Hard Rock Cafe afternoon tea

 Who would have thought that you could get an afternoon tea at the Trendy Hard Rock hotel in Oxford Street.....

When I saw this on offer on Travelzoo website and that it was bottomless bubbles for just £30 each I knew I had to try it. 

I went with my friend on Friday and had a lovely afternoon chatting whilst eating and drinking lots of prosecco!!!!

I love this modern Trendy hotel with an open plan restaurant and large bar in the middle. It's easy to get too just minutes' walk from marble arch Station and Ideal for shopping along Oxford Street. 

When we arrived, it was very busy with not many empty tables left. Our table for 2 was in the middle between the bar area and the stage.

Our waiter handed us the menu and explained that it could not be altered or swapped and that as well as bottomless prosecco, wine or beer we could have iced tea on in various flavors. 

Straight away we ordered prosecco and was given to a small card with the start time for 90 minutes of bottomless drinks. I think this is a good idea as then the waiters know when our time is up and there are no quibbles. 

We waited about 20 minutes for the food to arrive and was pleased to see it arrive as both of us were very hungry. 

Along with the tea stand we got two mini freak shakes a chocolate one and strawberry one. I had the chocolate one and it was nice. 

On the bottom plate was a crispy waffle finger topped with crispy sweet maple syrup bacon plus mini taco baskets. One filled with breaded shrimps and the other with pulled pork. We got one of each however I did not want the shrimp one. I liked both of the ones I had however would have liked a bit more of the soft barbecue shredded pork inside the taco shell 

Next to try was the filled rolls on the middle plate. We both got a mac and cheese  toastie one and a pastrami ham and cheese  sub roll. These were generous in size, and I loved the mac and cheese one it was delicious. The ham and cheese were spoilt for me by the mustard dressing as never been keen on mustard and this one was hot. 

During the afternoon tea our glasses were kept topped up with Prosecco and it was only once towards the end that I had to ask the waiter for top up as I think they had forgotten us as very busy. 

To finish we had the caramel apple pudding plus a churro each and a pot of chocolate dipping sauce. 

Both of these were nice, but the caramel apple pudding was my favorite as they serve this on the dessert menu, and I often choose it if dining here. 

There was more savory food than sweet on the afternoon tea which suits some people better. Myself I prefer the sweet things but did enjoy this one for a change as bit different. The atmosphere is good too along with great background music. 

If I was paying full price of £35 each just for the food I would expect a bit more for my money 

Nearest Station :        Marble Arch Station   - about 3 minute walk 

Best bits : The atmosphere and bottomless drinks for 90 minutes.  Also, the mac and cheese toastie which was lovely

Worst bits :  Maybe just slightly larger portions      

Value for money : Yes for the £30 I paid including bottomless drinks and full price of £45 each is still not too bad !!!!! 

would I go back? :  Yes I would

Scoff & Banter tea rooms Oxford Street London - Customize your afternoon tea

 Had a lovely afternoon tea on Saturday with my mum that we customized to suit our taste. This is the only afternoon tea that I have had so far that you get a choice from the menu for each course.

It is situated inside the Radisson Blue hotel in Oxford Street London just by Bond Street station. There are also 3 other London branches in Canary wharf, Kensington and Bloomsbury  

I booked it via open table as they had a great offer of free bottle of prosecco per 2 afternoon teas booked. We paid £34 each for the afternoon tea and the prosecco would of cost us additional £38. Not sure how long this offer is on for as it does not say so if you fancy it book up soon!!!!

Our table was booked for 1pm and the restaurant was empty when we arrived but by the time we left 2 hours later it was very busy. 

The restaurant is on the 1st floor of the hotel and large in size with lots of tables and brown leather chairs. We were shown to a table for two next to a window overlooking the street below 

Before we sat down we used the bathroom which was nice and clean and I was impressed with the little white cotton fannels  rolled up on a large dish and the nice smelling hand wash and matching hand lotion. It's these little things that make a hotel stand out and feel luxurious. 

 The table was laid with pretty pastel cup and saucers and a crisp white napkin plus a sugar pot and silver tea strainer.

