We recently indulged in afternoon tea at The Langham. The Palm Court at the Langham Hotel is famed as the place where the tradition of afternoon tea was born over 150 years ago, so if you visit, it is a must try. Guests can enjoy a bespoke version of the afternoon tradition, serving Wedgwood specialty teas in tailor-made “Langham Rose” Wedgwood tea ware.
We opted for the champagne afternoon tea, which started off with a glass of Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé NV, and we’re certain there are not many better ways to begin one’s afternoon.
First up on this afternoon tea experience was the selection of indulgent finger sandwiches, which were all uniformly trimmed to perfection and served side by side on a plate, the selection included; Burford Brown egg with marinated artichoke served in a plump rosemary bread, classic English cucumber with cream cheese and chives, beef pastrami served with Albert sauce and watercress served in a gorgeous caramelised onion bread, Scottish smoked salmon served in a cocoa rye bread complete with preserved lemon and finally the Classic 'prawn cocktail' with iceberg and tomato powder, served with a potato bun.
Up next we were served a selection of warm classic and raisin scones from their Palm Court bakery served with Cornish clotted cream and strawberry preserve. The scones were buttery and flavoursome and were complimented wonderfully by the preserves.
“The presentation of each and every item was nothing short of impressive.”
Finally, we progressed on to the selection of impressive pastries inspired by Wedgwood collections. The selection included Spherically Challenged which is creamy coconut, liquid raspberry and Manjari mousse; One in a Million, which is caramelised puff pastry with vanilla infused mascarpone complete with strawberry coulis; Paris Brest, which is crunchy choux pastry, lightened pecan cream and caramelised pecans; Leki Grey, which is an airy sponge rolled with a pink grapefruit confit and dressed with an Earl Grey cream; and lastly the Simply Shot, which is an ultra-creamy cheesecake with fig and blackcurrant compote and a cinnamon and brown sugar sponge. Simply put, they were to die for and the presentation of each and every item was nothing short of impressive.
For our tea choices, I decided on The 150th Anniversary Langham Blend, which is described as “the most complex tea blend in the world” It is a combination of 150 ingredients, blended to commemorate 150 years of The Langham. It was lovely and mellow and certainly smooth. My partner decided on the English Flower Blend, which saw a blend of wonderful British flowers including chamomile, rose petals, elderflower and lavender. It was wonderfully aromatic and refreshing.
If you're unsure regarding your tea choice, do not worry, as they have a friendly tea sommelier on hand to provide assistance. In fact, throughout our afternoon tea the service was faultless, wonderfully prompt and we were left wanting for nothing.
The Bill: £64 per head
