London is a feast for the senses, and afternoon tea at Le Meridien Piccadilly is no exception. Its themed tea offerings take inspiration from things like exhibitions at Tate Modern. They’re feasts for the eyes, with color playing a dominant role in many of the artists’ works. And in feasts for the mouth, Le Meridien Piccadilly hotel uses that as a guide for delicious afternoon teas.
Afternoon Tea at Le Meridien Piccadilly
I have the opportunity to sample the goods in Mayfair this week at the invitation of the hotel.
Afternoon tea at Le Meridien Piccadilly is served in the The Terrace, a bright space covered in a glass atrium that overlooks Piccadilly. I meet a couple of other London bloggers here and settle in for a lovely time.
As with any good afternoon tea in London, it starts off with a celebratory drink. No, not tea. A cocktail. This one happens to be made with gin and rose champagne, and comes with a pretty lemon-and-raspberry garnish.
Also accompanying the tea is a box full of crafty things to create our own cut-outs. Bright colored paper, pencils, scissors, and other decorative implements all encourage us to channel our inner artist.
The Food
But soon we get distracted by the start of afternoon tea at Le Meridien Piccadilly. The food arrives on pretty tiered trays with square plates.
The sandwiches are French-inspired, and they include everything from mini croissants with brie and jambon to Provencal vegetable wraps.
There are a couple of classic British sandwiches thrown in for good measure, and overall it’s a satisfying plate of savories.
The scones are served with clotted cream and jam, and the pastries come on a plate dusted in green.
The sweets themselves are bright in color and creative in shape, all in keeping with the tea’s artistic inspiration.
Everything from a blue opera cake with an irregular edge to a pink eclair and a bright red raspberry tart is there to tempt our taste buds.
And no afternoon tea in London would be complete without the main event: tea. We enjoy it in clear glass pots and cups that allow us to appreciate the color and texture of the tea as much as the food.
Afternoon Tea at Le Meridien Piccadilly: The Verdict
When all the cups and plates are empty, we linger in The Terrace before making our way back out onto Piccadilly. It’s a gorgeous sunny day, and London is in bloom with flowers.
It’s as if art has not only inspired an afternoon tea experience, but also an entire city.
The afternoon tea at Le Meridien Piccadilly has certainly offered a feast for the senses, and I can’t help but think that combining a trip to an art exhibition followed by tea and a walk through the gardens around St James’s Park would make a great day out in London.
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32 Comments on Lady’s Review of Afternoon Tea at Le Meridien Piccadilly
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All that food looks amazing!! Sounds like you had a great time 🙂
Yeah, it was great!
Looks like one of the most beautiful teas ever, so much colour!
Lots of love,
Angie
Yeah, I loved all the color!
This reminds me of the Prêt-à -Portea at The Berkeley. I love how they manage to translate art into food, it looks great. I have had many (many!) afternoon teas in London, but haven’t been to this one yet. Good idea to combine it with a visit to the exhibition.
Yeah, I love the way so many afternoon teas get creative!
I love afternoon tea! I’ll be paying a visit next time I’m in London x
That’s great! I hope you enjoy it!
This looks incredible! I love the little craft box too – what a fab idea! I think i’d be in my element 🙂
Jenna
Yeah, I loved the craft box!
It was so nice to see you again, and yes: everything was so delicious and pretty!!! 🙂
You too! Great to catch up!
This looks like such a fun and colourful afternoon tea! The craft box is genius 🙂
Yeah, the craft box was a really fun idea!
I love a good afternoon tea, and this one looks fantastic! So cool how they incorporated Matisse into the tea with all the little details.
Yeah, it was a great idea!
I would certainly need a good walk around London after all of this. It looks AMAZING. So colorful. Thanks for sharing!
Happy travels 🙂
You’re welcome!
Did you make something crafty? Where’s the photo of that! 🙂
Haha, no, I was too distracted by the food!
That’s lovely! The art and craft thing is new to me. 🙂
Yeah, it’s great!
This is SO cute and creative — I wish I could get to London before it closes!!!
Yeah! You would love it!
Drool. This place looks amazing and the food to-die-for. One thing we miss about London is the high teas! Have you been to the Portrait Gallery for a high tea? That was one of our favourites.
I haven’t done afternoon tea at the National Portrait Gallery, but I love the view from the restaurant. Sounds like I will have to check it out!
My mouth is literally watering! Looks like heaven!
x Hayley-Eszti
It was!
This looks fantastic! I pick the blue opera cake as my favourite. This tea is such a creative way to promote the Matisse exhibit. I’m looking forward to experiencing that as well. Thank you for sharing this!
The blue opera cake was my favorite, too!
Ooh, I would have loved this! Afternoon tea is already one of my favorite indulgences and this artistic rendition looks superb!
Yeah, it’s a great one!