Afternoon tea is essentially one of the best British traditions there is and the ultimate foodie treat. While Britain is famed for its historical landmarks – which are of course always worth a visit, you can’t really visit the UK without stopping for a scone or two. Now there are many divine tearooms up and down the UK but if you’re looking for an extra little bit of teatime magic then this is tastebud treat for all ages.
The Sanderson afternoon tea has been established for a number of years and is highly regarded amongst those in the know. Booking in advance (as far as possible) is essential as the reputation of their ‘Mad Hatters tea’ ensures that it is always bustling.
Based, as you may by now have guessed, on the magic that is Alice in Wonderland, the tea walks you through the story in the most delicious manner.
The new menu has been in the works for a while and alongside the delicious tiny cakes and delicate sandwiches a host of new teas have been developed especially for the theme. From Cheshire Cat to Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland, the selection of teas available are delivered to your table in tiny, magical glass bottles for you to smell and look over before making your selection. The monochrome crockery, alongside antique silver touches, ensures that the luxury element of the tea is not compromised by its fun and quirky theme. Menus are encased inside vintage copies of your favourite childhood story books, while the sugar box is also a fully functioning music box. It is these little touches that separate this tea from many of the more traditional fare.
Available with champagne, the tea itself started with delicate triangular sand- wiches, including an incredible croque monsieur on parmesan bread (cheese on cheese yes please!) and cream cheese and cucumber on lime bread.
The cake stand arrived ladened with tasty, tiny treats from a mocha macaroon in
the form of a pocket watch to a Queen of Hearts biscuit that simply melted in our mouths. There were tiny ‘drink me’ smoothies and marshmellow mushrooms as well as the best red velvet cake you may ever try. Choose your order wisely as this was a deceptively lling tea and proved nearly impossible to nish. We had to try the scone but were fairly defeated by then. The tea was rounded off with the most delicate of sorbets enclosed in a tiny ower pot with chocolate cookie soil, topped with edible owers and eaten with a tiny spade. While we had indulged in some cham- pagne we took photos for evidence and know that our little trip down the rabbit hole was de nitely real and one we can thoroughly recommend.
Mad Hatters Tea @ The Sanderson Hotel #imamadhatter
The Sanderson Hotel
50 Berners Street, W1T 3NG
London, UK
http://www.morganshotelgroup.com
0044 207- 300- 55 -88
pics and booking http://www.afternoontea.co.uk/uk/london/oxford-street/sanderson-hotel/