i’ve no idea where this obsession has come from all of a sudden – but right now i just can’t get enough of afternoon tea. the idea of an afternoon tea or high tea, first came about in the 1800’s when a lady named, anna – the duchess of bedford, complained of “having that sinking feeling” during the late afternoon. anna wanted something simply to satisfy her afternoon hunger and see her through till dinner time. it was supposedly from here onwards that afternoon tea was born and saw it flourish during the 1880’s – becoming both an excuse to eat and dress up for the occasion. afternoon tea is usually served around 3/4pm as a filler between lunch and dinner, where as high tea is served around 4/5pm and is meant to replace ones dinner. when it comes to historic, tradition and a true taste of the classic afternoon tea, the landmark london is one of the finest london has to offer.
the landmark london hotel is actually a rather odd place (in a good way). firstly it’s huge – there are so many rooms, event spaces and large open hallways. there may be lots of people staying here, but you wouldn’t know – it’s all so tranquil and within the hustle and bustle of london, i rather like it this way. i’ve not stayed at the hotel before but i imagine it’s the place you come to relax, looking down from your window over the winter garden where the afternoon tea is held, with soft notes from the harp or piano playing in the background – a writers dream location. to get a real sense for the afternoon tea offering we went for the classic ‘winter garden afternoon tea’ priced at £40 or £45 with a glass of brut champagne. we opted for the glass of buttery champagne and followed with the winter garden tea – which was full of smooth tannins, flavour and purity.
food wise the tea kicked off with a lovely selection of finger sandwiches. organic egg mayonnaise and mustard cress, lapsang souchong smoked salmon, classic cucumber and my favourite – corn-fed chicken with tarragon creme fraiche on walnut bread. the other lovely thing they do here is constantly replenish your sandwich selection (if you wish) with a full tray making its way around the room throughout – just be carefull not to fill yourself up too quickly! the scones here are certainly some if the finest you’ll find in london too. we had the oh-so-hard task of having to sample two varieties – the classic and an apple with raisin creation. both were utterly delicious, especially once spread with the thick cornish clotted cream and our chosen home-made jams (you get to pick two). we went with a refreshing gooseberry & elderflower jam, plus a mouth-watering bergeron apricot (classic french summer apricot variety).
the sweet selection of cakes and pastry didn’t disappoint either – they were all magnificent and very intricately put together. the flourless pistachio bakewell with homemade fig and lemon jam was perhaps our least favourite if we had to choose one, but it was still very good. cappuccino bavarois was the messiest to eat – but well worth it and tasting not too dissimilar to a tiramisu. our favourite two (we couldn’t pick just one) was the hazelnut and orange macaroon along with the stunning white chocolate and pomegranate mouse which was topped with a heavenly white chocolate truffle – i even managed to eat them both before the other half even got a look in.
so i’ll admit, i’m pretty new to the whole afternoon tea experience. i’ve not grown up divulging in it and it’s only in my 20’s that i’ve now become a little bit addicted to the idea, but from my experiences so far the landmark london is certainly the best afternoon tea i’ve had to date. it’s got decadence, history, class and tradition all encompassed under one stunning glass roof. at a starting price of £45 – it isn’t cheap – but it is worth every single penny.