Traditional Afternoon Tea at The Goring Hotel, London

Today I am reviewing the traditional afternoon tea of The Goring Hotel in London .

The Goring Hotel can be found in Belgravia in London, less than a 10 minute walk from Buckingham Palace, perfectly located for sightseeing.  The Goring Hotel is a 5 star hotel that was opened by Otto Goring on 2nd March 1910. What makes the hotel unique is that it is the only remaining hotel in London that is still owned and run by the family that built it! With Otto Goring’s Great-Grandson, Jeremy Goring now running the hotel. When reading up about the hotel I also found that the Goring was the first hotel in the world in which every room had a private bathroom and central heating! 

Today, however the hotel is probably better known for it's royal connection, as the Queen Mother was a regular visitor and more recently the hotel came into the spotlight when Kate Middleton and family stayed there the days before the royal wedding in 2011. So unsurprisingly Afternoon Tea at The Goring  is indeed a posh affair. 

lets just take minute to appreciate how beautiful this wallpaper is!  

The afternoon tea is served in the Bar & Lounge area every day between 3pm - 4pm, and is priced at £42.50. 

We visited during the summer months so were lucky enough to be offered a table on the terrace overlooking the beautiful Goring gardens. On that particular day the sun was shining and there were people  playing croquet on the grass area and others taking strolls through the Goring Gardens. It was a lovely and tranquil environment for enjoying afternoon tea! The terrace is actually well heated so you might still be able to enjoy enjoy tea on the terrace on a more nippy afternoon!

I love the minimal look to the tables!

Our Afternoon Tea started with an amuse bouche to get our taste buds going. This was essentially a  small glass of Cheddar custard, cauliflower cream topped with toasted rice - it was delicious, and very flavoured. 

The waiter then brought out a 3-tiered cake stand containing...

• 8 sandwiches between the two of us.
• 2 Plain Scones and 2 Currant Scones 
• A selection of amazingly delicious desserts: Battenberg Cake, Mandarin Dome with Financier Base, Lemon & Bergamot Meringue Tartlet, Raspberry and Pistachio Choux, White Chocolate Mousse with Strawberry Jam on a Crumble Base.

I was really impressed with all the food especially the desserts, they all looked and tasted amazing. Shame we were so full by the end  that we were struggling to eat all the cakes! Maybe we should've started with the cakes :) My personal favorite was the White Chocolate Mousse, which contained jam and strawberry pieces inside - absolutely divine!

So, finally I can't talk about the Goring without mentioning the impeccable service, as you would expect from a 5 start hotel, the staff were very friendly and attentive. The waitress frequently checked on us and offered to fill our tea cups, so we were never short of tea! I must have had like 6 cups of tea in the 2 hours we were there!

The Goring's Afternoon Tea is definitely fit for a queen. The service, surroundings and food all exceeding my expectations. If you want to treat your self to a 'high end' afternoon tea, then I would recommend the Goring to you!  

See you next time for more of my ramblings 

xx

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Afternoon Tea at Byron's Brasserie, Colwick Hall Hotel, Nottingham

Back in October I decided to treat my sister (I know I'm too kind) to an afternoon tea because I'm just the best little sister ever (obviously)...plus (kill two birds with one stone and all that) Colwick Hall has been on my Afternoon Tea hit list for some time now, Colwick Hall was where my year 11 prom was held, and ever since then I have been in love with the place.  

Colwick Hall is a magnificent hotel in Nottinghamshire right next to the Colwick Racecourse. Colwick Hall dates back to the 11th century when Sir Reginal DeColwick owned it, the estate was then passed on to his daughters husband Sir Richard Byron after he died in 1362. The Byron family lived at Colwick for over 150 years (!!) before they moved to Newstead Abbey in 1660, when it was brought by the Musters family. After the death of Mary Chaworth-Musters the Hall was sold to the Nottingham Racecourse Company and became a public house.

It is the perfect setting for a very traditional and very English afternoon tea. It is worth arriving early, so you can have a quick stroll around the grounds, which are absolutely stunning! I particularly love the fountain around the back of  Colwick Hall.

The afternoon tea itself is served in Byron’s Brasserie, just right off the main entrance. It is named after Lord Byron who used to live at Colwick Hall.  

 

Byron's Brasserie's decor is absolutely magnificent it is fitted with a beautiful lace patterned ceiling and large portraits of the Byron family. 

There are also various poetry quotes displayed on the walls, which I thought was a nice touch that makes the room look special and adds a unique touch to the room. 

On the day that we visited the brasserie was relatively quiet, so the room felt very peaceful and intimate. In such magnificent surroundings I would of accepted the afternoon tea to be pricey, but on the day we visited there was an offer for 2 for £20 - what a bargain!

So what did we get for £20...

