I'll be honest, had I not been invited to afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason, I might have overlooked it. I pop in here to pass the time, to nose about their amazing food hall and imagine buying quail and quince and perhaps popping myself on the waiting list for honey. Those are some fancy bees.But the restaurant is beautiful, and the afternoon tea is a perfect treat. We kicked off with some cute little canapes as we perused the (massive) tea menu. I like tea menus. It's like a wine list, but a little more refined.
And then all the food that we could manage arrived. We polished off some excellent sandwiches, with more interesting flavours and breads than normal. Poppy seed rolls, curried prawns. And the scones were fantastic (although we realised later that those pesky things were our downfall, as we didn't eat nearly as much cake as we wanted). I'd also like some more blueberry jam please, that was fabulous.
You choose the cakes, from a tray, and you're allowed two each as well as a plate of other goodies. Claire very kindly chose ones I could eat (I have a berry allergy) and we shared them all. Lemon meringue was to die for, and not jarring at all. Closer to a macaroon than the meringue but utterly perfect. The white chocolate cheesecake soon got polished off and despite the ginger cake looking rather uninspiring, it was fabulous and so moist. It's rare I have an afternoon tea and enjoy every single bit of the food, but I did. I really did.
The only downside for my was the lack of service. That's not to say that those serving weren't fantastic. Everyone was polite and friendly, but we weren't asked if everything was OK, no one asked to top us our tea, we had to look for someone to ask for more. No one was there to help us with our coats. It would have been nice if they'd been a little more attentive. Still, it was a Friday afternoon so it was very busy.
But, that didn't detract from the fact we had a fabulous time. The food was amazing, I'm going to go back for more blueberry jam and I'll remember how pretty the St James' restaurant is next time I want to treat someone. Because it's a really lovely venue. It's £34 for the afternoon tea and if you've got a sweet tooth, it's worth it. I'm off to get me some more blueberry jam.
It's by no means the best in London. It's just the one you can book at short notice - for a reason. Places like the Ritz do it far far better but you need to book weeks ahead. And it costs the same. F&M need to knock at least a tenner off to match its value.
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious. But all I can think about is the waiting list for HONEY. That had better be some seriously good honey.
ReplyDeleteLoved your post..If I am ever in England, will sure to try it!
ReplyDeleteI actually think it's better than the Ritz! The Ritz is something that everyone in London should do once because it's so iconic, but that doesn't make it the best in London.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds lovely and if you like honey, then I can recommend their Beekeeper Sundae from the icecream parlour, which is delicious (and comes in a goblet as big as your head).
ReplyDeleteBeekeeper Sundae? I WANT TO GO TO THERE.
ReplyDeleteOooh reliving the afternoon tea joy! I loved it. I've "done" the Ritz too, and every need or want was attended to there, but mind you, at Fortnum & Mason I didn't feel as rushed as I did in the Ritz... plus I love taking afternoon tea on a plush sofa as opposed to chairs!
ReplyDeleteWhile I still have a soft spot for the Ritz I was really taken with how lovely F&M was... and the variation of the desserts was fantastic. And that blueberry jam! Loved it. :)
I loved the blueberry jam even though I threw half of the jar down my leg (again, HOW?). Must buy some next time I'm walking by.
ReplyDeleteVery confused.. you have a berry allergy but you keep going on about the blueberry jam?
ReplyDeleteI'm allergic to raspberries and blackcurrants, but (to my knowledge) not any others. Like people with peanut allergies who can eat other nuts, I guess.
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