Lady’s Guide to a Manicure and Afternoon Tea in London

Today I want to share my guide to having a manicure and afternoon tea in London. I’m not very girly, but every once in a while I can be persuaded to fulfill gender stereotypes. This is particularly true when food is involved. Fittingly, when I was invited to review a girly event at the Sofitel London St James, I caved into the temptation to have afternoon tea and get my nails done.

Manicure and Afternoon Tea

My manicure and afternoon tea started when I arrived at the Sofitel London St James and made my way to the SoSPA. There I was given a cup of lavender-and-honey tea and a fruit jelly in the waiting area.

When the rest of my group arrived, we went into the main spa, which was a large room with a long table and high ceilings.

The decor was chic and calming, and the manicure tables at the back were laden with every color of nail polish that involved the color pink.

Manicure

I sat down for my manicure, which consisted of a cut, file, cuticle trim, and polish. As one hand got pampered, the other sipped a bright fuchsia cocktail from a martini glass. It was pure feminine bliss.

Afternoon Tea

My manicure and afternoon tea experience continued as we moved into The Rose Lounge at the Sofitel London St James.

The intimate room was pretty-in-pink, with ballerina-colored teacups, magenta chairs, and floral paintings on the walls.

Also in The Rose Lounge area were photos of celebrities, which were part of an exhibition called On Set Off Set. In the background, a live harpist played.

We sat down to our afternoon tea, which began with more pink cocktails. Soon the finger sandwiches and tea arrived.

The tea menu was extensive, featuring everything from Organic Tumsong Estate Estate 2nd Flush Darjeeling to Bohea Lampsang Supreme. I ordered the Whole Lemon Verbena infusion, which was fragrant and refreshing.

The sandwiches and tea were followed by plates of scones. They were served with clotted cream, jam, and lemon curd.

The last of these is a favorite of mine, and I haven’t seen it at an afternoon tea in London in a long time. It was a nice touch.

I’m glad I got to enjoy it, too, because it was the only sweet thing I had a chance to try during my afternoon tea.

The service was a bit slow, and after enjoying the sandwiches and scones with my tea, I had to leave St James’s and head to an appointment.

I would have loved to stay for the cakes and pastries, but my waistline is probably better off for departing before they arrived.

Manicure and Afternoon Tea

While I wasn’t able to stay for the rest of the manicure and afternoon tea at the Sofitel, my nails looked better than they had in a long time and my stomach was happy with all the good food and drinks.

Next time there’s a special exhibition in The Rose Lounge, I might just go back to taste the cakes and pastries. Until then, I might be girly and count calories. Or not.

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