Christmas in London is the ultimate time for an afternoon tea and The Corinthia is a hotel that knows how to do afternoon tea well.
Located within the hotel’s decadent Crystal Moon Lounge, this experience lets you take afternoon tea underneath a huge chandelier surrounded with gold decorations, whilst you listen to a pianist play festive Christmas tunes.
I’ve tried so many afternoon teas in London this year, but something about the one at The Corinthia just felt that extra special.
this experience lets you take afternoon tea underneath a huge chandelier surrounded with gold decorations. (Image: Emily Davison)
We first began the experience with a glass of fizz to add a little extra festive cheer to such a special outing, before selecting our teas.
They had a very broad selection of teas from Black Teas to Chai and Oolong, as well as some unusual flavours like Mango, Lychee and Rose, and even a Chocolate Tea.
The afternoon tea is served in stages, where the food is brought in and served as courses, which gave us a lot more time to sit and enjoy the food at a leisurely pace.
The afternoon tea is served in stages, which gave us a lot more time to sit and enjoy the food at a leisurely pace. (Image: Emily Davison)
Beginning with finger sandwiches, these featured both classic afternoon tea options like Smoked Salmon and Lemon, Egg Mayonnaise and Truffle, along with slightly more contemporary offerings of Turkey and Parmesan, Slanted Cucumber, Chilli and Coconut Yoghurt, and Roast Beef and Horseradish.
Beginning with finger sandwiches, these featured both classic afternoon tea options along with slightly more contemporary offerings. (Image: Emily Davison)
This was followed by a Festive Sausage roll, my favourite out of all the savouries which was really well seasoned with a delicious pastry.
But if you have any favourites you can also request more savouries after you’ve finished.
If you have any favourites you can also request more savouries after you’ve finished. (Image: Emily Davison)
Moving onto the sweet portion of the afternoon tea, I went for the Chocolate Tea, which had a really smooth and rich taste, although it was more of an intense flavour so I’d recommend sharing with a friend and pairing it with the sweets.
The scones were freshly baked and presented in a box, and served with both classic Strawberry Jam and Cornish Clotted Cream, along with a Festive Spices Jam which was my favourite out of the two.
The scones were served with both classic Strawberry Jam and Cornish Clotted Cream, along with a Festive Spices Jam. (Image: Emily Davison)
The sweets came presented on a trolley cart and were served right in front of us, and were a mix of seasonal flavours like chocolate and spiced plum.
Some of my favourites were the Tahitian Vanilla Snow Globe and Black Forest Gâteau, which had very different flavours, one with a light vanilla mousse and the other rich and decadent with the sweetness of the cherry.
The sweets were a mix of seasonal flavours like chocolate and spiced plum. (Image: Emily Davison)
We also tried the Mont-Blanc Choux, followed by Plum & Amaretto Tartlet, which was definitely one of the most Christmassy in terms of the flavours.
Finally, we finished off with a Pecan and Vanilla Cake, and a Christmas Cookie made with spicy ginger.
I really appreciated the variety of flavours on offer, which all had a festive element, and we polished off everything.
I really appreciated the variety of flavours on offer, which all had a festive element, and we polished off everything. (Image: Emily Davison) This afternoon tea had a really sophisticated feel to it and felt like something really intimate and special, which would make a great place for a celebration or birthday this festive season.
Festive Afternoon Tea at The Crystal Moon Lounge is served each day from 1pm to 5:30pm until January 5, with prices starting at £99 for the standard afternoon tea.