We found London’s most enchanting afternoon tea
Think potions, magical cakes and fairy tableware, at Taj 51’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Afternoon Tea
I love an afternoon tea and London’s hotels certainly know how to put on some magical ones – read my guide here – so I was excited to try the newest offering from Taj 51 Buckingham Gate, alongside my fabulous sister, Lindsey.
They have form for beautiful teas - I loved their previous Secret Garden tea, which I wrote about here – and this summer they’re back with another wonderful offering, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Afternoon Tea.
The team at Taj always demonstrates a level of attention to detail which truly goes beyond and this year was no exception. The experience begins as you walk down the pretty hotel courtyard, bedecked with fairies and lanterns hanging in the trees, before you enter the tea salon Kona, and take your seat for an enchanting journey through the Shakespeare-inspired treat.
Everything has been commissioned for the experience, from the woodland scene décor, to the fairy china, fabulous glassware, which looks like a rose on a twisted stem and the wooden cake stand with an ivy-covered branch.
The food journey plays out in five acts and begins with a mini potion called Puck’s Mischief, which you pour out of exquisite bottles and is a blend of forest berries, bourbon and bitters. It’s washed down with a Viola Moelleaux, a violet-infused cake with edible flowers, on a bed of sunflower seeds.
You can upgrade with a Moonlit Alchemy cocktail, which changes colours as it’s poured, to reflect the magic of the woodland, containing gin, orange liqueur and blue pea tea infusion. It’s wonderful, I absolutely adored the glass and the magic of seeing it poured. The cocktail itself was a little sweet for me, but I’d definitely recommend trying it.
We also enjoyed the specially-blended The Elixir of Enchantment mulberry green tea, which cut the sweetness of the food, nicely. Then we moved on to a pot of Darjeeling Champagne of Teas. I encourage anyone having afternoon tea to always try a menu of teas, don’t just stick with one, but change between savoury and sweet courses. And Kona has a huge tea menu.
Savouries are a delight – delicious, light and surprising, we enjoyed the spiced butternut squash hummus and onion puff; orange-zested ricotta and cucumber beetroot bread; cream cheese and smoked salmon on spinach bread; thyme-roasted chicken and apricot mayo on caraway bread and my stand-out – roast beef and horseradish brioche.
Deliciously-fluffy mini-scones, which come with jams, cream and orange and lemon preserve were demolished easily and the cakes and pastries fabulous. Think chocolate wings, creamy surprises and the fabulous Heart of Love and Confusion, which is a red heart-shaped cake with a rich dark chocolate centre, filled with a fruity tropical coulis, poured by the server. The Enchanted Forest tarragon and cherry cake is also wonderful, as is The Mystical Grove pistachio-lemon and Blood of Pyramus and Thisbe berry tart.
The tea finishes with a flourish, with Puck’s Magic, a divine little truffle, in its own presentation box.
I was a guest of Taj 51
Verdict: Every summer, Taj 51 Buckingham Gate puts on a stand-out tea and I honestly loved this one. The detail is exceptional and the cakes and savouries, exquisite. It’s good value, too, compared to some of the other London hotel teas. It’s just lovely.
The Travel List
The Midsummer Night’s Dream Afternoon Tea, at Taj 51 Buckingham Gate, is £75 p/p, taj51buckinghamgate.co.uk
Inspired to try another tea? Don’t miss the Indian Jasmine Afternoon Tea, £75