The Lanesborough Hotel in provides a luxurious take on afternoon tea, that distinguishes itself with great service and a Grecian flair in the setting that is their Celeste dining room.
Sandwiches and pastries – The sandwich course was delicious – they were the fairly standard kind one gets at a “traditional” afternoon tea – cucumber, egg salad, salmon, roast beef and chicken salad – but they were delicious versions of each. Good bread pairings, and one thing I hadn’t experienced before was the way they were arranged on the plate. And the waitress explained that we should start in the middle with the mild cucumber sandwich, and work our way out. Is it weird that I found that a fun idea?! I’ve never been anywhere for afternoon tea where the arrangement of the sandwiches on the plate was that deliberate. Very nice touch!
And the pastries were delicious, the raspberry tart and éclair probably our favorites.
Tea – For me, their signature afternoon tea was a perfect accompaniment to the meal; that tends to be my go-to at most afternoon teas – if there’s a hotel or tearoom blend, that’s the one I want to try. They had a couple of other interesting tea twists, though, so be adventurous if you go there! They also have a Moroccan mint tea that makes a great end to a meal. And I love how when one is in London and orders an after-dinner mint tea, it’s real mint leaves! Really nice.
Scones – The scones were nice and light, too, but what we really remembered was the strawberry jam. Not sure what brand we were tasting, or whether it was their own, but it tasted especially good on those scones!
Ambience and service – While there is nothing appealing about blue food, there was something very appealing to me about the cool light blue color on the walls set off by white Grecian pillars, friezes and architectural and decorative touches that immediately had me feeling calm and comfortable and ready to enjoy a lovely meal with my good friend. It had such a light, bright, atrium-like ambience with the vaulted ceiling and impressive chandeliers. And as already stated, the service was friendly, attentive and informative.
So don’t hesitate to give the Lanesborough a go if you have the chance – if I had the opportunity to go again, I definitely would!
Very Nearly Teatime 
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