After a thoroughly enjoyable experience at their very successful Tale As Old As Time Afternoon Tea last summer, I was excited to be invited back to the Town House at The Kensington Hotel to try out their latest London Landmarks Afternoon Tea which features the capital’s iconic buildings.
I remembered being partial towards the interiors of this stunning 5* boutique hotel, and the welcoming surroundings of their Drawing Room creates the perfect ambience to spend the afternoon with good food and company.
We kicked off the afternoon with a beautiful salmon-pink Blason Rosé, the first rosé champagne made by Perrier-Jouët, whilst we gathered round to sit at our table by the window.
Their tea is supplied by The Rare Tea Company, an independent tea company based in London, founded in 2004 by Henrietta Lovell which sources and supplies the world’s best tea. I usually go for black teas with my afternoon tea and went for the light and floral Cloud Tea, originating from LaKyrsiew Garden, Meghalaya, India – the “Abode of Clouds”, high in the cloudy hills between Assam and Darjeeling.
Though being quite the sweet-tooth, I must admit that one of the highlights for me was the trio of savouries served at the beginning of our meal, each paying tribute to some classic British dishes that you can find around London. The Colston Bassett Stilton & broccoli quiche was very tasty with a good, buttery pastry, the crab cake with tartar sauce & caper was a delightful mouthful, and I loved their take on the classic steak & ale pie.
Instead of the traditional three-tiered stand, the Town House’s new skyline of scones, sandwiches and sweets were presented on a cute London Eye-inspired tea stand. I must admit that even after almost 7 years of living in London, I have yet to take a ride on the London Eye – don’t judge me!
The sandwiches were nice and fresh, filled with a selection of classic fillings with a tiny twist. There was marinated cucumber with crème fraiche & pepper on white bread, a nicely spiced Coronation chicken on brown bread, Campbells & Company smoked salmon on brown bread, and a creamy egg & cress bridge roll, aptly named the ‘London Bridge’ roll!
The buttermilk fruit and plain scones were perfectly formed and still warm from the oven – fluffy and buttery as I like it and served with Heather Hills strawberry jam and clotted cream.
Almost too pretty to eat, I eventually caved in and tucked into the sweets which showcased some of the city’s architectural triumphs. I started with the wobbly rhubarb mousse made into the shape of the classic Red Telephone Box, followed by the majestic Big Ben (minus the construction scaffolding, of course) that was an intricately decorated lemon curd tart. The other two were richer, chocolate based treats that included The Gherkin, formed of a white chocolate shell that concealed a rich dark chocolate ganache, and The Shard, where the milk chocolate walls opened up to reveal a mini carrot cake centre.
The afternoon tea was also served alongside a bespoke map of London, illustrated by Eleni Sofroniou, that each guest was allowed to take away at the end as a memento. Thanks again to the wonderful team at Town House Kensington, and I look forward to returning soon.
The London Landmarks Afternoon Tea is priced at £42 per person (£54.50 with a glass of Champagne) and served from 12pm to 6pm every day.
- I was a guest at the Town House Kensington – all views and photos are my own.
I love your photo’s!! and what a great post. I was there last Thursday with a friend to try this which will be on my blog next week but I was interested in what camera you use? If you like you can email on helen@londonmeetsparis.com. Thanks 🙂