• A cherry and orange scone each - an unusual combination, but they somehow worked!
• A selection of three savoury treats - a mini quiche, a ploughman scone and a mini soft cheese bagel (for non-veggies it would be a mini salt beef bagel) > This was a pleasant surprise as not many places offer additional savoury treats other than sandwiches. 
• A selection of vegetarian sandwiches, which consisted of the bog standard cheese and onion, egg mayonnaise and just cheese fillings. > These were on the slightly unimaginative side, but considering we already gorged on the other savoury treats I'll have to let them off. 
• A separate tray of sweet treats, including a date & walnut cake, strawberry & blackberry tart, macaroons and a violet meringue with strawberries & cream. Although we were stuffed by the time the swet tray arrived, we didn't admit defeat that early, so carried on munching our away through the sweet tray as best as we could. They were all scrumptious, my favourite had to be the macaroons! 

Overall, the afternoon tea menu lived up to the magnificent surroundings, it was both unique and delicious. Unfortunately the service didn't live up to the expectations and the staff didn't seem welcoming or very informed about the menu. At the end when we asked the waiter to pack up the left over food he returned 10 minutes later with two GIANT pieces of foil, placed them on our table and walked away, This was a bit shocking as you would expect they would pack up the leftovers for us. Despite the service we did actually have a great time gossiping over a yummy tea in beautiful surroundings. 

Has anyone else visited Byron's Brasserie? What was your experience?

See you next time for more of my ramblings!

xx

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Vintage Afternoon Tea at Thea Caffea, Nottingham

It's time for the third installment in my summer Afternoon Tea series and this time I am writing about Thea Caffea, a beautiful tea room nestled in a little alleyway near the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre in Nottingham City Centre. 

Thea Caffea has been open since 2012, since it is hidden away from the main  shopping streets I never noticed it until my mum happened to mention it to me. Similar to the Tiffin Tea House that I reviewed a couple weeks back, it has a vintage inspired look to it. But, unlike the Tiffin Tea Hose it has a slightly more modern and sophisticated vibe.I thought the entrance was absolutely stunning and felt very posh :). The cafe has ample room inside and out and is actually very spacious.

The menu includes a range of different types of cakes and teas. There's an option to just have a cream tea (for £5.95) or just the afternoon tea sandwiches (for £4.25). But obviously we opted for the full afternoon tea (I have no shame), priced at £12.95 per person.

The tea was served in beautiful bone china pots, cups and saucers. Thea Caffea make their tea with tea leaves instead of tea bags, which is much better for you, as their is more room for the tea leaves to absorb water and expand as they infuse, which allows water to flow and extract even more vitamins, minerals and flavours from the tea-leaves.

The one thing that really stood out about the vintage afternoon tea at Thea Caffea for me is the amount of food you get for the price, Thea Caffea seem to be mote generous in their quantity and portions than other afternoon tea's I have sampled.

The abundance (that we couldn't finish) of sandwiches included: Cucumber & Cream Cheese, Egg Mayonnaise & Mustard Cress and Smoked Salmon & Lemon Mayo. There were also meat options available too.

The scones were scrumptious and were very filling as you received a plain scone with a sugar crust and a fruit sultana scone. I liked how you received two pots of jam and cream, as I'm not a massive sharer when it comes to scones. The separate pots meant I could literally pile on a ton of cream without feeling bad that I used it all up ahaha! 

The cakes included: Lemon Meringue Cake, Coffee Cake and Chocolate Cake, good traditional options and all very well made and yummy. 

All in all I would say the vintage afternoon tea at Thea Caffea is great value for money, considering the amount of food you actually get I was surprised at how cheap it was! However, just to note you are restricted to just an English Breakfast Tea with this option. It would cost £1 extra if you wish to have a Specialty Tea or £2 extra if you wanted a Flowering Tea.

I definitely enjoyed the Afternoon Tea at Thea Caffea and it's well worth a visit if you are looking for a quaint place in Nottingham which offers high quality homemade food, with a vintage vibe.

See you next time for more of my ramblings!

xx

Last Afternoon Tea Review: Pink Afternoon Tea at Radisson Blu Edwardian Hampshire, Leicester Square, London
Next Afternoon Tea Review Up: Afternoon Tea at Byron's Brasserie, Colwick Hall Hotel, Nottingham

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Pink Afternoon Tea at Radisson Blu Edwardian Hampshire, Leicester Square, London

I have always wanted to attend a themed afternoon tea and my wish came true on my 18th Birthday when  my sister kindly took me to the Radisson Blu Hotel in Leicester Square to celebrate with a pink themed afternoon tea.

The pink afternoon tea is served in the Scoff and Banter Bar & Restaurant of the Radisson Blu Hotel and is essentially the same as their traditional afternoon tea, but with pink coloured cakes and pastries, which made the spread look more appealing (well if you like pink that is!) The scones and sandwiches weren't pink though, I think it would of been slightly strange if they had been!

