There's nothing more British than drinking tea in the afternoon except maybe talking to a stranger on the street about the weather. My friends from KPop Academy and I decided to partake in this British tradition as a fun thought and we settled on the oh so lovely Leonard Hotel over at Marble Arch.
I was first to arrive and was ushered in by the staff to a table. The first thing I noticed when I walked into the foyer was the décor (in case you didn't know, I love interior designing). The foyer and tea room were set in what I presume to be Victorian era designs, with the patterned fabrics, large framed mirrors, antiques all around, large couches and armchairs. It really was a sight to behold. |
| The Foyer. Photo Credit: The Leonard Hotel. |
The maître d was cordial and attentive to the guests which felt nice. He asked if I wanted anything whilst waiting for my friends but I decided to wait. We opted for the royal afternoon tea with a glass of champagne, so when the rest of my friends arrived the drinks were served (Orange juice for me because I don't drink).
After a while of us chatting away and catching up, food was served. It consisted of sandwiches, chocolate cupcake, scones and clotted cream (I loooove clotted cream) and a selection of pastries plus some delicious juicy strawberries. It was all yummy and filling too might I add. I thought it wasn't going to be enough food but we couldn't finish it.
The stand below is for two people in case you were wondering, so between the four of us we had two stands.
I gotta say the staff at this place make you feel welcomed and comfortable, we asked one of the waiters to take a picture of us and he had a fun time taking tons of pictures. We didn't even as for that many but he was happy to take a perfect one for us.
In the end though, I believe the difference between a good meal and a great meal also has to do with the company you keep. If you have great conversations it really does leave you with a happy feeling which will inherently make the dining experience a whole lot better (Mi Ra's theory of conventional wisdom on dining).
I must tell you, these girls were the perfect company. We had a lot of laughs and awesome conversations. At some point we were a bit loud (but like I mentioned, awesome service so we weren't bothered about it). The atmosphere in the restaurant was cosy and we had a cuppa so naturally we stayed well over closing time (which is 6pm BTW for Afternoon tea).
Verdict
Afternoon tea I think is something that everyone visiting England should try out. It is a delightful experience and a great way to relax after a day of shopping or sightseeing. If you are not a tourist, I would recommend it as a great gift to give for birthdays, mothers day etc. However you don't have to go to a tea room to do all this ( although I must add it makes it more special), you can easily try this out at home.The leonard hotel was a good choice for us, the price was steep but we got vouchers online (which I will definitely recommend you do, we used wowcher) that cut the price by half so we each paid £17 for the experience. I give it 4 out of 5 stars and I will definitely be coming back here someday...
Love,
meera
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