04 Sep Afternoon Tea at Lancaster London
As we all know keeping the children entertained in the school holidays is no mean feat. If you are like me and want your children to experience a wide range of activities then finding activities that are a little different can be difficult. So, when I heard Lancaster London was providing an Afternoon Tea for children this summer I was very intrigued.
I absolutely adore Afternoon Tea and have tried many different versions. The Afternoon Tea at Lancaster London was for both adults and children and I can honestly say it is one of the best Afternoon Teas I have been to.
I experienced the Afternoon Tea with my husband and two children, aged 4 and 7. They all too absolutely loved the tea.
The Afternoon Tea was served in The Longue Bar. This was a very relaxed atmosphere, which was perfect when you are with children. We were shown to our table which was decorated with a balloon on two of the chairs (for the children) and on each child’s seat there was a Frisbee and rubber duck. The children loved these touches and it made them feel very special- especially as mummy and daddy were not given these gifts!
One of the great things about this Afternoon Tea was that the children had their own special menu. This meant the children were extremely happy to eat their food whilst we could then enjoy our own different delicious menu.
The children’s menu was fantastic. They were given a plate of sandwiches each that comprised of a Nutella sandwich, a Homemade Jam sandwich and Peanut Butter sandwich. They were then given freshly cooked mini doughnuts and freshly baked scones with homemade jam and clotted cream. These were presented beautifully on a cake stand with a selection of other cakes and desserts, including brownies, cake pops and carrot cupcakes. The desserts were decorated with marshmallows and smarties, which both my children loved. They could then choose from a selection of ice creams and this was served with a skewer of fruit. The children were also offered hot chocolate which was a big hit! Throughout the meal, the waiters asked the children if they wanted anything else and were very attentive to their needs.
The adult menu was just as gorgeous as the children’s menu. To start we were served Lancaster London home smoked salmon sandwiches, roast 28 day dry aged British beef with watercress and horseradish, well-seasoned cucumber sandwiches and free range egg and wild cress sandwiches. This was accompanied by a wonderful red onion marmalade and goat’s cheese tartlet and a wild mushroom and cream cheese filled choux bun. All the food was extremely fresh and tasted delicious.Everything was beautifully seasoned and me and my husband thoroughly enjoyed this part of the tea.
We were then brought warm plain, sultana and apple scones with homemade strawberry jam and clotted cream. These scones were delicious and the homemade jam was exceptional.
The desserts were also wonderful. We had Signature white chocolate and raspberry lolly pops, a blackberry and elderflower pastry cream tart, Amarena cherry and pistachio tranche, a carrot cupcake and a blue cheese and pumpkin macaroon. All the desserts were divine and I particularly loved the blackberry and elderflower pastry cream tart. The pastry was deliciously crisp and the subtle taste of the elderflower was lovely, and complimented the blackberries beautifully.
Throughout the Afternoon Tea we could choose from a range of fresh teas from their Novus Tea Selection, including traditional English Breakfast, Green Tea and Camomile. We were also given a timer with our tea, that if used correctly will give you a perfectly brewed tea. There were three sand timers which were three different colours. The tea you chose, determined which colour you looked at. I thought this was brilliant and followed the timer for my own tea. I did have a lovely brewed cup of tea, so I do think this timer works!
Throughout our afternoon, I thought all the waiters were extremely polite and attentive to our needs. All the waiters also spoke to my children as well and made sure they were fully included. The chef came out to speak to us and explain the menu and he too had a lovely manner with the children.
I would definitely recommend Afternoon Tea at Lancaster London as all the food was extremely fresh and tasted gorgeous. It is definitely one of the best Afternoon Teas I have had and loved the whole experience; from the food, to the wonderful waiting staff, to the stunning location.
The Afternoon Tea at Lancaster London will soon be moving to the hotel’s restaurant area, The Park, which has absolutely stunning views of Hyde Park. Two sides of this restaurant are full of large windows that not only make the restaurant very light and bright but also showcase the stunning views of Hyde Park. This area will be a beautiful setting for the Afternoon Tea and I think it would definitely be worth a visit.
