Lady at Afternoon Tea at the Corinthia Hotel

Today I want to share my review of afternoon tea at the Corinthia hotel in London. Being fashionable, the hotel hosts themed afternoon teas throughout the year to stay on trend. In fact, the Corinthia hotel even designs special fashion afternoon teas.

Afternoon Tea at the Corinthia Hotel in London

I was invited by the Corinthia to experience tea with a friend on Saturday afternoon. We arrived at the hotel, which is near the Embankment tube station in central London’s Whitehall, excited to indulge.

Upon entering, we were seated at a pretty table underneath the stunning chandelier in the lobby lounge. With 1,001 Baccarat crystals, it was impossible not to admire it.

When we settled in, my friend remarked that she felt like we were sitting underneath a beautiful glass of champagne. It was fitting given that we started our afternoon tea at the Corinthia hotel with a glass of Laurent-Perrier.

Afternoon Tea Sandwiches

Bubbly in hand, we focused on the sandwiches that were brought to the table.

The selection included cucumber and Innes goats cheese, organic egg and micro cress, roast beef and creamed horseradish, Goosnargh corn-fed chicken with ale mustard, and Loch Var smoked salmon and cream cheese.

They were a delicious way to start off our tea experience.

Afternoon Tea Tray

When our plates were cleared, our afternoon tea at the Corinthia hotel continued as our server brought over the tea tray. It wasn’t just any tea tray, either.

It was tall enough to stand alone, with its three tiers of sweets resting atop long silver legs that reached all the way to the ground. The tray was perfectly elegant, and a unique take on an afternoon tea service.

Afternoon Tea Pastries

So were the sweets. Beneath a tray of small scones lay two plates of cakes inspired by London fashion.

Each was delicately beautiful in its own right, and we almost felt guilty eating them (funny that we felt no guilt whatsoever about the calories or the clotted cream…).

I started with the “Diamond Ring”, a gorgeous Paris-Brest pastry with blueberry butter cream and fresh blueberries. Dusted with sliver, it was one of the prettiest—and tastiest—pastries on the platter.

My friend commenced with “The Stiletto”, a shot glass filled with pistachio mousse topped with dainty chocolate pearls and a tiny high-heeled shoe. Being a good friend, she let me steal a bite. It was creamy and flavorful, and another winner.

My second pastry at afternoon tea at the Corinthia hotel was “The Tailor”, a mango cream cheesecake with lemon sable that was decorated to look like a tiny measuring tape.

It was light, sweet, and refreshing, and achieved a good balance between cream and crunch.

My friend chose the “Glitter Up”, an orange and hazelnut macaroon. I didn’t sample it, but she assured me that it was every bit as good as it looked.

My third cake was the “Unzip It”, a peach pastry cream eclair topped with a thin piece of chocolate painted to look like a zipper. The eclair was light and filled with a decadent cream, and the chocolate was a sinfully sweet addition.

At this point my friend’s sweet tooth gave out, leaving me to finish the remainder of the pastries.

I chose “The Ruffle” for my next one, which was another good choice. It was a strawberry mille-feuille, and was creamy and fresh with great flakiness.

The penultimate sweet in our afternoon tea at the Corinthia hotel was “The Handbag”, a traditional fruit cake and coconut financier topped with a yellow marzipan purse.

It was a bit sweet for my liking, and I’m not a huge marzipan fan to begin with, but I may have just been coming to the end of my sweet tooth.

And I definitely got to the end of my sweet tooth with the last pastry. A chocolate texture, cherry compote, and hazelnut sponge, it was appropriately called the “Chocolate Couture”.

The cake was rich and silky smooth, and the perfect way to end the tea service.

The Tea

But we didn’t want it to end. Once the dishes were cleared, we sat sipping Imperial Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka and White Monkey tea from China until our pots were empty.

Afternoon Tea at the Corinthia Hotel: The Verdict

Even then, we were loath to leave the relaxing, light atmosphere of the lobby lounge. In fact, I wouldn’t have minded spending the entirety of the week in the calm under the chandelier at afternoon tea at the Corinthia hotel.

Leave the catwalks to the fashionistas during London Fashion Week. I will have cake.

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