I first visited Bafarat in the summer for the launch of their afternoon tea menu, which was hands-down one of the most well-executed afternoon tea menus that I have reviewed to date. Founded in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 1952, the Middle-Eastern coffee company opened their first international cafe in London in 2019. Heading up the patisserie section is none other than friendly and talented French pastry chef, Thomas Alphonsine, who has previously worked with French chocolate company Callebaut.
In celebration of Christmas, they have put a festive twist on their delicious Afternoon Tea so that guests can embrace the most wonderful time of the year. The past year may not have gone as smoothly as we had all hoped for, but nonetheless Christmas will always be one of my favourite times of the year and this was the perfect treat to finish the year on a high.
Beautifully presented on a hand-sculpted chocolate display, the Festive Afternoon Tea menu features a stunning selection of magical sweet treats, accompanied by a trio of miniature savouries: truffle croque monsieur, salmon roll, and a tomato & mozzarella toast. The salmon roll that day was substituted for a lobster roll sandwich which was nonetheless delicious, and we both really enjoyed the truffle croque monsieur, made with turkey, cheddar, topped with truffle and honey – the ultimate comfort food in this chilly weather and I would definitely head back again to order it on it’s own as a main. No afternoon tea would be complete without tea, obviously, so we both ordered pots of Earl Grey tea which were perfect winter warmers.
The display of sweet patisseries were inventively designed in the shape of vibrantly coloured Christmas baubles complete with intricate chocolate hangers. The glaze on each individual bauble was glossy and smooth, each one a true work of art that cut through to reveal a different flavour, inspired by this festive season. The white bauble contained a vanilla & salted caramel centre, the green a pistachio & raspberry, the brown a chocolate caramel & cinnamon, the red contained vanilla, strawberry & lime, and last but not least, the yellow mango & passion fruit which was probably my favourite. There were also little chocolate Christmas trees in between which were really cute.
And of course we couldn’t miss out on the “Christmas bauble to break”. Equipped with a wooden hammer, I managed to break the chocolate bauble without causing too much of a mess, which contained a range of luxurious chocolate snacks and stars. For the lucky few, some Christmas baubles contain the “Bafarat Golden Coin” which will entitle a guest to win a special prize. Definitely worth indulging in if you love chocolate, or just for the theatre and excitement – as they say, you’ve got to be in it to win it!
The festive afternoon tea is available until 31st January, served daily between 12.00pm and 5.00pm, and priced at only £35 per person which includes one drink of your choice. Guests also have the option to upgrade to include the Christmas bauble to break for an extra £20 per person, which is worth going for – who knows, you might be lucky enough to find a “Bafarat Golden Coin”!
[I visited Bafarat just before London moved into Tier 3, so hopefully they will recommence the festive menu in the New Year!]
- My afternoon tea experience at Bafarat Cafe London was complimentary – views and photos are my own.
