My second visit in a month, it was a pleasure to be back at Searcys, located at the top of the iconic helix-shaped skyscraper, The Gherkin. You may have read my previous review of their dinner which I really enjoyed, and this time I returned to indulge in one of my favourite pastimes, because no visit to Searcys would be complete without afternoon tea. I have sampled their afternoon tea offerings at some of their other venues which have been beautifully executed, including the Chelsea Afternoon Tea at The Saatchi Bar & Brasserie by Searcys, and was excited when they announced the launch of their first afternoon tea menu at HELIX restaurant – because what better way to enhance the experience than combining it with a stunning view over the London skyline.
To toast our visit in true Searcys tradition, we were welcomed with chilled glasses of NV, Lanson, Père et Fils, Brut Champagne whilst we took in the impressive 360⁰ views over the city. It was wet and dreary that day, typical British weather, but nonetheless I never get tired of the view of London from above, rain or shine. From their list of organic artisan teas, we both went for the Earl Grey tea, served in beautiful black cast iron teapots, the perfect fix to warm us up in this chilly autumn weather.
To begin with, we were served an appetizer of one of their signature dishes, Searcys smoked salmon with dill pickled cucumber, and horseradish cream. The selection of classic finger sandwiches included cucumber with mint cream cheese, baked ham with English mustard mayonnaise, a hearty Coronation chicken, and smoked salmon with dill cream cheese. The freshly baked Jersey buttermilk handmade scones were served warm and came in two varieties, plain and fruit, accompanied by generous servings of Cornish clotted cream and strawberry preserve.
Last but not least, we slowly savoured the final top tier of sweet treats. There was a slice of classic Victoria Sandwich, a rich black forest gateaux, a citrus macaron, and my favourite amongst them, the passion fruit tart.
The Gherkin Afternoon Tea is served daily from 1:00pm – 5:30pm, priced at £35 per person, and £45 per person for the Gherkin Sparkling Afternoon Tea. Or for an even more luxurious experience, why not go for the limitless Lanson pour option, priced at £79 per person, where you can enjoy free flowing NV, Lanson, Père et Fils, Brut, Champagne for 90 minutes – at such an amazing location with panoramic views across the city, how could you resist? Bookings can be made via the Afternoontea.co.uk website.
- My afternoon tea experience at Searcys at The Gherkin was complimentary – views and photos are my own.
