Sofitel St James – ‘Le Tea en Rose’ Afternoon Tea
It’s been a while since I featured an afternoon tea on the blog and as one of my favourite activities it was so nice to rectify that with a review of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show inspired afternoon tea, ‘Le Tea en Rose’ at the Sofitel St James in Piccadilly, London.
The location of this hotel is a big hit, just a stone’s throw away from some of London’s most recognisable landmarks including Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus, it makes it a great spot to enjoy afternoon tea and recharge your batteries in-between sightseeing, plus the tea is set in The Rose Lounge, wonderfully kitsch, beautifully pink, with a lovely Parisian feel to it.
The floral-inspired afternoon tea was delicious, if not obviously floral, there are some instances such as rose-scented strawberry jam, a special rose bud tea, and a rose macaroon, but not really aesthetically, it was as though the theme wasn’t fully committed to, but that’s not to say it wasn’t a great afternoon tea, but if you are expecting floral-inspired pastries I think you might be a little disappointed.
The scones for me were a highlight, three different varieties with my favourite being the apricot scone, super yummy and refreshing, and works perfectly with the gorgeous clotted cream and jam. They were also served with lemon curd, which was a nice change, and went really well with the plain scones.
The special Chelsea Flower Show pastries did look spectacular though, the chef really did a great job, with the rose macaroon packed with raspberries and rose cream a big hit, well us bloggers do you a macaroon, which was closely followed by the poppy flan-like cake with vanilla sponge, strawberry compete and poppy mousseline cream.
Overall it was a delicious afternoon tea, the tea menu is extensive and I think I would like to return to just to try more of the tea options, and the venue is exquisite, which is made even more special with the fact there is a live harpist playing in the corner.
The ‘Le Tea en Rose’ will be served daily between 12pm and 6pm, throughout May, with prices starting at £30 per person.
