thames foyer - savoy hotel

it was the usual with j. he kind of puffed at the idea of afternoon tea. his outlook was a bit negative, but i was confident. i remembered how much we both enjoyed our first afternoon tea experience, and knew he would be in his element once again when we had settled in to the savoy. our savoy afternoon tea experience took place on a weekday. we were

amazing place in london. i love the food. can’t wait to come back here again. congratulations to the staff.

high tea is quintessentially british so where better to go but the old school classic savoy. beautiful decor, excellent service, we had the high tea which consisted of a glass of champagne (extra), an assortment of fine sandwiches, a middle course of asparagus with soft poached egg topped with hollandaise sauce and shaved truffle, and a finale of scones and chocolate cake. the lemon curd for the scones was next level, i could have licked the container! the experience was not cheap, but memorable. a must do when in london

make sure not to miss their delicious scones.the service was amazing. the waiter attended to our requests. they kept the tea coming and they made us a pot of ginger tea as we asked for it. try their specialty tea, it's a good one. i like the live music and the vibe it brings with it to this lovely tea room.

we recently had the opportunity to venture to london’s the savoy hotel. like the ritz, it’s held in lofty spheres and is one of those places where ‘the other half live’. to understand where i’m coming from – first a little bit of history. tucked away off the strand, close to covent garden, the hotel has long been an after-show hang-out for actors appearing at nearby theatres and the royal opera house. as the first true luxury hotel in london, first to be lit by electricity, the savoy was also the first to feature electric lifts.

i used to walk past the savoy every single day. it's appearance and british grandeur are not lost on anyone. ultimately, i was lucky to have had breakfast here on a few occasions. i must say that the savoy service is truly truly peerless. the attention to detail is impeccable. the food was outstanding too. overall a fabulous experience.

the savoy. london’s most famous 5-star hotel stands magnificently on the strand. tucked in from it’s neighbouring buildings and the bustling strand, a perfectly paved road leads to the massive sign proudly declaring in thin, bold letters: savoy.

ever since the savoy’s closure and my move to london, i have been waiting for my afternoon tea at the hotel. michelle, my london-partner-in-crime, and i headed to the savoy to finally indulge in this long overdue tea party.

the thames foyer is located at the heart of the hotel. with a massive, glass cupola located overhead, the lavish tea room is flooded with natural light. a gazebo houses a grand piano where the pianist plays classical music for the entertainment of dining guests. everything in the room emits elegance and luxury, and it really is a perfect, classically beautiful location for a quintessentially british afternoon tea.

we were seated in the perfect location. our backs were to the wall, and we had the perfect view of not only the entire room itself, but anyone entering the foyer. we selected our tea, had a particularly awkward photo taken, then set about commenting on the potential life stories of surrounding guests and of course, the outfits they were wearing.

our tea stand arrived and i was pleasantly surprised by the sandwich selection. they had innovative fillings and were each served on a different type of bread. the scones were freshly baked and still warm, served with an in-house made strawberry jam. after finishing our tower of treats, our waitress arrived with a tray lined with gorgeous desserts. i would expect nothing less from the savoy, but each dessert was truly beautiful, individual, and delicious.

we requested a long intermission and sat sipping our tea whilst digesting our delicate feast. about an hour later, our waitress appeared with a trolley table side. on her trolley were three large bricks of english fruit cake, carrot cake with cream cheese icing, and banana cake. i thought i may burst if i ate one more bite, but michelle insisted we try a bite. we shared the banana and carrot cake, and of course, they were amazing.

i love the pop of the orchids paired with the turquoise sculpture. it’s an incredibly vibrant, modern centrepiece contrasting with the black and white, edwardian surroundings.

i have a habit of sampling each sandwich, then eating them in order, saving the best for last. strange, i know.
clockwise: mango chutney and cheddar, courgette and hummus, smoked salmon and cream cheese, cucumber with cream cheese, ham with apple honey mustard, chicken with mango butter, egg and cress, another chicken with mango butter, tomato with pesto and rocket.

after finishing our several hour long tea, we decided to wander the hotel seeing what £220m of refurbishment looked like. we took a peak at the gym and pool, investigated hallways, and checked out the hotel’s other restaurants.

at last, i have enjoyed afternoon tea at the famous savoy hotel. if you’d like to indulge at the savoy, be sure to make reservations several weeks in advance.