“I’m late I’m late I’m late”
In the words of the White Rabbit, “I’m late I’m late I’m late.” The Mad Hatter’s themed Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson Hotel opened three years ago and I’d
heard great things, but never had a chance to pop down and try it out for myself.
My sister was lucky enough to receive a champagne afternoon tea gift voucher
for her birthday and it arrived in this wonderfully themed Alice in Wonderland gift card
which I had to share with you.
The Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea
was a bit of a fairy tale. It was a sunny day which was perfect as the seating is
split between the indoor restaurant Suka, and the outdoor area, The Courtyard
Garden. The menus are tucked away inside
vintage books and a musical jewellery box opens up to reveal white and brown
sugar cubes.
The crockery features kings, queens and paper crowns, all of which
makes this the quirkiest afternoon tea yet.
We were presented with four
special teas at the beginning of the meal; Rhubarb and Custard, Mint Chocolate
Chip, Apple Pie and Strawberries and Cream.
We picked the latter two along
with a classic English Breaksfast, a Darjeeling, a non-classic Cappuccino….and
four glasses of Champagne! The special teas were fun and fruity and the perfect
accompaniment to the colourful treats on offer.
Our waitress helpfully explained
each layer of the tea stand and I’ll attempt to do the same!
The bottom layer contains a
number of savoury items such as vegetable quiche, sun dried tomato scones and
some sushi-esque sandwiches. I say “sushi-esque” because the sandwiches were curled up and reminded us all of maki rolls. The scones and quiche were both delicious
but none of us were particular keen on the sandwiches. They were a bit stodgy
and the bread didn’t seem fresh. Nevertheless, this is not your traditional
afternoon tea and it was interesting to see the variety of breads on offer such
as spinach, dark rye and lemon.
Next, we move on to the sweets –
which were never ending! There was a Chocolate Tea Cup with Green Tea, White
Chocolate Mousse and Popping Candy. One of my favourites was the Melting Mango
Cheesecake which was amazingly rich and fluffy. Spoiler Alert: the Cheesecake
explodes when you cut into it! Finally, there’s the Tick Tock Victoria Sponge
which is a twist on the English classic. The cake is layered with the jam
spread along the top but it was egg-y and my fellow diners thought the same.
The top layer was light and fun; Strawberries and Cream Marshmallow “Magic Mushrooms” and Carrot Meringue served
on a bed of Pea Shoots.
My absolute favourite item on the
stand was the “Drink Me” potion which was filled with Passion Fruit Jelly and
Creamy Coconut and Banana Mousse.
The meal ended with a trip to the overly hyped jelly trolley. It looked and tasted unappetising hence it didn't warrant a photo!
In some ways, the Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea was a case of style over substance. I must admit, I’m a classic
afternoon tea kinda girl and unfortunately, a bit stuck in my ways when it
comes to my finger sandwiches and scones. But there's no doubt that it was a lot of fun and
a lovely day out on a sunny Bank holiday weekend.
A couple of other quirky Afternoon Teas in London that I have experienced:
- Pret-A-Portea fashion themed Afternoon Tea at the Berkeley: http://www.the-berkeley.co.uk/fashion-afternoon-tea/
- Sketch Afternoon Tea: https://www.sketch.uk.com/afternoon_tea.php
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