I chose to book this hotel as it was awarded best afternoon tea in London 2008 by the UK Tea Council. The day will be forever imprinted in my mind as it was probably only the 3rd time I had left my son in the care of someone else!
I have to admit I had not heard of The Lanesborough Hotel before booking but was curious to visit. When we arrived I was greeted by an imposing white building on the corner of Hyde Park. As it was January outside was crisp but inside we were warmly welcomed and shown to our seats.
I can only describe the setting as stunning, Apsleys is a truly magnificant Art Deco inspired room. There are huge glass chandeliers and comfortable seats (important when you will be seated for about an hour and a half). It is large with two tiers - you can just about see the stairs that we walked up to where our seats were. I really rather enjoyed being high and having the whole view of the room as there was a lot to admire. Situated in the corner was the piano, I somehow always manage to be in eye shot of the pianist when I have afternoon tea which for a fellow piano player makes me a happy girl.
We were shown the tea list and made our selections. My husband opted for Jasmine Pearls a beautifully fragrant tea and I selected the Rose of the Orient tea as recommended by the Tea Sommelier. He made an excellent recommendation, this was one of the nicest teas I have ever tasted and I liked it so much I didn't ask to switch half way through as I tend to do when having afternoon tea. Rose of the Orient is a blend of some of the World's finest green teas including Sencha, Gunpowder, China Wu Lu and Pai Mu Tan flavoured with Jasmine, cornflower blossoms and rose buds.
We were then treated to a wonderful selection of sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam and pastries. I wish I could remember exactly what was on the menu but I am afraid the visit was a while ago.. What I do remember was that I ate so much as it was so tasty that I could barely move at the end! Above is a press shot of the afternoon tea and below is one that I took on my visit so you can see the cakes that we had.
When we went there was no option for dairy free so my husband had the same menu as me.
We had an excellent time and I never hesitate to recommend this afternoon tea and I would most definitely return.
As we were just opposite Hyde Park we finished our evening with a visit to Winter Wonderland.
The Lanesborough has gone on to be awarded the UK Tea Council's Award of Excellence every year since and my brother has been more recently and had nothing but praise for this establishment also.
If you would like to experience this fabulous afternoon tea for yourself you can find more information on The Lanesborough website.
Afternoon tea is served daily at 4.00, 4.30 or 5.00pm and ends at 6.00pm. Gluten and Dairy Free afternoon tea is available. Traditional Afternoon Tea costs £35 per person.
Sounds like a lovely place to have afternoon tea, the decor and food looks amazing x
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