Intercontinental Hotel Park Lane bottomless Champagne afternoon tea

On Saturday i took my Hubby to an afternoon tea that i had brought a Virgin Experience voucher for last year. I got such a good deal at around £94 for both of us however they currently have a special deal via afternoontea.co.uk for 25% off £79.50 each. I do not think this is too bad for bottomless  Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label Champagne NV or Veuve Clicquot Rosé Champagne NV, especially if you manage to drink 4 full glasses like me !!!!!!!

https://afternoontea.co.uk/uk/london/mayfair/intercontinental-london-park-lane/offers/25-off-free-flowingstar-champagne-royal-afternoon-tea/

This is our first visit to this hotel however i have been a few times to the Intercontinental at O2 before.

This is more of a traditional hotel sat on Park Lane whilst the O2 one is more modern in design. 

The afternoon tea is served in the open plan Wellington Lounge and there is a man playing the piano by the walkway. We could not see him from our table but could here the music. 

When we arrived we were greeted by a very friendly cheerful waitress who showed us to our table presented the menu to us. 

Hand-Crafted Savouries 

Pea & Montgomery Cheddar Gougère 

 Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraîche & Caviar On Milk Bread 

 Duck Rillettes On Crusty Bread 

Baron Bigod & Summer Truffle On Country Malt Bread 

Coronation Chicken On Turmeric Bread 

 Scones & Cakes 

Freshly Baked Plain & Golden Raisin Scones 

Served with Berry Jam Conserve , Strawberry & Vanilla Jam  & Cornish Clotted Cream 

 Amarena Cherry & Pistachio Hat 

 Roasted Hazelnut & Mayan Red Chocolate Éclair 

 Polenta Cake with Rosewater Cream 

Elderflower & Gooseberry Baba 

There was also a large tea selection to choose from. I had the herbal eternal summer tea and i cannot remember what my husband had but he said it was really nice  

For the champagne i had the Rose whilst my husband opted for the white, it was lovely and chilled and went down a treat whilst waiting for the food to arrive 

 

It took a while for the sandwiches to arrive but we were not in any rush plus i was just enjoying my champagne and bit pot of tea. Hence i nearly forgot to take a photo of them.........sorry but we had both already eaten the little pea Gougere so do not have a photo of it.  

All the sandwiches were lovely and fresh with lots of filling inside. My husband liked the Salmon one topped with caviar whilst my favorite was the Coronation Chicken plus the truffle egg one i got instead of the salmon one. It was nice to have all different types of bread also. 

As i gave my duck sandwich to hubby i asked if i could have extra two chicken ones as these were really nice. 

After a short while and our glasses topped up with champagne the scones and cakes arrived. 

We got two different types of jam and clotted cream. The Jam was nice but more like a thick coulis and the clotted cream hard and so difficult to spread. I think it had probably been in a very cold fridge. 

The scones were freshly baked and still warm. We got a plain one and fruit one each and they were a good size. 

  

For the cakes we got our own plate containing 4 different ones but we decided to cut them in half and take the rest home. 

Our favorite cake by far was the Roasted Hazelnut & Mayan Red Chocolate Éclair. The other 3 were OK but nothing special.  Whilst eating the cakes i had a cappuccino to finish. 

 Overall a lovely relaxed afternoon tea however our waitress seemed very busy serving all the tables so our glasses were empty on few occasions and not kept topped up. She did apologies and said not to worry about the time if we want more champagne.  I think 4 full glasses were enough for me as wanted to be able to walk outside in a straight line !!!!!

Nearest Station : Green Park about 12 minute walk

Best bits : The fresh sandwiches and chilled Champagne.    

Worst bits : The clotted cream was very hard which made it difficult to spread. Also the fact that our glasses were left empty for a while on 2 occasions.     

Value for money :  Yes but only as i got a voucher for it    

Would I go back? : Maybe if i get another good deal  !!!!! 

Park Room Magic Faraway Tree Afternoon Tea- Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel Park Lane London

 

We had a wonderful afternoon tea on Saturday to celebrate my mum’s birthday. This was our third visit and, once again, it did not disappoint.

I purchased a voucher from Buyagift during a discounted promotion, costing £107 for two people, compared with the menu price of £75 per person. The hotel is situated opposite Hyde Park and is around a 15-minute walk from Marble Arch station.

Afternoon tea is served in the Park Room lounge, which is light and bright, with green velvet sofas and cream fabric armchairs. Large windows overlook the street with views of Hyde Park opposite. The tables were beautifully set with bone china, crisp white napkins, and a single pink rose in a vase.

Our waitress checked for any allergies, explained the afternoon tea menu, and left us to choose from the extensive tea selection. I opted for the Raspberry and Peach fruit tea, while my mum chose a cappuccino.

The afternoon began with Silky’s Sparkling Granita – a crisp, refreshing, lightly spiced clementine granita, which was a lovely palate cleanser.

Next came the three-tier stand, packed full of delights – this is where the magic truly began.

