After a ten days of living and working in a hotel, little sleep and the worse hangover known to mankind, I practically had to drag myself to Afternoon Tea at the Millennium Hotel in Knightsbridge, which was made better when I found out some of my friends, and fellow bloggers, were joining me. Laying off the champagne reception, I struggled to stay awake chatting to the other bloggers in the stylish bar situated on the first floor, next to the in-house Chinese restaurant. After half an hour of mingling we were greeted by Cipriano the hotel’s sales director who gave us a tour. The hotel was nice and had a more homely feel to it than other more corporate hotels but I actually preferred the rooms at the Tower Hotel which I had checked out of that morning.
We were seated in the Tangerine Bar for Afternoon Tea which was both modern and cosy. Now over an hour after arriving I was desperate for something to eat and drink and couldn’t believe it when my table was the only one having to share the Afternoon Tea stand for two between four of us – I was starving! The kind waiters said we could ask for more but it took time to try and get their attention, especially as there were presentations going on throughout the evening in which we felt rude directing our attention elsewhere.
In the end I asked for more of everything as my belly needed more than one finger sandwich, mini scone and one bite sized cake, and of course as a cake blogger, I NEEDED to try ALL the cakes! My request was granted and in the end the level of service we received was good. We received talk from an etiquette coach, Christine from Minding Manners, who taught us that Afternoon Tea is traditionally served on low tables before dinner whereas High Tea is served at a dining table in replacement to a meal. Although the talk was very interesting, most of us felt uncomfortable digging in to the food whilst the talk was taking place, which meant by the time we got to enjoy our food it was 8:30, far too late for the majority of us who had come straight from work and hadn’t eaten since lunch!
Once I had finally got some food inside me I started to really enjoy myself and the food. The food wasn’t the best I had tasted but maybe I’m just a little more critical after tasting the glorious Afternoon Tea at the Ampersand Hotel in Kensington. I liked how the bottom tier included mozzarella and tomato canapés as well as finger sandwiches which were made from different types of bread. The smoked salmon, egg & cress and chicken fillings were traditional and comforting. The second tier was probably my favourite is it contained mini scones, some with chocolate, some with fruit, which were the perfect size to enjoy and still have room left for dessert.
The desserts included a chocolate éclair, a profiterole, a chocolate and cream sponge cake and a chocolate cup. They were equally as nice but the selection lacked variation as they all contained chocolate and cream. I particularly liked the chocolate cup which was a great little addition to my plate and the thick chocolate granache it contained was delicious but it’s richness defeated even the most serious of chocolate lovers. Although pleasant, the tea was topped up by waiters rather than placed on the table, which meant I often found myself wanting a drink but having to wait until we were next served.
All in all the Afternoon Tea at the Millennium Hotel was an enjoyable experience, where the setting was relaxed, the food satisfactory and the service displayed effort. For a recently new venture, the Millennium Hotel performed well and with a few minor tweaks their Afternoon Tea could be up there with the rest. It’s certainly value for money priced at £20pp and with the chef planning themed menus such as ‘Wimbledon Afternoon Tea’ I see no reason why tourists and locals won’t look to return. I could now retreat to the land of nod after a satisfying evening.
Living life, loving cake,
H x