 The manager handed the menu to us and explained that we could choose 2 items each for each of the four menu sections below

OUR HOT KITCHEN

Spiced scallops and cauliflower beignets

Lobster brandy bisque with a warm cheese scone

Oysters Rockefeller

Sticky Beijing beef fillet

Poached free-range egg Florentine

Lamb cutlet, mint, lemon and Cyprus parsley crust

Wild mushroom arancini with creamy spicy mayo

SCONES All served warm with country preserves and Devonshire clotted cream

Pecan and apple

Maple and sultana

Vanilla

Seville orange

Valrhona chocolate

Cheddar cheese

SANDWICHES

Chicken Caesar with rosemary focaccia

Oak-smoked ham with English mustard, rocket and tomato bread

Free-range hen’s egg and watercress

Rare venison gin and tonic

Cucumber with a white bloomer

Steak and balsamic onions with toasted sourdough

Smoked salmon, crayfish and dill crème fraîche with a toasted bagel

Croque madame

DESSERTS

Strawberry shortbread with whipped cream

Chocolate whisky cake and candied orange

Lemon meringue, blackberry compote and lime syrup

Strawberry tart with crème Chantilly

Sticky toffee pudding, brandy snap and clotted cream

Poached rhubarb with custard and a gingerbread biscuit

Dark chocolate crème Chantilly

Raspberry and prosecco jell

I mentioned that I had booked the afternoon tea offer with free bottle of prosecco, and he said that he would sort this out for us. About 5 minutes later a silver ice bucket and stand appeared along with a nice, chilled bottle of prosecco. Whilst deciding what to order we sipped on our prosecco which was very nice. 

Whilst the manager took our order we chatted to him and I mentioned to him about my blog and how impressed I was with the menu choice. He was very friendly and interested in our opinion's. 

I found it hard to choose from the menu as it all sounded nice. In the end I decided to have the beef fillet and mushroom arancini balls to start which was a very good choice. The steak was in stripes in a soy flavor sticky glaze and was so tender and the arancini balls were crispy on outside and the spicy mayonnaise was perfect with them. The potion size was bigger than I expected too.

Our prosecco glasses were kept topped up from the bottle and the manager and waiters ensured we were happy with everything throughout the service. 

For the next sections on the menu I found it difficult to choose which scones to have until the manager explained that we got two small scones of each flavor so that meant four scones each, so we decided to order four different ones to share.

We ordered Apple and pecan, maple and sultana, seville orange and then chocolate. These were freshly baked and small in size, but we did get four each!!!!  They tasted nice and each one different in flavor. We both liked the orange one best as was lighter in texture than the others and just the right amount of orange flavor. 

For the sandwiches we both had the steak on sourdough and Croque madame which was a small, toasted cheese sandwich topped with a fried egg.  It was lovely and we were both glad we choose it 

Then desserts, I had my favorite stocky toffee pudding and then Lemon meringue pie. 

These were all brought out to us on a three-tier cake stand with a pot of clotted cream and two different jams. The jam was strawberry and also rhubarb however they were more like a compote than jam as a bit runny. Anyway, we did not mind as they tasted nice.

The sticky toffee pudding was in a small teacup with a dollop of clotted cream and brandy snap biscuit on top.....Wow it tasted so good. 

The Lemon meringue tart was delicious too. 

My mum had the strawberry tart and strawberry shortcake which she said were lovely  

The food was all top notch, and the service was excellent, we could not fault it in anyway. The manager was very friendly and took time to chat with us which made us feel special and welcomed. 

You must give this a try and you will not be disappointed......

 

Nearest Station :        Bond Street Station   - about 4 minute walk 

Best bits : The fact that you can choose from vast menu and the excellent service. Plus all the food tasted very nice.   

Worst bits :  Nothing     

Value for money : Yes it is as you get a lot of food for your money and the hotel is nice. Excellent value if you can get the free bottle of Prosecco currently on offer !!!! 

would I go back? :  Yes defiantly want to take my hubby there.  

. 

Kopi Tiam afternoon tea at pan Pacific hotel, London

 Saturday I tried out the Kopi Tiam afternoon tea designed by Cherish Finden who is a judge on the professional bake off TV program. 

