The Quarterly Afternoon Tea Club at Ham Yard

 

Last weekend The Quarterly Afternoon Tea Club struck again, after a 6-month hiatus (waistlines had to shrink before we could indulge again...). The venue was Ham Yard in Soho, a recently opened hotel by the very stylishly eclectic Firmdale people. Oh, how I love to discover all the details in a Firmdale interior!

Anyhow, it was my birthday, and we settled in for a late-afternoon treat. We were very comfortably seated (a fact my beloved consort commented on several times: "I love a high-backed sofa", a good start) in the main restaurant area, surrounded by a lot of details in orange. I discovered that not only is orange a warm colour, it helpfully stimulates the appetite.

Our waitress took us through the afternoon tea menu (it's funny how they do that - it seems so formal, but it does create a lot of anticipation) which included an avocado mousse with lobster (this was very very good) and a lobster thermidor tartlet (delicious), deep-fried macaroni-cheese cubes (a bit 'bof', to be honest) and two very tasty sandwiches of the classic kind, to balance everything: Egg & Cress and Ham & Tomato. I sometimes think the skill lies in making the classic sandwiches memorable, and these were.

On to the scones, led by my friend who doesn't like anything sweet (yes, that is what she says). These were small and fluffy, plain and raisin, and to be honest I often think small scones are the best, it helps you maintain that dainty look whilst scoffing something incredibly rich. I always prefer strawberry jam, but there was another jam too, possibly blackcurrant, which was left untouched.

Then the sweets, which were really quite sophisticated. The dark chocolate & salted caramel pot was unanimously loved. I tried a chou filled with lemon-scented whipped cream, which was lovely but too large and too rich for me and slowed me down considerably. After that a feeble attempt at a strawberry macaroon (again, rather large), but I had to give up. The rest is a blur...

The service was a bit erratic unfortunately, but redeemed by our chief waitress, who was impeccable. She encouraged me to try Assam tea which I brewed in a one-cup glass pot at the table, to be replenished three times. And it was excellent. But my husband waited too long for his second round of savouries, and so did my friends when they ordered more tea. However, afternoon tea at Ham Yard is a mere £18. Where else would one get such a delicious afternoon tea at that price, including lobster? Nowhere, I should think.

To add to this, Ham Yard is a thourougly great venue, large and superbly decorated, with a great atmosphere. We rounded off the evening with a few hours in the bar, which was equally good.

Would we go again? Well, their afternoon tea menu changes every week, so we will have to, won't we?

The Quarterly Afternoon Tea Club at Hampton Court Flower Show

The Quarterly Afternoon Tea Club has been quietly munching through delicious afternoon teas throughout the past year without posting any reviews. This does not mean that excellent teas have not been experienced, we have simply fallen out of the habit of reviewing them.

However, on Saturday we had a really delicious afternoon tea at the Hampton Court Flower Show, served in the exceedingly hot but delightful surroundings of the show. Top marks to Cunard, who had concocted a compact afternoon tea for two at £24, which we enjoyed in the shade of a tre outside the Tea Palace tent. Expecting to be underwhelmed we were delighted, first with the sandwiches (so important to the overall experience) which were all very tasty, apart from one which was strangely empty... but which we swiftly converted into a cream and jam sandwich so no harm was done. Secondly with the perfect scones served with a light clotted cream and strawberry jam, followed by a selection of delicious little cakes. Served on a darling little three-tier stand and china crockery, with Twinings breakfast tea. I saw people's eyes widen as I walked past with the tray towards our little table...

Afternoon Tea at The Connaught Hotel

Ah, The Connaught. One of my absolute favourites in the afternoon tea world. I had my last social gathering as an unmarried woman there and a couple of weeks ago it was the venue for my third and ultimate afternoon tea in four days.

Having just arrived by train from Bath my friend C and I met up with the charming G&A in the surprisingly warm Espelette conservatory. It was a 'hot hot day' as Enid Blyton would have called it - it truly was. Our waiters were charming, and quickly filled our table with three-tier stands full of stylishly reinvented sandwiches plus a tea pot for each of us. Sandwiches are generally among my favourites at afternoon tea, and we certainly had some very tasty ones (but I would personally have preferred more of the traditional ones instead of quirky mini-focaccias and brioches). Their finger sandwiches with a hint of pineapple were particularly good, and we were offered a second round of them without even having to look in the waiter's direction. The scones arrived, and they were exceedingly good. These were served with home-made jams from France, which we chose from a dinky little selection on the menu, and the clotted cream was generously adorned with fresh berries. Then came the pastries which were like miniature desserts and, almost overwhelmingly (we were by this stage struggling a bit in the heat), a selection of beautifully made sponge cakes.

