the 'fancy' feel. pretty basic variety of sandwiches.

looking for a sophisticated, quirky afternoonteain central london? then i’ve got just the thing for you. set in the sun-filled atrium of the sanderson hotel, this alice-in-wonderland-theme afternoonteawas just what the doctor ordered for nine mildly hungover girls celebrating a friend’s engagement. to the soothing sound of the atrium fountain, we mulled over a choice of tea-infused cocktails or a glass of laurent perrier. the majority opted for the ‘vivid hour’, an earl-grey-infused vodka cocktail with raspberry liqueur and fresh raspberries, heavy on the vodka. then came the tiered vintage cakestands, laden with sweet treats such as mini medicine bottles filled with a passionfruit and coconut concoction, a layered chocolate cake masquerading as a clock, and ‘eat me’ hearts filled with strawberry mousse. for the traditionalists, there were mini scones (two a piece) with clotted cream and individual pots of strawberry jam, and an array of rainbow-hued finger sandwiches

came here with my girls on saturday afternoon for ateaparty. the atmosphere in the garden is lovely and the alice in wonderland theme for the food andteaalso cute, but for the price of £45 per head, i think it’s quite overpriced.

i found the bread is a bit dry, the scone texture unpleasant and the chocolate cake also dry and stodgy. for the high price i was expecting a lot better. so, my overall experience : 3/5.

i've always wanted to try the mad hatter afternoonteaever since i saw this. and although the experience was great, i wouldn't consider it to be the best afternoonteai've ever had. the food was filling, really quaint and aesthetically pleasing. but some of the food was too sweet or generally they weren't too memorable. the cocktail was delicious though and theteawas delightful.

this place is super uber cute, the china, the table setting,teamixes, food, desserts.. all have been carefully selected and match perfectly. suitable for all ages

i like to do lot but it is not love it just sitting and surrounding of the hotel is somewhat disappointing afternoonteais very good and if you are having sweet tooth this place is for youteascones cake and more cakes the best combo staff. service is good

my favourite afternoonteaspot in london.. i love everything alice in wonderland related :) the scones were warm and delicious. the cakes and chocolates were presented in such a cute way.teawas delicious and smelled heavenly (i had the queen of hearts one)

the sanderson has long been one of my favourite places for staying in their beautiful rooms and to sip on their delicious cocktails in the long bar, so i decided it was time to try out the 'afternoon tea' option as a dining experience.

seated outside in the courtyard, with the sounds of flowing water, starts off the experience as a relaxing and tranquil one, that being said, some music would be preferable as afterall it is a saturday evening. the decor itself, was light and airy, much like the rest of the hotel, with water features and wooden decking. perfectly fitting for a hot summers night.

our waitress was attentive, friendly, and helpful with explaining the menu, without being over bearing. she enquired about any food allergies and also asked if we would like to opt for the upgraded champagne option, which we agreed to.

first to come out was the mini cocktails on a tray, which our waitress went on to explain what they were. unfortunately the explanation sounded far more tempting than the taste of them. memories of childhood cough syrup came flooding back to me on each cocktail, which certainly isn't a pleasant one. i feel that there should possibly be an option for which mini cocktails you can have, as the ones as standard, were less than desirable and on reflection, a waste, as they were left unfinished.

next out, the tasty treats, all again explained and as an added bonus, refillable. in particular, the salmon scotch eggs were delicious, as were the white chocolate truffles. the mini carrot shaped macaron melted in your mouth and the mini, thick creamy cocktail was refreshing and moorish. so moorish in fact that the above mentioned were asked to be refilled, which was done quickly.

overall, and for the price, the experience was a good one. the mini cocktails and the lack of evening ambiance however, were the only notable points that let the tipsyteaevening down.

afternoonteawith a twist and a trip back to the good old memories of watching alice in wonderland.

i liked it a lot but i didn't love it. the sitting and surrounding of the hotel is somewhat disappointing, as it is only standard hotel lounge.

croquet monsieur was yum, different to usual ones, presentation is cute and quirky. the ice cream plant pot was really good but at that point we were too full to fit them in but it was so nice!

they gave me an extra slice of cake as it was my birthday as well, which was very nice!

i'm slightly torn about the rating, between 3.5 and 4 as food was served late, some cakes were super average and the sitting wasn't that nice.