It is served in the Orchid lounge at the 5star new Pan Pacific hotel London. 

It's not cheap at £72 each but you know me I found a way to get if cheaper. By getting a Buyagift voucher with a 25% discount code I got it for £54 each which is not too bad for a nice 5star hotel 

The hotel is modern in design and the staff are very smartly dressed mostly in a uniform. The doorman greeted us and led us to the open-plan lounge which had lovely modern furnishings and bright floral pictures on the walls. 

We were shown to our table for two which was round with two low velvet chairs . The table had a glass top and was nicely laid with pretty floral China and two round silver stands with a tealight in. There was also a small vase with a single fresh tropical flower. 

It was a good 10 minutes before we got given a menu which was like a little booklet. First was the sparkling wines list which was British wines which I liked.  The cheapest one was £15 a glass but if you added it to the afternoon tea it was only £10. 

Next on the menu was the two different types of afternoon tea. The Kopi Tiam which has a Asia theme of dim sum and boa buns and the traditional one with sandwiches. They both had the same sweet things. Lastly on the menu was the  different teas and there was lots to choose from.

SEL ECT ION OF ASI A N SAVOURIES 

Dim Sum Basket Prawn Seafood Chicken and  Pork Gai Gok Crispy Rice Dumpling with Chicken and Mushroom Mushroom Bao Button and Chestnut Mushrooms 

STREET PARADE

 Candy Floss Corgi Shortbread

 GOLDEN RAISIN SCONE

 Served with Cornish Clotted Cream, Homemade Strawberry Preserve and Kaya Jam 

SEL ECT ION OF HAND-MADE PASTRIES 

Lemon Meringue British Lemon Shortbread, Lemon Curd, Lemon Mousse

 The Wild Rose English Rose Macaron, Strawberry and Lime Jelly 

 The Tower of London Pistachio Financier, Mascarpone, Raspberry 

The Queen “Honey” Bee Heather Flower Honey, Chocolate Sponge, Crunchy Pecan Praline 

The waiter took our drinks orders and I decided to go for some hibiscus tea along with a glass of Gusbourne rose sparkling wine.  We both ordered the Kopi Tiam afternoon tea which just as a useless fact translates to coffee shop .   I informed him that I did not like fish so all chicken dim sum would be fine for me. 

Our wines were poured into the flute glasses already on the table however we only got half a glass each which I thought was mean especially for the price they charge!!!!! I really liked the sparkling wine as was not too dry in taste. 

Next came out the teas in large floral teapots that were placed on top of the silver candle stands to keep it warm. The tea I choose had a fruity red berry taste and color and tasted nice.  However the first cup from the tea pot was not strong enough so it got better towards the end and kept warm by the candle. 

The first course of the afternoon tea was a surprise as I did not see it on the menu. 

It was a China espresso cup and saucer which inside sat a small scoop of sorbet which had a lemon flavor and a small chocolate filled biscuit on the side. The waiter then poured a red liquid over the sorbet which had a berry flavor. Together they tasted really nice and the biscuit was lovely too. The waiter explained that this was in honor of our Queen for her jubilee as it is some of her favorite flavors. 

The lounge was very busy with people having afternoon tea and the waiters were kept busy ensuring everyone was happy and teacups topped up. 

Next course to arrive was the Asian style savories which consisted of 3 dim sum each, prawn, seafood and chicken and pork one plus a small dish of dipping sauce. 

Also we got a plate each which had a boa bun and fried dumpling on . These plates were placed inside a silver birdcage hanging from a large floor stand.  

We both liked these very much and when asked if we wanted anymore I ordered another boa bun. 

It took forever for it to arrive so not sure if they forgot or it took that long too make. 

Whilst waiting I noticed other tables ordering a whole plate of extra sandwiches and dim sum. 

I guess for the price you would expect to be offered more as this is the difference between good service and bad !!!

Next to come was my favorite the scones plus as an extra treat we each got a Corgi dog shaped lemon shortbread biscuit which tasted very nice 

The scones  arrived on a China stand along with a silver metal stand holding little white dishes containing jam, clotted cream and a coconut spread. 

