A floral afternoon tea at the InterContinental London Westminster
“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me” the novelist C. S. Lewis is reported as having once said in the Little Giant Encyclopedia: Tea Leaf Reading. He is right on both fronts and tea lovers in London would do well to head to the new InterContinental London Westminster to sample their floral afternoon tea.
I was lucky enough to sample the tea offering on a rare sunny summer afternoon in the company of my good friend Anthony Brown and the hotel’s charming PR, Ashleigh Fleming. Over a pot or three of JING loose leaf tea and freely poured Laurent Perrier rosé champagne, we most certainly had ample opportunity to put the world to rights in a most comfortable setting.
The InterContinental’s floral afternoon tea is competitively priced at £45 and was created to “mark the start of the flower season in true British style”. Given the location close to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral, this is a perfect pit-stop for any visitor to London and the sandwiches, cakes and delicacies served truly impressed.
Whilst all the features that one would normally expect of a traditional afternoon tea are served, each dish has been created with a floral twist as its inspiration. On the menu are such things as a kaleidoscope of edible chocolate butterflies, an elaborate top tier of lavender and strawberry tart, violet éclairs, a jasmine and jivara mille feuille and a chocolate and orange blossom shot which has been carefully paired with rosebud and Ceylon tea blend for a distinctly refreshing finish.
We were served by the hotel’s Felix Muigai, a delightful gent who truly imparted his passion for all things tea in a most enthusiastic manner. This was a delightful way to spend an afternoon. We’ll most definitely be back.
InterContinental London Westminster, 22 – 28 Broadway, London, SW1H 9JS. Telephone: +44 (0) 20 3301 8080.
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