Rituals

British afternoon tea with a Spanish twist at the COMO Halkin Hotel

British afternoon tea with a Spanish twist at the COMO Halkin Hotel

 

Unless I feel in the mood for what one might imagine as a truly traditional British afternoon tea, I tend to seek out revamped, witty versions which adhere to the traditional concept, but play around with presentation and/or the food served. The Charlie-and-the-Chocolate-Factory-themed afternoon tea at One Aldwych comes to mind as a whimsical experience (read more about it here), while the Basque-inspired afternoon tea at the Halkin bar and lounge can be seen as a bit of a cultural trip, in fact showcasing more complexity in texture and flavour than many a ‘conventional’ British afternoon tea offered at other hotels in London. (more…)

Heinemann Konditorei (cake shop), beloved tradition: Baumkuchen and champagne truffles

Heinemann Konditorei (cake shop), beloved tradition: Baumkuchen and champagne truffles

 

If you ever make it to the state of North-Rhine Westphalia in Germany, any one of the Heinemann Konditoreien (cake shops) is definitely worth a stop, if only (or rather especially) for some Mitbringsel (small presents you bring with you from a trip). (more…)

Eccentric retro afternoon tea at Hillman’s Tearoom

Eccentric retro afternoon tea at Hillman’s Tearoom

 

Having a relaxed afternoon of tea at Hillman’s Tearoom in Walthamstow is a delight. Regulars flock to this charming little shop from all over London, me soon to be one of them. It is a bit of a walk from the end station of the Victoria line and the stroll through the residential neighbourhood really does make you wonder if you are on your way to afternoon tea at a dear friend’s home. Owner Jason certainly makes you feel like it is (while still respecting your private conversation) and I can assure you that the long journey is definitely worthwhile. (more…)

Monty Bojangles truffles straight from heaven (also likely to be found in a nearby supermarket)

Monty Bojangles truffles straight from heaven (also likely to be found in a nearby supermarket)

 

On a dark, chilly night not so long ago, I found myself standing in our little local Tesco Express, scanning the sweets aisle for something indulgent and exciting. I wanted something new, something scrumptious, something decadent. The usual sweets with their focus on sugar just couldn’t satisfy me anymore. Surely I must have missed something, surely there must be something that looked horrendous but would taste wonderful? And yet what were the odds of that happening? Disheartened and ready to give up, I turned a corner and found what should have been staring me in the face when I entered the store: a towering pile of purple-ish boxes full of Choccy Scoffy Monty Bojangles. (more…)

Hidden tearoom in the heart of London: Tea and Tattle

Hidden tearoom in the heart of London: Tea and Tattle

 

Entering Tea and Tattle on Great Russell Street you may wonder if you’ve come to the right place. There will be tote bags hanging on the walls with London designs, mugs standing on tables with London skylines and other memorabilia that you’re unlikely to find on Amazon. Then, a room lined with books. (more…)

A dazzling view with that added extra of afternoon tea – the Shard

A dazzling view with that added extra of afternoon tea – the Shard

 

When I visited Shangri-La’s Ting at the Shard recently with my beau and my parents who had come to visit, my dad made a comment which stuck in my mind. Despite ‘only’ being on the 35th floor of this over-300m-tall and with that tallest building within the EU (the viewing platforms are located at floors 68, 69 and 72), as we got off from the elevator and entered the reception hall, the London view was breathtaking. (more…)

Themed Harrods afternoon teas

Themed Harrods afternoon teas

 

The nice thing about Harrods afternoon tea at The Georgian Restaurant is that if you time it right you can have a different afternoon tea experience with every visit and yet still enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and friendly service that gives consistency to a Harrods outing. My parents occasionally send over some emails with food-related information, and since my mum and I have made it our endeavor to have a girls’ night out for afternoon tea at least once whenever she visits (sadly so far no more than once a year), this limited-time only floral afternoon tea did not escape her. She wasn’t able to make it this time, but I took my friends and we too had a blast. (more…)

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