It feels like a crime not to try everything when it is so beautifully made and presented, but there was such an abundance that we simply couldn't eat everything. This is where the Connaught service really shows; our waiter quickly transferred our leftovers to smart little pastry boxes and handed them to us as we left.

Price: £38

Tea list: A good selection of black and non-fermented teas.

Atmosphere: Stylish and very cosseted.

Afternoon Tea at The Royal Crescent Hotel

A recent weekend trip to Bath included a well-earned rest in the gardens of The Royal Crescent Hotel whilst taking afternoon tea (the second such treat for me that week). We started off on comfortable sofas inside The Dower House at the end of the garden, but as the late afternoon weather was so beautiful we moved outside, aided by an attentive waitress carrying our three-tier cakestand and teapots, to enjoy the sun.

The sandwiches were nice and traditional, with a particularly good ham and tomato version. The scones were a little bit on the compact side, but they were redeemed by a lovely miniature Bath Bun which was served in tandem with the scones. Sadly, it was far to hot for us to truly enjoy the rich selection of pastries, which lingered and lingered on our plates.

It was a beautiful afternoon, with attentive service and the amazing sight of hot-air balloons floating past above The Crescent's roof line. Quite magical.

Price: £25.

Tea list: A good selection of alternative teas, but very few black teas to choose from.

Atmosphere: Very relaxing, rather informal yet probably also quite romantic.

Afternoon Tea at the Corinthia

A couple of weeks ago I went for afternoon tea with friends three times in 4 days...

I started quite modestly, with what should really be called 'cream tea' at the Corinthia Hotel in London. My friend C and I decided to sneak away to the very stylish Corinthia lobby lounge for some of their divine scones and a cup of tea.

I know from experience that the sandwiches at Corinthia are perfectly tasty, traditional, finger sandwiches. And I have never had the occasion to take full afternoon tea here, so I don't know what their cakes are like, but their scones are truly lovely. Petite and still warm from the oven, they are just the right side of moist (I am always very disappointed if I am served a dry scone, and sadly it does happen). Served with clotted cream and two types of red jam (strawberry & raspberry) on chic silver & white china designed for the hotel, no less. And, as C remarked, 'these scones are so dainty that even though I have had three it only really counts as one'.

One day I will return and have the full works, including the beautiful cakes and patisseries - which are a Corinthia speciality.

Price: £21 for cream tea (which we virtuously shared) plus a few pounds extra for a second pot of tea

Tea list: A good selection of black and non-fermented teas.

Atmosphere: Quiet, stylish, grand. One almost expects Hercule Poirot to appear from behind one of the columns which lines the wall...

The Quarterly Afternoon Tea Club

Last Saturday I was taken to St. Ermin's Hotel for afternoon tea to celebrate my birthday. My beloved had invited a few of my friends as a surprise and we all snuggled up in beautiful armchairs for a couple of hours, chatting and eating. It was lovely. We decided to do it more often. So we started The Quarterly Afternoon Tea Club, which will provide us with an excellent excuse to indulge in afternoon tea on a regular basis.

Now, an afternoon tea club should review, as well as delight in, afternoon tea consumed in glamorous surroundings. Here, therefore, is my review of St. Ermin's...

The Good:

- Beautiful interiors (I wanted to steal everything)

- Pleasant staff (though no one offered to take my coat)

- Reasonably priced

- A very very tasty honey & goat's cheese tiny sandwich

- Our teapots were refreshed several times

- We were given a 2nd round of sandwiches at no extra cost when we asked for it

The Not Quite So Good:

- We waited a long time for the food to be served

- The sandwiches were dry around the edges (and there were few of them)

- My scone was handsomely sized, but so dry that I only ate half of it

Would I go again? Yes, but not for afternoon tea.

(I should add that upon leaving one of my friends tempted us to go to Bassoon at The Corinthia for drinks, and it was very. very. good.)

Orange Pekoe

One of my absolute favourite things to do is to end my working week by spending Friday afternoons at Orange Pekoe on White Hart Lane, where Barnes meets Mortlake. 'OP', as my beloved and I call it, is a beautiful tea salon where the emphasis is very much on excellent teas (one can choose from a whole wall of them), coffees (they will tell you which is best to revive you in the morning, and which is best for a mellow afternoon cup) salads & sandwiches, plus amazing cakes to trip up your diet intentions.. When I grew up in Oslo we used to refer to gems like Orange Pekoe as a 'konditori' - and they were always a treat.