The sandwich selection was generous, with offers of refills (which were very tempting!). Options included cucumber and garden mint, smoked Oakham chicken with tarragon and crème fraîche, roast Aberdeen Angus beef with creamed horseradish, honey roast Yorkshire ham with Coleman’s English mustard, and North Atlantic prawn with classic Marie Rose sauce. They also brought around a tray of open sandwiches featuring Foreman’s smoked Scottish salmon with cream cheese, and St Ewe’s egg mayonnaise with chives.

As we don’t like fish and my mum doesn’t eat mayonnaise, they kindly provided vegetarian open sandwiches instead. The staff were excellent at accommodating preferences and allergies.

After (reluctantly!) turning down more sandwiches, we moved on to the scones. They were still warm, generously sized, and we each received one plain and one fruit scone. These were served with clotted cream and a choice of five jams: strawberry, rose petal, rhubarb & ginger, gooseberry, raspberry, and blackcurrant. We chose raspberry, strawberry, and rose petal.

After finishing my fruit scone, I left the plain one to make room for the five cakes that followed – including the stunning chocolate tree topped with candy floss. We ordered more coffees to  enjoy alongside the cakes.

We started by sharing the Honey Pop cake, which had a soft, creamy filling with a pear and honey compote center. Next was the Moonface cake, sitting on a crispy biscuit base, with mandarin mousse and a hint of ginger.

We then eat the Land of Dreams, a rich chocolate mousse, followed by the Woodland Whisper – a toadstool-shaped cake and one of my personal favourites.

The Faraway Tree was saved for last. This was a chocolate shell filled with a soft chocolate cream and an orange jam in the base. It was a shame to break it, but it had to be done!

To finish, they surprised my mum with a large slice of chocolate cake, complete with a candle, and sang “Happy Birthday” – a really thoughtful touch that she greatly appreciated.

The extra cake is part of the afternoon tea experience, with two cakes displayed on the center table for guests to choose from. As my mum had the chocolate cake, I asked if I could take home a slice of the Victoria sponge. They kindly packed this up in a lovely box, along with our remaining scones.

There was no bill to pay as I had already paid with the voucher, and despite having two coffees each, there was no service charge added. I did leave a tip for the waitress, as the service throughout was excellent and they made my mum’s birthday feel truly special.

We hope to return again soon to celebrate another special occasion.

Nearest Station : Marble Arch Underground about  15 minute walk

Best bits : The excellent service and amount of food on offer.  Also the scones were very good and loved the choice of jams.    

Worst bits : Nothing      

Value for money :  Yes i think it was  as first class service and lots of food    

Would I go back? : Yes defiantly why not as enjoyed it very much. 

Festive afternoon tea and demonstration by 2024 Bake off Professional winners - Intercontinental Hotel O2 North Greenwich

 On Sunday, I took my mum to an amazing afternoon tea buffet and a cooking demonstration hosted by the Bake Off: The Professionals winners of 2024. It was held at the Intercontinental O2 Hotel, and we did a bit of shopping beforehand, which made the day even more special

I thought it was a great price at £65 each for three hours, including a welcome glass of fizz and canapés, a live cooking demonstration, and a wonderful afternoon tea buffet.

The hotel was beautifully decorated for Christmas, with a large Christmas tree in the lobby and an impressive festive scene created by the chefs, which was entirely edible.

The afternoon tea was held in the Kinaara restaurant which had lovely views over the Thames. 

Upon entering, the two chefs, Tanuj and Narayan, were waiting by the door to greet us. We were then seated at a table with our glass of fizz and offered two types of canapés. One was a whole grape coated in goat’s cheese and rolled in a pistachio crumb — it was delicious.

After about half an hour, we were invited into a small room set up with around 20 chairs and a camera crew ready to film the event. I counted just 18 guests in total, which made it feel like a really intimate experience. The chefs guided us through the steps of making a chocolate and cherry yule log, explaining and demonstrating everything clearly. We were able to ask questions throughout, and they even let us taste the chocolate ganache cream and a slice of the finished yule log.

After this, they showed us how to make the perfect scones, and everyone was surprised by how much they mixed the dough and treated it more like bread dough. They explained that it should be allowed to rest before being cut into rounds, and then rested again before baking to help form a crust on the outside.

I must admit, they rose beautifully and had lovely smooth tops. I’ve never been very good at making scones in the past, as I was always told not to handle the dough too much, so this was definitely something new that I learned on the day.

The demonstration and questions  latest about 45 minutes then we went back to our table and helped ourselves to the amazing afternoon tea buffet

Festive Christmas Edition Menu

Pastries

Stollen

Black forest yule log

Baba rum

Clementine tarts

Pistachio and cherry financiers

Bailys and toffee choux

Coffee and passion fruit pavlova

White chocolate and cardamom panna cotta

Christmas spiced maritozzi

Selection of scones

Figs and strawberry jam, clotted cream

Sandwiches

Chicken breast with chestnut and sage cranberries on white bread

Egg mayonnaise with truffle shallots and watercress on brown bread

Scottish salmon with horseradish cream, dill on basil bread

Smoked cheese with sun-blushed tomatoes chives on malted grain bread

Foie gras parfait with quince jelly on mini brioche bread

As you can see, there was a wide choice available, and every item on the table was clearly labelled.