We got two little scones each, one plain and one raisin which were slightly warm and dusted with icing sugar. The scones were nice and the coconut spread was a bit different and a nice change to just jam.

After the scones I ordered a cappuccino plus some glasses of ice tap water.

Lastly came the dessert cakes which looked amazing and worth waiting for and we got four different ones each on our own plate

As you can see  a lot of work went into the decoration with pink delicate sugar flowers and printed white chocolate pillar with tiny butterflies attached. I was impressed and hoped they tasted as nice as they looked. 

First one to eat was the lemon yellow ball shaped topped with meringue . It had a thin white  chocolate shell painted yellow and filled with a extremely creamy lemon mouse that was divine. 

Next I had the pink macaroon which was very pretty looking. The small light pink macaroon had a hint of rosewater flavor and the larger one was strawberry flavor. My husband was not keen on this one but I really liked it. 

My husband liked the pistachio tower cake best that had a creamy mousse center but it did not have much flavor to me. 

Lastly we had the chocolate one which had a lovely crunchy layer at the bottom topped with a chocolate cream. Once again this was decorated lovely with a mirror glaze . 

I am not sure what one was my favorite as I liked it them all . 

Once a the food was gone  we felt very full and content. The service was very good however it was slow which I think was done on purpose to make you feel relaxed and not rushed. 

We was made to feel welcome and special by the hotel staff. 

Nearest Station :        Liverpool Street Station   - about 8 minute walk 

Best bits : The pretty desert cakes and relaxing lounge and service.  

Worst bits :  Small measure of sparkling wine in the glass    

Value for money : It is expensive but not too bad if you can get a discount code like I did 

would I go back? :  Yes probably if they did a different theme   

Delicious Afternoon Tea at The Boundary cafe - Potton

 At the weekend I was lucky enough to get invited to my friends daughter's Hen weekend which consisted of a spa day with treatments plus overnight stay in lovely house finished off with this lovely afternoon tea. 

We had trouble finding the cafe  as we did not realize  it was in the Cricket club which had a lovely outdoor space where you could sit. Its a family run cafe which offers a great menu plus delicious homemade cakes which not many cafes do nowadays.  Inside is light and airy and upon arrival a large long table had been already set up for us with pretty pink china plates and tea cups.  

The afternoon tea is only £15 each and we got offered fruit juice , water and pots of tea and coffee to go with it. 

Two full to the brim tea stands were placed on the table along with a smaller one for one of the girls who was vegan. We had informed them in advance of this upon booking. 

As you can see the scones on top are extremely large and defiantly homemade. The bottom plate was packed with sandwiches which consisted of egg mayonnaise, cheese and cucumber , ham and tomato plus a tuna one. We also got a small homemade sausage roll each.  They were very nice and fresh and we got plenty between us plus some crisps to share. 

To go with the scones we had a fruit jam which I think was homemade too plus lots of thick clotted cream.  They were all plain scones and tasted so nice that I eat the whole big scone whilst some of the others only managed half a scone each !!

After the large scone i was feeling pretty full but i wanted to try the cakes that looked amazing 

First i had half of the millionaires slice, crisp buttery shortbread biscuits topped with creamy white layer  and chocolate which was very nice. Then I had half of the flapjack square which was also very good indeed.  Unfortunately I could not try the mini Victoria sponge as was feeling extremely full by now. 

There were lots of cakes left at the end so we took some home in boxes for later.

This afternoon tea was such good value at £15 each as the food was all so nice especially the homemade scones and cakes. 

I would defiantly recommend you go here and try it for yourself and i would like to go back at sometime in the future if I am in the area. 

 Nearest Station :        Do not know as we drove there

Best bits : All the homemade scones and cakes  

Worst bits :  Nothing it was all good   

Value for money : Yes 100%  at £15 each 

would I go back? :  Defiantly in the future and would like to take my mum there   

Grand Park Lancaster gate hotel - not posh but very nice for bargain price

 On Saturday I took my mum to afternoon tea at the grand park Lancaster gate hotel. It is a group of small hotels and apartments scattered around London. They are not what I would call  posh  but we got nice food and very good service on the day. 

