What else could top having breakfast at Tiffany’s? Well, afternoon tea at Tiffany’s, of course! – or rather The Tiffany Blue Box Cafe at Harrods, to be exact. Located on the Lower Ground Floor of the world’s leading luxury department store, we made our way past the sparkling jewellery displays, and down the grand staircase, where next to it stood a towering structure in the signature Tiffany blue shade. A cushioned seat which aptly resembled the shape of a giant ring box was a perfect spot to snap some photos for the gram.
The cosy cafe features a striking interior décor which mirrors that of the famous Blue Box Cafe in the Tiffany flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Like many, I have always been a fan of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” the iconic 1961 film adaptation of Truman Capote’s 1958 novella which starred the iconic Audrey Hepburn. Channelling my best modern-day Holly Golightly, I opted for a summery blue outfit option as black didn’t quite seem like a sensible choice in this heat wave.
Whilst we waited to be seated at our table, we had a seat by the bar where we sipped on elegant champagne flutes filled with chilled Perrier- Jouët, Blason Rosé NV, a delicious and aromatic blend of rose and orange flowers – the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer’s day.
Once seated, we were served an appetizing amuse-bouche of their modern take on the classic prawn cocktail.
From their selection of handpicked teas and infusions, I went for one of my favourite teas, the Lapsang Souchong, which has a distinct smokey flavour, and also later tried the lighter and slightly floral Tiffany signature blend. My eyes were also drawn towards the cocktail list and requested for the Tiffany Martini to compliment the theme of the afternoon, a lovely violet shade, as well the Champagne Cocktail topped with egg white, both elegantly presented and sprinkled with blue glitter.
We were served individual plates of their dainty and immaculately cut savoury sandwiches, with a luxury twist:
The New York – salt beef with pickles and mustard, white pain de mie
English Cucumber & Pink Peppercorn – dill mascarpone, white pain de mie
Egg & Black Truffle – black truffle butter, white pain de mie
Faroe Islands Smoked Salmon – lemon and chive cream cheese, wholemeal bread
Smoked salmon sandwiches are often my favourite, although this time round my favourite was actually the humble egg sandwich, which had been given a posh twist with rich black truffle butter that intensified the flavours. Truffle always makes everything more delicious, in my opinion. Our waiter kindly offered us second servings of sandwiches of which we undoubtedly accepted with glee.
Alongside the delightful sandwiches were a couple of warm parmesan madeleines, served with a tin of sour cream, caviar, and chives, branded with a Tiffany & Co. label. I’ve never quite had a savoury madeleine and really enjoyed it, the scent and flavour of the parmesan came through really nicely with each bite.
The freshly baked scones were probably some of the lightest and fluffiest scones that I have had, served with traditional clotted cream and preserves. I liked how the texture of it remained soft even when they had cooled down, and personally prefer this over the more crumbly variation.
The sweets, inspired by Tiffany & Co.’s heritage, were almost too pretty to eat, but of course I couldn’t resist reaching out for the Tiffany Blue Egg, the outer white chocolate shell coloured a luscious shade of blue colour inspired by the Robin’s Egg, which encased a light lemon curd and Mascarpone cheese mousse. The decadent Times Square Dark Chocolate Cake consisted of layers of dark chocolate mousse, flour-less sponge cake with a sea salt caramel, topped with a dark chocolate glaze.
I haven’t had a good cheesecake in a while, and the Original New York Cheesecake hit just the right spot, a cute miniature version of New York’s best-known pastry, made with base of buttery digestive biscuits and topped with cream cheese and a lovely layer of homemade blueberry compote. Last but not least was the Central Park Summer Berry Tart, a crisp tart shell filled with red fruit compote and crème patisserie, topped with fresh summer berries – the perfect treat to be enjoyed in the summer months.
The Tiffany Afternoon Tea is available daily and is priced from £69 per person. Bookings are released every 2nd of the month for the following two months, with a select availability for walk-in reservations that will be accommodated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Bookings can be made via the Afternoontea.co.uk website.
- I was invited to review the afternoon tea at The Tiffany Blue Box Cafe, Harrods – views and photos are my own.
