Afternoon Tea at The Kensington Hotel - Review

On Tuesday I had the pleasure of having Afternoon Tea at The Kensington Hotel.

I will not trust the TFL website for directions again! It took me miles away from my intended destination, but somehow or other I did eventually find it! Note to others...do not get out at Gloucester Road Tube Station.

If you exit at South Kensington Tube Station the hotel is probably no more than a 5 minute walk and very easy to find.

The Kensington Hotel has recently re-opened after a fabulous £20 million refurbishment. From the minute I walked through the grand doors I was taken aback by its lovely scent, the welcoming lobby and the warmth.

I was led to the Drawing Room, shown to a window seat and soon settled down to Afternoon Tea. The setting for Afternoon Tea is delightful: A grand room complete with chandeliers and a high ceiling, a roaring fireplace, big comfy chairs in true Regency style and a mix of English and Chinese paintings adorning the walls.

For the next 2 hours I feasted...

Afternoon Tea is served as 3 courses. Arriving first came 5 finger sandwiches, each one equally delicious - smoked chicken with a citrus mayonnaise, brie with sun-dried tomato & rocket,  honey roasted ham with a whole grain mustard mayonnaise, Scottish smoked salmon with horseradish & chive crème fraîche and finally egg mayonnaise and cress. Perfect!

These were followed by 2 warm home made scones wrapped in a napkin to retain their warmth. (I say "warm", but perhaps "hot" would be a better word - they were obviously straight out of the oven). One plain and the other raisin, with the obligatory clotted cream, strawberry and rose petal jam and a wonderfully tart lemon and passion fruit curd.

After this, the desserts were brought on a traditional 2 tier cake stand.

I have to say these were fantastic. A lovely mix of bite sized cakes - rich traditional English fruitcake, Victoria sponge, carrot cake and a fresh fruit tart with the added bonus of a mini chocolate crème brulee.

With a choice of 13 teas or the option of coffee if you prefer, you are really spoilt for choice. I chose to start with a white tea called "White Moon" which had a subtle peach flavour. I then chose the wonderfully fragrant Jasmine Tea, and ended with a 'smoky' tea which had a very unusual taste that perhaps wouldn't be enjoyed by all. Being a tea lover and feeling curious, I felt I had to at least try it!

I had a great time, the setting was charming, the service friendly and attentive.

If you are looking for a relaxed and unpretentious Afternoon Tea then I can highly recommend it as a real treat.

Afternoon Tea at The Kensington Hotel is served from 3-6pm and costs from £23.

Please visit their website for more details http://www.doylecollection.com/locations/london_city_hotels/the_kensington_hotel.aspx