Claridge's - Afternoon Tea

A few years ago my mum and I popped into Harrods and it was here we experienced our first ever Afternoon Tea. Of course, since then I have had the urge to visit other London establishments which serve Afternoon Tea. The lovely Bettina over at BeautySwot is the Queen of Afternoon Teas; if you want an honest review, then she is the lady to ask or simply read her reviews. It was in fact one of her blog posts where my eyes were drawn to Claridge's; I don't know why but there was just something about it. Towards the end of 2012/start of the new year BBC Two did a short series of 'Inside Claridge's' which instantly made me think ''Yep, I have to go there''. I didn't even finish watching the first episode before I quickly jumped onto my laptop and reserved a table for my mum and I to visit Claridge's in the summer. The day eventually came last week (Tuesday 11th June) and we both had an absolute blast. This blog post I thought I would review my time at Claridge's, showcasing a few snaps (albeit there aren't many as I was too busy eating!) . .

As I said previously, I booked the table for my mum and I back in Dec/Jan, as bookings at that time required a 3/4month advance booking! I thought ''SHEESH, it must be incredibly popular if booking is required for so far in advance''. Anyway I thought nothing more of it until last week whereby I was given a courtesy call to double check I was still coming. Mum and I 'toodled' off to London Tuesday morning, arriving mid morning. This gave us the chance to have a breather, catch up with my Aunty before making our way to Claridge's. We got to Claridge's well before our allocated time of 3pm, but we still went inside anyway hoping that we'd be able to have a rest and chill-out before our table was ready. The minute you enter Claridge's, customer service is just out of this world; absolutely brilliant. The Gentleman who greeted my mum and I on the door welcomed us with the biggest smile ever before saying ''Have a wonderful afternoon ladies''. Entering the revolving doors and pushing with much force we were greeted to thee most grand entrance of a hotel I have ever seen. The marble floor just gleamed brightly, the fixtures, the architecture, the ambiance just everything was absolutely phenomenal. We were greeted by numerous people who were so welcoming before we made our way to the desk in the Foyer to check in for our afternoon tea. The lady was so so friendly; she explained that we're slightly early (which is fair enough), but we were allowed to explore the premises, use facilities whilst we waited for our 3pm afternoon tea slot.

 

Of course me being me I couldn't help my self but explore; first stop was the Ladies toilet which you can see from my picture was just amazing. The maid in the background was very friendly and helpful. I then decided to go on a little walk upstairs which just seemed to go on and on and on. A little exhausted from making my way to Claridges and having a little look around, I decided to take a seat in the lobby and wait until it was our time to be seated.

We were seated just after 3pm near the entrance which both my mum and I found very cold. We politely asked if we could be moved and our request was granted. The section we were based in was very quiet, with 4 gentlemen who were extremely attentive and friendly. We were greeted by a lovely young lad, who was so adorable; very charming and very knowledgeable. He looked after us so so well. We were given a menu which consisted of over 40 teas from across the world; I chose Bolero (infused with summer fruits) and my mum had Earl Grey with Lavender. Sounds odd but she informed me that it was very nice. After our teas arrived we were given a short talk about what the sandwiches for that day contained. The young lad also checked if any of us any dietary requirements which I thought was really good. Shortly after we were presented with a plate of gorgeous sandwiches which don't look a lot but they were incredibly filling. We were offered a top up of sandwiches to which we declined as quite frankly we were stuffed. Sipping our teas and waiting for the sweets/pastries to arrive I spotted a Hollywood star sat quietly in the corner; Sandra Bullock! I almost choked on my tea! My mum noticed the expression on my face and said ''What's wrong?'' I said who I just spotted, and she too was left gobsmacked. I was keeping my eyes peeled for well known faces at Claridge's but I honestly did not think I'd see Sandra Bullock, who looked amazing I should add. Anyway following our little moment of celeb spotting, arrived the next course which I have to say was to die for. Everything was so light, fresh and tasted absolutely divine. In fact I was so full I couldn't stomach eating anything else and kindly asked if I could take the rest of my pastries home which was no problem whatsoever.

 

All in all both my mum and I had a wonderful afternoon at Claridge's, and if given the chance I would most definitely go again. Afternoon Tea for 2 costs £45 per person, plus 12.5% discretionary charge. Yes, it's sounds awfully expensive for a few sandwiches, tea, and cakes but you pay for such much more and I can see why. It's definitely worth the money.

Hope you have enjoyed this blog post.

Have you ever had Afternoon Tea?