To start with, I chose the chicken sandwich, egg mayonnaise sandwich, smoked cheese sandwich, and an Indian paneer cheese puff pastry parcel, which wasn’t listed on the menu. Everything was very fresh and generously filled.

Whilst enjoying the sandwiches we ordered a cappuccino each plus glass of tap water to wash it all down with.

Next i decided to have just one scone as wanted to leave room for the cakes.

I had the candid fruit scone with the jams and clotted cream.

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I  wanted to try all the nine different cakes but decided to get just four to begin with

Clementine tarts

Pistachio and cherry financiers

Bailys and toffee choux

Coffee and passion fruit pavlova

My favorites from this selection were the pavlova and the pistachio and cherry financier, while my mum enjoyed the choux pastry and pavlova the most.

Next, I tried the rum baba , white chocolate and cardamom panna cotta, and the Christmas-spiced maritozzi. This was the first time I’d tried the Italian maritozzi bun, and it was wonderfully light, filled with soft, fluffy cream. I really loved it and wished I’d had room for another one — sadly, we were both far too full to eat any more.

It was a shame they didn’t offer doggy bags to take leftovers home, as there were still a few cakes left at the end!

While we were enjoying our final few cakes, the two chefs came around the tables and handed each guest a small box signed by both of them. Inside were six lovely chocolates — such a thoughtful gesture and a wonderful keepsake to remember the day by.

It was such a lovely afternoon and my mum really enjoyed it as something a bit different. The food was all delicious and so much of it. We are hoping that they will do it again in the near future. 

Nearest Station : North Greenwich  about  18 minute walk

Best bits : Meeting the chefs and the demonstration plus all the lovely food and service was very good too. They made us feel very welcome.    

Worst bits : Nothing      

Value for money :  Yes definitely considering what it included   

Would I go back? : Yes if they do another demonstration on 

 

Library Lounge Christmas afternoon tea - County Hall Hotel Westminster London

Sorry its been such a long time since my last afternoon tea post. 

As its been so long i was looking forward to this afternoon tea with our friends. 

The hotel is by Westminster bridge and Big Ben and the windows look out over the London Eye and the Thames.

As i always do i got a Groupon voucher for this that cost £127.46 for 4 of us so only £31.86 each and it included a glass of bubbly each. However we did have to pay an extra £10 each for weekend booking but still good deal as the menu price is £85 each. 

I have been here before a long time ago with my husband and he liked the room that the tea is served in.

 It has dark wood paneling and lots of book selves each one topped with an ornate bust .  He thought it looked  like a old gentleman club.

   It was nice to see the Christmas tree in the corner 

The waiter checked if we had any allergies and brought over a wooden box filled with little glass jars of different types of teas. These were just for us to smell and decide which one we wanted. There must of been about 12 different ones and i choose the Bora Bora fruity berry tea that was lovely. 

We also got a glass of champagne each that went down very well and a bit too quick !!! 

When all the food arrived we were very impressed  

SELECTION OF SAVOURIES

Truffled ‘Burford Brown’ egg mayonnaise, Wholemeal bread

Whisky Cured Salmon by H Forman & Sons, Citrus crème fraiche, Beetroot bread

Roasted Norfolk Turkey Breast, Redcurrant butter, Classic white bread

Butternut Squash and ‘Rosary’ Goats cheese tartlet (V)

Pig in Blanket, Sage Crème fraiche, Butter Brioche bun

We all liked the little tart best it was still warm with thin crispy pastry,  So nice that when the waiter asked if we wanted anymore sandwiches we all had just another tart each.

FRESHLY BAKED SCONES
Cranberry, Cinnamon and Buttermilk Christmas Pudding
The Library’ Plum Christmas conserve, Dorset Clotted cream, Brandy butter

Loved the different scones we got one of each type and i tried both types of cream. The brandy cream was very soft and the clotted cream lovely and thick. They were generous in size and freshly baked.

By now i was on my second pot of the Bora Bora tea and started on the 5 very different cakes which we cut in half. 

PASTRIES

Queen Elizabeth Tower Mince Pie
Christmas Pudding cheesecake
Lime & Orange butter shortbread
Nutmeg and Mandarin tart
Chestnut & Pecan yule log

All the cakes were delicious but i especially liked the white Christmas pudding cheesecake and the Big Ben shaped one that was the yule log. 

It was a struggle to eat them all but my hubby and i both managed apart from leaving half a scone each

I finished it all off with a Cappuccino that we got charged £7.50 extra for that i thought was too expensive for just a coffee. 

Overall it was a lovely afternoon tea with good service and lots of delicious food .

Nearest Station : Westminster Underground  about  14 minute walk across the bridge

Best bits : The choice of teas and different flavor scones.    

Worst bits : The only I can think off is that they charged us £7.50 for my cappuccino      

Value for money :  Yes but only because i got the Groupon voucher.  

Would I go back? : Yes especially if i can get it on a good deal again.