we paid £55 each incl service as we had an additional cocktail each to start with.

would i recommend? if you want an afternoonteawith a twist then yes but do it when the weather is nice so you can sit in the garden, which would have made my experience better but i went in december so, tough for me.

although there are a few variations on the ‘mad hatter’s afternoon tea’ going round london, the one that perhaps caught the public imagination was the original version at sanderson london.  despite sometimes feeling as if i’ve eaten every possible afternoonteain london, i somehow managed to miss this one and was just a little disappointed.  no need to worry though, celebrating 150 years of alice in wonderland, theteahas been re-invented and is back, reportedly better than ever.  and, i got an invitation to check it out.  of course sanderson london is quite a surreal place even without the afternoon tea.  the giant marilyn bocca lipstick sofa in the lobby, the decadent purple bar and the tranquil japanese styled courtyard garden around whichteais served are just a few examples.  i remember staying in one of the bedrooms when it first opened.  right in the middle of the room was a giant egg, big enough to drape a coat over.  i suspect it has gone now, part of a recent refurbishment – but who knows?

on first arrival to the hotel it was abit scary as it was so fancy & you automatically feel out of place but when seated in the mad hattersteagarden the atmosphere was so relaxing & beautiful. food was amazing, odd flavour combinations but all work, even ordered extra. try the martini if you want to top it all off. couldn't recommend this place enough! defiantly a must do.

my friend had been going on about the afternoonteaat the sanderson, so we finally decided to go here the other day.

it is themed around alice in wonderland, which i believe was executed well through the dining set and food but otherwise you would not be able to tell what the theme was just by stepping in to the room. the room is very clean and spacious with a small waterfall in the middle and a glass ceiling. 

the menu was inside a vintage reading book and we were presented with some flavoredteato choose from. i had the strawberry flavor and my friend opted fro her classic earl grey. i would recommend getting a typical english breakfastteaor whatever you re use to as the flavoredteacan get slightly bitter and ruins the taste of all the sweets you are about to indulge in.

the sandwiches were nice and my favorite dessert was the mango cheesecake. there is also jelly set out on a separate table, which you can help yourself to.

overall this is a lovely experience however, all the sweets can get a bit too much; my friend and i didn’t manage to eat everything and felt paying £48 each, was expensive. however, it does have a very unique concept and if you don’t mind paying that much then give this a visit.

the hotel is located in the upper west end on berner's street and my word this place is ridiculously cool. filled with wickedly mismatched chairs of red lips and ones that twirl around and just to the right is the long bar buzzing with after work party goer's and a chilled blend of house beats. the afternoonteaitself took place in the outside area which is actually a closed in conservatory, separated in two parts by a very tranquil garden and a bit of mood lighting to throw in there.

the waiter called andres was very tentative and firstly offered us a selection of their speciality teas to start off with. rhubarb and custard and chocolate mint. good start indeed. the menu which is cleverly hidden in a vintage book and comes with a riddle, really does fit within the theme ever so perfectly. i had to of course order the scarlett martini - rosewater and cucumber. had to be done. after all is was friday evening. the tiers of beautifully presented cakes soon followed by a selection of condiments. the sandwiches were all nicely wrapped and they even managed to use rye bread which made me one happy customer.

the melting mango cheesecake was an absolute winner and a must to try. i'm not going to spill too much but wait until you get to the middle for the surprise - divine my friends. divine. we were even lucky enough to have seconds bought to us on this one which i didn't say no to taking home with me. the scones of chocolate and spinach (not together obviously) were equally as delicious and a nice touch to the evening was the brightly coloured meringue carrots in a bed of pea shoots and the fluffy strawberry marshmallow mushrooms (thats a mouthful in itself!).

my all time favourite menu item was the miniature bottle labeled 'drink me' which was a potion of unbelievable amazing flavours coming from that straw. will have to leave it up to you to try for this one for yourself as i dont have any words of explanation to describe it at this point. im just far to busy enjoying it ;) 

have to say i am very impressed with this one. the service could not be faulted, the staff were very friendly and almost bent over backwards for you. the atmosphere and the ambience in general were second to none and for the £38 they were asking for, i didn't think was a bad price either.

the ritz and dorchester are great if you like a really fancy afternoon soiree but if your like me and you enjoy something slightly out there, then this is your kind of place to check out!