They say you get what you pay for........well we got much more than the £29 Living social voucher that it cost me !!!!! Afternoon tea for two plus a bottle of Prosecco now that is good value as the food and service was very good. 

When I brought the voucher it said it was for an ice cream themed tea but they offer four different ones at this hotel as per website below

https://www.parkgrandlancastergate.co.uk/afternoon-tea-171.html

    Below is the menu for the one we had..........perfect for the hot sunny day

Ice Cream Afternoon Tea(£39.00 for two with 1 glass of Prosecco each)
(£49.00 for two with 1 bottle of Prosecco)

Two great English summer traditions, rolled into one al fresco treat!
Exquisitely presented and perfect on sunny afternoons, our ice cream afternoon tea is a novel new take on a timeless tradition. Served on the terrace, it melds the classic cream tea - delicious, just-baked scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam, with a medley of mini ice cream cones, delicate finger sandwiches in striking colours, and a refreshing ice cream sundae. You can also enjoy it with pink champagne, should the fancy take you.

• Hummus, cucumber and cheese sandwich (White Bread)
• Egg and Watercress Sandwich (Brown Bread)
• Tuna and rocket sandwich (White Bread)
• Chicken and pepper sandwich (Brown Bread)
• Plain Scones, Clotted cream and Jam
• Strawberry & Mango Delight
• Raspberry Cheesecake
• Lemon Tart

We got a underground train to Lancaster Station and then struggled to find the hotel as I went the wrong way. We ended up at Grand Park Paddington hotel instead and they directed me to the Lancaster Gate one which was just a 5 minute walk down the road. 

The hotel has a very small reception desk and the restaurant was just to the side of this. There was also a small terrace at the front of the hotel but my mum said it would be too hot to sit in the sun outside. 

The restaurant was small and plain inside with a small bar at the back. 

We sat on a table for two by the window which had  net curtains so could not see much outside. Like I said it certainly was not posh as the table was plainly laid with table mat , small plate and cup and saucer , cutlery and paper napkins. A small vase with a fresh flower would of been nice

Our waiter was very friendly and I handed him the voucher and informed him that no fish for both and no mayonnaise for my mum. I also informed him that we wanted the ice cream afternoon tea.

He brought over the bottle of Prosecco and poured us a glass each before placing the bottle in a silver wine cooler placed on our table. The Prosecco was very nice and well chilled.

Whilst waiting there were a few more people arriving with vouchers like me so it was getting rather busy. 

The tea stand was brought out after only about 5 minutes and my mum got her four sandwiches on a separate plate. 

My mum just had 2 plain chicken brown bread sandwiches and 2 cheese and cucumber in white bread which was perfect for her. I got one of each including a egg mayonnaise one but instead of tuna I got an avocado one which I left as not keen on. 

The first thing my mum said was how fresh and soft the bread was which I agree with. They must of been just made as not a dry edge of bread to be seen . 

Whilst enjoying the sandwiches our glass were topped up with Prosecco from the bottle. 

Next we had the scones which were small but we did get two each and they were all plain ones which was fine. The clotted cream was plenty as my mum does not have it however we had to ask for more jam which the waiter brought to us. 

The scones were warm when the tea stand arrived but had cooled down by the time we ate them. 

They may of been small but wow they were very nice ....so light and crumbly in texture . My mum said they were one of the best scones she has tasted which is complement to the chef . 

Whist eating these we both ordered a cappuccino each as the Prosecco bottle was sadly empty now !!!!!!!!!!

The cakes tasted nice too. we got each a very small lemon tart, cheesecake square a  pot of strawberry and mango cream dessert which was nice and full of fruit flavors. 

The menu online states that you get mini ice cream cones which we never saw. however we did get offered the ice cream sundae that consisted of a scoop of strawberry and scoop of vanilla ice cream each in a sundae glass. 

I got excited to eat it so forgot  to take a photo until I had nearly finished it 

I noticed that we was the only table that got the ice cream......I think most tables were having the chocolate themed tea as they got a chocolate mouse in the pots and a different cake. 

