I love Claridges. Last time I was there I ran into grab a quick drink, after a long day of Christmas shopping, and ended up sitting next to a Los Angeles Laker.
Yesterday I was invited back to have afternoon tea and what an absolute treat! I have been to The Dorchester, Ritz, and Berkeley before for tea and they are all wonderful in their own way, so I was excited to see what extra special touches Claridges had in store, and what made this afternoon tea unique!
We had a 5:30 PM booking which was absolutely perfect to watch the guests from Wimbledon come wandering in, looking for some refreshment after spending the day in the hot sun. It also meant we didn’t need dinner after all this deliciousness…..
Claridges signature china and matching tea menu. Cute cute cute.
The tea menu has about 30 teas on it from all over the world.
Strawberry macaroons from heaven. A special edition to their summer tea.
Sometimes I find it frustrating to have these lovely afternoon teas in basically the hotel lobby, but Claridges was nice because “The Foyer” was set back far enough so that you could people watch, without feeling like you were in the middle of a traffic zone. That my ladies is the downfall with The Ritz if you ask me, all the tourists who come in and stare at you while you are trying to relax and enjoy….
Nothing says summer like pink bubbles…
Tea sandwiches included cucumber, egg salad, coronation chicken, and ham…
Freshly baked scones with Marco Polo jelly and Devonshire cream
And then came the dessert…..
As opposed to having a classic tea stand on your table, you actually have a little tea cart next to your table with all of your goodies…..adoraballoonies.
Service was also impeccable, and yet not rushed, which I always love. We ended up sipping and nibbling until 9 PM… whoops… too much enjoyment?
The End…
{First photo courtesy of Claridges, all the rest owned by American Girl in Chelsea Ltd.}
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