WITH SO many afternoon tea offerings available across the eclectic capital, choosing which venue to visit can be difficult. However, for those wanting to experience a slightly more subversive afternoon tea, Revery Bar at London Hilton Park Lane is an excellent choice.
Promising to redefine and reinterpret the British gastronomic experience, Revery Bar’s ‘Tea, Cakes & Cocktails’ carefully adapts afternoon tea traditions with a contemporary twist. For example, whereas many venues focus entirely on tea tastings, the Revery bar expands upon this idea, offering guests a mixology experience that includes one cocktail and one mocktail.
The Revery Bar’s Afternoon Tea
Carefully designed and crafted by the expert bar team, the cocktails and mocktails feature a specific tea as their base ingredient. For example, we opt to try the Cairo Gossip – a cocktail consisting of Belvedere, Cocchi Americano, Pommery Brut and lime & Egyptian camomile tea syrup. In a beautiful mélange of flavour, the cocktail delicately balances the comforting undertones of the camomile tea with striking, fresh Champagne.
Other brilliant options include the Earl Grey Sour – a gin-based cocktail with an Earl Grey Tea base, or the Mexican Breakfast, which is particularly smoky thanks to its Patron Silver, Vida mescal, gomme Syrup and Cointreau.
Additionally, the menu features two delicious elixirs for those wanting to try an alcohol-free option. The Blooming Blossom – made of Clean & Co V, grapefruit & sea blossom tea syrup, lemon juice, raspberry purée and miraculous foamer – is formidable in taste and aesthetic. Fuchsia pink in appearance, the mocktail provides refreshing zestiness alongside Revery’s culinary offerings
However, it wouldn’t be an afternoon tea without an expansive tea selection. Fortunately, Revery has partnered with London Tea Exchange, providing a selection of over 300 rare teas from twenty different countries. The pink tropics herbal tea is particularly eye-catching, thanks to its baby-pink colour and tropical taste.
With a playful selection of canapés, finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones and patisserie items, the ‘Tea, Cakes & Cocktails’ menu is certainly expansive. Beginning with a selection of savoury starters including beetroot cheesecake and mushroom pate tartlet, the afternoon tea is packed full of exciting bites. Upon tasting the starters, the beetroot cheesecake proved to be a favourite thanks to its light yet intricate profile.
Following the starters, the ‘Finger Feast’ consists of a mini poached lobster roll with Marie Rose sauce, Devon handpicked crab on sourdough toast with citrus bisque jelly, deconstructed classic chicken Caesar with beet pearl and blue pea flowers and asparagus panna cotta accompanied by egg yolk and sourdough soldiers.
The Revery Bar’s Afternoon Tea
Complementing each other through texture, taste and appearance, the ‘Finger Feast’ offers filling small bites bursting with identity and uniqueness. Meanwhile, for those with more of a sweet tooth, make sure to keep enough room for the dessert course.
From carrot cheesecake to a triple chocolate sandwich and traditional scones, the sweet course brings a classic yet contemporary flair to the ensemble. With afternoon teas it is common to find rich, overly-sweet desserts. But not at Revery Bar. The triple chocolate sandwich is sweet yet not over-powering, making for a great denouement to the dining experience.
The Revery Bar’s Afternoon Tea
Finally, to cap off the experience, guests can browse Revery’s pic ‘n’ mix array of apple jelly, vanilla fudge and dark chocolate truffles.
Presenting an afternoon full of fun yet decadent bites alongside exquisite cocktails, the Revery Bar’s ‘Tea, Cakes & Cocktails’ is a brilliant way to spend an afternoon with friends, family and loved ones.
by Sophie Richardson
For more information and to book, please visit here. ‘Tea, Cakes & Cocktails’ costs £65 per person and is available to book Thursdays – Sundays from 12pm – 6pm.
Revery Bar, 22 Park Ln, Mayfair, London W1K 1BE