The restaurant itself  was nicely decorated with comfy sofas and understated decor. The only thing I wasn't too keen on was how dim the lighting was, as sometimes dim lighting gives me a bit of a headache, I much prefer brightly lit rooms. 

The view from the window!

I'm pretty sure the group of people next to us thought I was crazy when I told my sister not to touch anything as soon as the waiter placed the stand down and spent about 10 minutes taking endless photographs!

We specifically asked for vegetarian sandwiches and were told this was no problem, yet a few moments later we were brought a 3-tiered cake stand consisting of  ham sandwiches. The cake stand was swiftly removed when we informed them of the mistake and the waitress apologised. But, we had to wait a fair while for a new stand, i wasn't very hungry until I saw the cake stand - how mean of them teasing us with it ahaha! 

When we finally received the correct sandwiches, the selection included cheese & tomato, salmon, cheese & cucumber and a pink one which looked really cool, but I wasn't entirely sure what it was as the waiter never went through the sandwiches.The sandwiches were very yummy, expect for the pink one, which I wasn't that keen on!

The top layer of the cake stand contained a yummy Eton mess, which was a nice touch to the afternoon tea, however I'm not sure why it wasn't pink! I can only just imagine how un-ladylike we looked, angrily trying to scoop out every last spoonful as it was just so yummy, particularly as the spoon was too big to fit right to the bottom :( 

How pretty do the cakes look??!

The sweet treats included a delicious pink carrot cake, macaroons and a cake topped with pink cream! 

Aside from the mistake with the sandwiches the service was good and the staff were friendly. Afternoon Tea at The Radisson Blu Hotel is a fairly laidback and relaxed affair and the staff leave you to enjoy your tea without constantly towering over you. Yet, they still came over every now and then to check everything was okay. 

I must admit when I first entered the restaurant and noticed the bar area I thought that we wouldn't be able to relax there or even hear each other speak. Yet, I was completely wrong, I don't know why but we both felt very relaxed there. We were actually rather shocked at how long we had just sat, chatted and stuffed our faces for, as there was a really chilled out atmosphere.

On the whole I had a great time celebrating my 18th and thought it was a great twist on the traditional Afternoon Tea - I would highly recommend Radisson Blu to anyone looking for somewhere to go for a girly treat, with a very laid back and relaxed atmosphere.

However, if the afternoon tea doesn't fill you up you can always stop off for fish and chips next door :-) - another very British tradition!

Have you tried any themed Afternoon Tea's? Do you have any recommendations for next time? 

See you next time for more of my ramblings!

xx

Last Afternoon Tea Review: Afternoon Tea at Tiffin Tea House, West Bridgford, Nottingham 
Next Afternoon Tea Review Up: Vintage Afternoon Tea at Thea Caffea, Nottingham

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Afternoon Tea at Tiffin Tea House, West Bridgford, Nottingham

The last time I posted an afternoon tea review was over 6 months ago! Fortunately though it hasn't been 6 months since my last afternoon tea, in fact  I've had a busy summer gorging on scones and cakes. Over the next few of weeks I will be posting reviews of different afternoon tea venues, first up is the Tiffin Tea House in Nottingham.

Tiffin Tea House is a traditional tea house which serves fresh food and homemade cakes. It is situated on Abbey Road in West Bridgford. Entering the Tiffin Tea House is like being transported to a 1950s tearoom.Tiffin is perfectly decorated with china teapots and lace table cloths, I particularly love the mismatched chairs. Tiffin Tea House is relaxed and very cosy, it gives a lovely homely feel, which i really like. It reminded me a lot of my grandma's house for that reason.

When I first visited the Tiffin Tea House I had no intention of having afternoon tea I was thinking more a long the lines of a slice of cake and a cup of tea, but those thoughts quickly vanished when we saw others with their 3 tier cake stands.

As you can see from the menu, Tiffin Tea House offers an array of things from full cooked English breakfasts to fish finger sandwiches and homemade cakes. However, their Tiffin Afternoon Tea seems to be the most popular. 

I love this cake stand!

As you can see from the picture the Tiffin Tea House afternoon tea is a real treat!

It includes a large selection of traditional sandwiches such as cheese and pickle ones, nothing too adventurous, nice and simple.

It wouldn’t be an Afternoon Tea without some warm scones!

The cakes we tasted were all homemade and consisted of a carrot cake, walnut cake and a chocolate brownie and a mini Victoria sponge. They were all yummy, my favourite had to be the walnut cake.

Afternoon Tea at the Tiffin Tea House is reasonably priced at £11.95 per person. I don't think there's one bad word I could say about Tiffin Tea House, we had a lovely time indulging and will definitely be going back very soon. The staff were all so friendly and helpful. 

Next time I will be reviewing Afternoon Tea at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel in Leicester Square, so keep your eyes peeled for that in a fortnight's time.

See you next time for more of my ramblings!

xx

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