Quirkiest Afternoon Teas: Wyld at the Mondrian Hotel
Botanical gastronomy meets retro charm in the Mondrian’s Dandelyan cocktail bar, where guests can enjoy the ‘Wyld’ Tea. Inspired by the cuisine of the 1970s, this unique afternoon tea offers four nostalgic yet elegant courses of finger sandwiches, delicate bites and desserts: cucumber sandwiches with burnt herb cream; blackberry and verbena Battenburg cakes; mini baked Alaskas; and chocolate mousses infused with Earl Grey tea. Diners can also sip on a variety of delicious cocktails with botanical twists – the Fluff and Fold Royale with Lime is a particular highlight.
Photo Credit: Ampersand Hotel.
Science Afternoon Tea at the Ampersand Hotel
The Ampersand Hotel’s award-winning tea was inspired by their South Kensington neighbour, the Science Museum – so you know you’re in for something mindbending and unique.
Billed a ‘journey of discovery’, the Science Afternoon Tea offers tasty concoctions served in petri dishes, dinosaur biscuits, chocolate spacemen, and even sweet fossils hidden beneath edible soil. To quench your thirst, there’s a carefully-curated – if more familiar – menu of teas, coffee and champagne to choose from.
Photo Credit: Cutter & Squidge.
Harry Potter Afternoon Tea at Cutter & Squidge
Popular Soho bakery Cutter & Squidge have followed up their excellent Aladdin-inspired tea with something even more magical: a Harry Potter afternoon tea. Potterheads and movie fans will delight in this event, which is so much more than an afternoon tea – it’s an intriguing, immersive experience.
The two-hour experience begins with guests descending a staircase into the ‘Potion Room’. Here, they leave the hustle and bustle of modern life behind and are transported to another world: the Cutter & Squidge School of Alchemy, in which they’re given a wand, cloak, and instructed to take a seat at the school-style desks. When the Potions Master arrives, it’s time to begin: whipping up edible potions which are drunk alongside intriguingly-named teas like ‘Unicorn Tears’, and enjoying a number of sweet and savoury snacks. A truly magical experience for all wannabe witches and wizards!
Photo Credit: Taj.
Alice in Wonderland at Kona
From J.K. Rowling to Lewis Carroll, London is brimming with literary-themed afternoon teas for book-lovers to enjoy. The Alice in Wonderland tea at Kona is one of our favourites.
With an eclectic menu full of unique cakes and pastries – from white chocolate mousse teacups to pocket watch macaroons – and plenty of delightful sandwiches and drinks (we particularly love the ‘Drink Me’ strawberry potion), Kona’s offering is one of the quirkiest afternoon teas in London. For a £12 supplement, guests can even take away a rare hardback version of the Alice in Wonderland book: a special keepsake that would make any bookworm grin like the Cheshire Cat!
Photo Credit: The Berkeley Hotel.
Prêt-à-Portea at the Berkeley Hotel
The Berkeley’s fashion-themed ‘Prêt-à-Portea’ is one of the quirkiest afternoon teas in the capital – and, like fashion itself, it’s ever-evolving. This season, the couture-inspired cuisine pays homage to the iconic designs of Christian Dior, as seen at the ‘Designer of Dreams’ exhibit at the V&A museum.
The talented pastry chefs at the Berkeley have drawn inspiration from a number of famous Dior pieces – like the iconic Bar Jacket – to create a spectacular afternoon tea menu. On the cakewalk (!) are a collection of beautifully-presented canapes, sandwiches, and taster spoons, guaranteeing a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.
Photo Credit: Rosewood London.
Art Tea at the Rosewood Hotel
Another tea that celebrates visual delights as well as delicious tastes, the Art Tea at the Rosewood Hotel has recently been awarded the ‘Best Contemporary Afternoon Tea in the UK’ for the second year in a row. This year, celebrated pastry chef Mark Perkins has created a sumptuous tea inspired by the works of famous painter Vincent Van Gogh.
From within the wonderfully elegant Mirror Room, guests can enjoy a colourful selection of pastries, finger sandwiches and loose leaf tea. It’s the little extras that make this tea so special, though: the exquisite trio of desserts based on some of Van Gogh’s masterpieces (such as The Starry Night), and the painter’s palette, paint tubes filled with different curds, and palette knives that are offered to younger guests, encouraging them to find their inner artist by decorating their own tasty creations. A must for any keen foodie, Van Gogh fan, or tiny artist!
