Afternoon tea is such a staple in English culture and is one of those traditions that, as an American, I’ve always been captivated by. A specific outing for sandwiches, scones and desserts? I can get on board with that.
It seems fitting that while there are plenty of hotels near Mayfair, the last time I had afternoon tea in London… I was actually at The Dorchester. And here I am, returning to the scene of the scone.
While I’m no stranger to afternoon tea after a few years of living in London, I did want to take the opportunity to meet up with fellow bloggers that I haven’t met before. Seated next to Hannah and Ellen, it gave me the chance to meet new faces in a truly beautiful setting.
Stepping into The Dorchester genuinely is a thing of luxury. If you’re like me, you feel like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. A little out of depth, but wholeheartedly enjoying the moment. Because it is after all, a luxury experience.
The pianist plays melodies from classic Disney films like Beauty and the Beast through to the scores from the Harry Potter films. It sets the tone for the long room in The Promenade.
The sandwiches are scrumptious and they’re keen to refill them at any time. The tea is kept hot and it’s completely within reason to switch from tea to tea as you like. I stuck with Jade Sword, a lovely and vibrant green tea.
Following the savoury, we moved into the sweet. The scones are my favourite part of the “dessert” portion. Maybe it’s an American in England thing again, but I love scones with cream. I tend to skip the jelly, but my dining companions found it to be lovely.
Of course, tea is only complete with a plate full of miniature desserts. If you can make you’re way through them at this point, I’m impressed. We tried their autumn menu, which is running through the middle of November.
If you haven’t been to afternoon tea at the Dorchester, I can’t recommend it enough. The service is wildly attentive, without feeling overwhelmed, and there’s never a sneer but a rather enthusiastic push towards guests taking a to-go box filled with scones. My kind of service.
I’d love to experience dinner here someday as well. However, a stay overnight does seem out of immediate reach. Once we had finished our tea, we had the pleasure of a tour with their hotel staff viewing one of the suits in the hotel, which retails for around £4-5K per night. Lower priced rooms are around £700. Views are beautiful and it looks like the perfect place to cosy up on a cool autumn evening.
But for now? I think I’ll stick with one of their lovely spots of afternoon tea.
Kelly x
PS. This experience was gifted by Hotels.com, but all views, photos and musings are my own.