Gourmet Girl's Festive Afternoon Teas
The Royal Garden Hotel
2- 24 Kensington High Street
London W8 4PT T
+44 (0)20 7937 8000
Food: 5/5Value: 4/5
Ambiance: 3/5
Overall experience: 4/5
Hilton Park Lane
22 Park Lane
London, W1K 1BE
T +44-207-493-8000
Food: 4/5Value: 3/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall experience: 4/5
Over the last couple of weeks the Gourmet Girls have been invited to go for afternoon tea with a festive twist. I love afternoon teas all year round but there's something extra special about the experience when you add a macaroon snowman into the mix!
The first tea was provided by the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington which has won awards for its afternoon teas. The hotel itself is modern and sophisticated and of course the location is fantastic being right on the corner of Hyde Park. When we arrived the staff were friendly and welcoming and sat us down in the spacious restaurant area just off of the main entrance. Unfortunately, being on the ground floor the restaurant does not benefit from the stunning views over Hyde Park that we enjoyed when we visited the hotel restaurant, Min Jiang. However, the setting was warm and welcoming and offered a sense of privacy as the tables were not too close together.
When we sat down we were presented with a selection of loose teas in jars to choose from, far more fun than just reading a menu! We offered a glass of champagne and some sugared strawberries with balsamic vinegar, something I never imagined would taste good but were absolutely delicious. The sandwiches were traditional and tasty, my favourite being the smoked salmon, and we gratefully accepted when we were offered seconds!
The main event of any tea is of course the scones and cake. The scones were traditional flavours with a twist such as a hint of cinnamon. The cakes were Christmas themed but not overwhelmingly sweet which I prefer after indulging in sandwiches and scones. Overall I had a lovely time at the Royal Garden Hotel and I have no doubt it is just as special of an experience all year round.
Our second visit for afternoon tea was at the Hilton Park Lane. The hotel is beautiful, and again, in a stunning setting being on the edge of Hyde Park. The staff are attentive as you would expect but were also very friendly and made the experience feel more personal as they chatted to us about our Christmas shopping.
We were again offered a choice of an extensive range of teas. The sandwiches were presented with the filling on top of malted seed of ciabatta bloomer bread so not quite finger food. I found that although they looked appealing, they did require a knife and fork to eat and for that reason I did prefer the traditional sandwiches at The Royal Garden Hotel. The scones were beautiful and served with cream and jam. The cakes once again were all Christmas themed and although they looked lovely, I did find them to be extremely sweet as there was a lot of icing and chocolate used to decorate the cakes. Neither of us were able to finish them but the staff were more than happy to pack them up for us and our colleagues back at The Lady very much enjoyed finishing them off!
Overall I preferred The Royal Garden Hotel but both experiences were very special and would be a lovely treat for a loved one in the New Year.