We worship at tea time
She was the seventh Duchess of Bedford, Anna Russel , who in 1840 she invented what we know today as Afternoon Tea **(literally, afternoon tea)**.
Russell, then lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria , she noticed a hole in her stomach around four o'clock in the afternoon (given the almost morning British lunch and the very evening dinner), so she asked her servants to they will bring you a tea with some cake and sandwich (the Earl of Sandwich he had already advanced a few years with his accidental invention).
Tea with pastries or whatever you want, but TEA!
In the next 50 years, this gourmand custom would become fashionable among all the ladies of the court and high society, later becoming a institutionalized british habit to consume between four and five in the afternoon.
Although places like Dorset, Cornwall or Somerset They are world famous for their cream teas, the british capital also has a list of sites vying for the throne of best Afternoon Tea experience.
To The Claridge or The Dorchester hotels, or the same ** Fortum & Mason ** (not for nothing is the purveyor to the british royal house ) they have left competition. Some classics are renewed, such as The Lanesborough , and others remain on the podium of the best traditional recipe, such as Cafe Royal .
Just a few steps from Piccadilly Circus (and with one of the best views of the square), the latter has won the award for the best Afternoon Tea (Traditional) in 2017 and 2018.
"There are many factors that come together when it comes to finding the perfect Afternoon Tea," he says. Bartlomiej Czaja, manager at the Oscar Wilde Lounge from the emblematic Hotel Café Royal (where Churchill would await his second electoral victory in 1951).
Afternoon Tea at Cafe Royal
“Primarily, there has to be separate leaf tea (not in bag) , sandwiches that are simple but prepared with precision, a delicious and colorful selection of sweets and, above all, some fluffy scones they fall apart when you bite them but have a compact appearance and that can be filled with **artisan jam and traditional Cornish cream** (or clotted cream)”.
Scones are filled with Cornish jam and cream
But not only the ingredients are part of the essence of this tradition, Also the way to serve and drink the Afternoon Tea is important.
should always be served on chairs and low tables (otherwise we would talk about high tea ) , with a linen tablecloth and a layout where all the guests are facing . Also the crockery (that is of porcelain and glass of first quality) is important, as well as the schedule: never before four or after five in the afternoon ”, comments Czaja.
Another one of the best kept secrets of Conduit Street , ** Sketch **, has also been celebrating this tradition for years under the approval of Kate Moss or Sophie Turner, usual in the house.
Here the tea is not only one of the most complete, but also is customized according to the season . This year, david shrigley has been in charge of customize tableware and walls from her perennial pink room, **The Gallery** (one of the most Instagrammed rooms in the city).
traditional ones scones, victoria cakes or mini sandwiches they are mixed with sweets in the form of fantasy (lemon marshmallow or eclairs) and the caviar… Order is the least important in Skecht.
“Here each diner is totally free to start wherever you like and we just want our Afternoon Tea to be enjoyed as much as possible”, they point out.
Nevertheless, in Café Royal, the order of the factors does (slightly) alter the product: “The lighter sandwiches (or less powerful varieties, such as cream cheese or cucumber) should be eaten first, followed by stronger flavors to finish (for instance, coronation chicken ) ”, they comment.
And for drink? Just black leaf tea? “Tea has to be Breakfast to fulfill the tradition , at least to start”, they say at Cafe Royal , while in Sketch they prefer that the client adjusts to the option of the tea menu that they like the most. “And a glass of Pommery Brut Royal always goes well” , third.
**The Lanesborough (Hyde Park Corner)** has recently reopened under the direction of Alberto Pinto and his Afternoon Tea has also been updated.
The tandoori chicken bon bon or mini smoked salmon bagels stand out in an extensive menu that also offers vegan options (It is advisable not to miss the hummus and piquillo pepper rolls or the olive and dried tomato muffin) and a selection for children.
The Lanesborough's Delicious Feast
Your “theme” tea a la Lanesborough can be ordered at any time and stay of the same, although we strongly recommend visit the Withdrawing Room to feel that we are just a few steps away Buckingham Palace.
And yes London is also a mecca for design, the Afternoon Tea in The Berkeley it will also make any fashionista's palate happy.
In addition to star ingredients in its **savory offer (such as Manchego cheese or Jerusalem artichokes) **, its sweet selection represents the fantasies of any lover of Prêt-à-PorTEA .
Or rather: a perfume filled with violet mousse, a chocolate wafer jacket or a cream cheese and white chocolate dress, without forgetting the Lady Dior gift to Princess Diana by Bernadette Chirac, covered in raspberry syrup and chocolate icing… A trendy pleasure not suitable for diabetics.
Torrijas and Catalan cream on the menu? **At Ametsa, The Halkin's Basque-inspired Michelin Star **, the limit of creativity does not exist.
Luckily for us, wonders of the country's traditional cuisine are also celebrated, such as the pintxos, the tapas (such as Iberian ham croquettes) or the chistorra sandwiches.
The selection of cavas and Taittinger Brut Reserva (or gin, if you want to follow the more Brit option, such as Tale of Earl Gray - mixed with tea- ) come especially well to give way to **mango French toast or chocolate with churros **. Because they are all worth trying.
Tea time in Ametsa