The Travelling Pixie in London

Afternoon Tea at The Waldorf

After weeks and weeks of hard work, the final week of the term has finally approached!  I’ve finished all my assignments due before the end of term and so…. ITS TIME FOR A TREAT!

The three of us have been talking for over a month about going for afternoon tea, yet the date has been postponed over and over again due to our avalanche of school work, and numerous deadlines.

So I looked online and found The Waldorf Hilton’s Christmas Afternoon Tea set.  The photos of the Homage Tea Room looked simply stunning and I just had to make a booking there!

It was an awfully cold day and the walk from Covent Garden station took about 7 minutes.  It wasn’t too difficult to find as it was right next to the Mamma Mia musical theatre.  By the time I got to the hotel, I was absolutely freezing.  However, as I entered the tea room, the ambience was lovely.

As with the Park Lane Sheraton Hotel, the sweet melody of Christmas carols were being played on the harp.  I was led to the table right next to the harp and was able to hear the beautiful music while I was waiting for my two other friends.  It was such a beautiful and relaxing atmosphere that I didn’t mind waiting alone at all.

I enjoyed just a few songs when they arrived, we then decided to order the Classic West End Afternoon Tea (£38.50/person) as we didn’t feel like drinking any bubbles.  There are a total of 5 options for the Afternoon Tea set, apart from the Classic West End Afternoon Tea that comes with just tea, all the other Afternoon Tea sets comes with different Champagne or Sparkling Wine (up to £57.50/person), the savouries and sweets are the same menu though.

I decided to go for the Jasmine Pearls green tea, it was very fragrant and fresh.  Quoting the introduction of the Jasmine Pearls tea on their menu, ‘When brewed, the pearls unravel to reveal an elegant scent and a sweet, fresh silvery liquor with the delicate taste of jasmine blossoms.’  Doesn’t that sound just so poetic and lovely that you couldn’t help trying it?  Well I wasn’t disappointed, the Jasmine Pearls green tea tasted very refreshing and relaxing, the perfect blend with my afternoon retreat.

Soon after, the sandwiches arrived.  As you probably already know, sandwiches are my favourite treats in Afternoon Teas.  The waitress quickly introduced us to our sandwiches and left us to indulge in the savoury treats.  From bottom up, Cheese and Cucumber on Carrot Bread, Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese on Brown Bread, Egg and Watercress on Basil Bread, Tomato and cheese on Mediterranean bread, and finally Ham and Mustard on Onion Bread.  My favourite was the Cheese and Cucumber on Carrot Bread and Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese on Brown Bread. Both of these sandwiches are common in all afternoon tea sets and I simply LOVE them – they could NEVER go wrong!

We finished the sandwiches in less than 10 minutes as we were simply too hungry!  We have to admit, all 3 of us woke up around 2pm (whoops!) and this is our ‘breakfast’!

So we gobbled up our “breakfast” sandwiches greedily and happily anticipated the arrival of the Christmas themed sweets.

 

Soon after, a 3-tiered sweets tower appeared in front of us!

We weren’t disappointed with the “Christmas” theme as two cupcake snowmen were sitting on the second tier looking perfectly in sync with the recent London weather.

Our bill came to £43/person including the service charge, which was slightly expensive when compared with the other afternoon tea places I’ve been.  However, they gave us really generous portions of food and we simply couldn’t finish all the sweets and scones.

Overall, I’d say my experience at The Waldorf Hilton was a great one, the ambience was very very nice and relaxing, and I’d definitely recommend you to try it out!

The Waldorf Hilton – Homage Tea Room

22 Aldwych The Waldorf Hilton, London WC2B 4DD

Price: ££

Ambience: 8/10

Yum Factor: 7/10

Book Here:

http://www.afternoontea.co.uk/uk/london/covent-garden/the-waldorf/