After a cheeky evening out at the launch of Monkey Sundays last month, I was keen to revisit 10 Degrees Sky Bar, this time for a spot of afternoon tea which has recently relaunched after a brief hiatus. Located on the 28th floor of London Hilton on Park Lane, 10 Degrees at Galvin at Windows is named after the golden hour when the setting sun creates a dusky glow over the city of London, and besides being a great venue for cocktails, it is also a befitting setting indeed for a mid-afternoon treat, led by Head Chef Marc Hardiman in partnership with tea experts Canton Tea.
Champagne served as the perfect aperitif to set the tone for our decadent afternoon tea experience, our table by the window offered a charming bird’s-eye view of Hyde Park.
Alternatively, if you’re not a fan of Champagne (gasps), there is also a gin-pairing option where you can choose one of three refreshing concoctions made with artisanal German gin brand, Monkey 47; Royal Milk Punch, Summer Memories and Dark Forest. Having sampled all three of them, the Dark Forest was definitely my favourite, made with fig-infused Monkey 47 sloe gin, Cream de cacao bianco, and chocolate bitters.
From their selection of loose leaf teas, we ordered the Wild Vietnamese Black, a chestnut-sweet black tea with warming fragrant notes, blended with cinnamon bark, and the Big Red Robe, an Oolong tea grown on the rocky slopes of the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian Province in China, known for its unique sweet, floral fragrance and rich notes of cocoa.
We began with a selection of savouries which included pickled cucumber & cream cheese on granary bread, smoked salmon & horseradish on rye bread, St Ewe’s egg & cress in a brioche roll, Coronation chicken on white bread, and a pork & apple sausage roll, which was my favourite amongst them. A tray of fresh sandwich refills was swiftly brought to the table as soon as we finished our first serving, which we obviously couldn’t decline. Calories don’t count on the weekend after all. I also very rarely make my own sandwiches at home, so it always feels like a real treat when I go for afternoon tea.
Our table was refreshed with fresh cutlery and plates before the arrival of the scones and sweet pastries, presented on a birdcage stand. The freshly baked raisin & plain scones were served warm, accompanied by Cornish clotted cream, strawberry & blackcurrant preserves. My favourite from the sweet selection was the sour cherry, Ivoire & tarragon mousse, but of course I equally enjoyed the others which included the lemon meringue pie, Valrhona chocolate tiramisu, and a raspberry & rose macaron.
It was too early in the day to enjoy the sunset during our visit, but a return during golden hour is on the cards, now that winter is finally behind us.
The afternoon tea is served from Friday to Sunday (1pm – 4pm), priced at £49 per person, with the option to upgrade to include a Monkey 47 gin cocktail (£59 per person) or Champagne (£63 per person).
Further information on the full menu and reservations can be found on their website.
- My afternoon tea experience was complimentary – views and photos are my own.