I think we got the best one as the ice cream was nice and refreshing on a hot day

The voucher covered the whole tea and drinks so there was nothing to pay apart from leaving a tip for the waiters who were very good 

Nearest Station :        Lancaster Gate underground  - about 7 minute walk 

Best bits : The lovely scones and the ice cream sundae. Plus the extremely fresh sandwiches and good service  

Worst bits :  Nothing to mention    

Value for money : Yes 100%  for the £29.00 voucher deal 

would I go back? :  Maybe if I can get another good deal  

Caffe concerto afternoon tea - 3rd time

 Saturday me and my mum had a nice afternoon tea at caffe concerto in Westfield Stratford. This is my second afternoon tea at this branch and my 3rd one at caffe concerto.

Every time I have got such a good deal by buying a voucher from Buyagift and using their discount code. The voucher on website last year was on offer at £29.95 but I used a discount code so only cost me £19.95 for both of us !!!!!

Currently on Buyagift it's £42 which is still cheaper than the menu price. 

I must mention that I had a bit of a nightmare trying to book it up. I tried calling and emailing the Westfield branch with no answer and was automatically transferred  to the caffe concerto customer service dept. 

The lady I spoke to said they were fully booked every weekend in the summer and that they only accept up to 4 vouchers a day. She was not helpful at all. 

I needed to return something to a Primark store so decided to call the branch at Bond street as there is a Primark store near there. They were very helpful and said they do not take bookings weekends but we can just walk in and no problem with accepting voucher for afternoon tea. 

Unfortunately we did not make it to this branch as there was a problem with the Central line trains so we ended up at Strafford Westfield in the end. We decided to just go to the caffe concerto restaurant and see if we could get a table. 

The waiter was very nice and said yes there was a nice table in the conservatory and that they accepted the voucher. So in the end it all turned out good and will bear this in mind next time !!!!

We looked at the afternoon tea menu and informed the waiter that no salmon and my mum no mayonnaise. He explained that the sandwich fillings are all ready made so my mum could just have the cream cheese and cucumber which was fine. 

Prosecco Afternoon Tea for two

Selection of finger sandwiches & mini brioche rolls: Cucumber with cream cheese - Egg mayo-mustard. Scottish smoked salmon & soft cheese - Chicken mayo & sundried tomato. Freshly baked raisins & plain scones with Cornish clotted cream & strawberry jam. Assortment of mini cakes. A choice of tea from our world selection.

 - Chicken mayo & sundried tomato. Freshly baked raisins & plain scones with Co

We had our glass of Prosecco whilst waiting for the tea stand to arrive. This went done very well as it was a hot sunny day and the Prosecco was nice and chilled. 

After about 15 minutes the tea stand arrived. I asked if there was some plan cheese and cucumber sandwiches and the waitress said there was two which had just cucumber so I requested some with cheese also as my mum could not eat the egg or chicken ones as these had mayonnaise in. A few minutes later she brought out two cheese and cucumber ones just for my mum. 

I got two chicken mayonnaise with sundried tomatoes which was really nice and two mini egg mayonnaise brioche rolls plus two chicken mayonnaise brioche rolls which I think we're the replacement for the salmon ones. 

They were all nice and fresh and tasty 😋

The scones were warm and a nice size. We got one raisin one and three plain one to share plus a mini pot of jam each and a very small pot of cream to share. Good job my mum does not like cream as more for me 😉 whilst enjoying the scones we ordered a cappuccino each.

 

Lastly we had the cakes on the top tier. We got a chocolate tart each and macaroon plus a strawberry mouse cake and chocolate mouse cake to share. 

The tart had rich ganache chocolate inside and was delicious as well as the rich light chocolate mouse cake.  

We both enjoyed this afternoon tea before heading to the shops. 

I would definitely get another voucher if on special offer again or if I have a discount code to use as there are so many branches in London we can go to. 

Nearest Station :        Stratford Westfield  - about 10 minute walk 

Best bits : The glass of Prosecco and Chocolate tart plus the chicken sandwiches were really nice    

Worst bits :  Nothing to mention apart from trouble with trying to book   

Value for money : Yes 100%  for the £19.95 I paid including glass of Prosecco each     

would I go back? :  Yes if I can get another good deal