Welcome to our blog....here we will share all our afternoon tea adventures with you...the good, the bad and the wonderful!

Sunday 18 August 2013

Time for Tea.....The Berkeley

Hello there....I hope you've enjoyed national afternoon tea week and had the opportunity to indulge in a little tea and cake at some point this week! I also hope that you've enjoyed our various afternoon tea posts this week - have you joined in with our scone debate yet?

This post is a rather lovely one as Lorna and I have recently sampled the delights of the Berkeley's fashion afternoon tea Pret a Portea. As the name suggests this is a themed tea, which is inspired by the themes and colours in the fashion world. The tea changes twice a year to reflect the new season, and this is our second Pret a Portea.

As you enter the Berkeley in London its as if you're entering a different world, far from the bustling London streets just outside, the Berkeley oozes elegance from the moment you arrive . Once through the main doors you are welcomed into the Caramel Room where tea is served. You are greeted by a table that looks something like this.....

 
Your name is printed onto a bright pink shoe (I love this attention to detail), and you are surrounded by really pretty bespoke china and a wonderful menu which illustrates the delights ahead of you. Each sweet element of the tea is inspired by a fashion item and once it all arrives at your table the more than helpful waiting staff will describe each item to you.
 
I'm pleased to report that not all the attention has been given to the sweet items of this tea...the savoury lovers amongst you will be delighted by the freshly made sandwiches and other savoury items that are presented to you.
 
 
The sandwich selection included an egg mayonnaise roll, a salmon sandwich, a smoked cheese sandwich, a beef and horseradish sandwich and a cream cheese and cucumber sandwich. All were delightfully tasty, and the bread was extremely fresh. As well as these items you can also enjoy a prawn cone and various taster spoons. As with all good afternoon teas you are invited to eat more (if you can fit it in), however my advice would be don't get carried away with these wonderful savoury items....there is so much more to come!
 
 
Here is the full selection of tea (minus the warm scones, cream and jam that were served a little bit later), on the bottom tier you can see the other savoury items. Above the savoury layer there are two tiers of the most amazing sweet treats (and you might be able to see a very happy Lorna in the background of the photo!).
 
There is a wonderful selection of teas on offer, including a selection of fruity teas which are served in tall latte glasses. As you can see from the photo there is also the option to include a glass of bubbles with your tea...which of course we indulged in (well it would be rude not to!).
 
 
Now I thought you might like a closer look at the sweet treats on offer! In amongst here you will find a chocolate biscuit heel inspired by Manolo Blahnik, a pistachio and vanilla pannacotta inspired by Dolce & Gabbana and a white chocolate and Grand Marnier treat inspired by Prada. This only covers a few of the sweets, the amount of different sweet creations is very impressive. Its a truly amazing experience (whether you love fashion or not) and I think there is something for everyone here.....plus a lot of things that you'll have never tasted before!
 
The Berkeley has an amazing attention to detail and the staff are all so friendly and helpful. As returning guests we were welcomed back with a wonderful chocolate plate.....
 
 
I really liked this touch as it made the tea all that more personable.
 
A Pret a Portea will cost you £39.00 per person, which may seem like an expensive treat, but considering the detail and the quality of the food and drink I think is a reasonable price. If you want to add a glass of champagne it will cost you £49.00 per person and your tea will include a chilled glass of Laurent Perrier Champagne.
 
All in all this is a very enjoyable experience - a perfect afternoon tea for you and your girlfriends. They also offer you a doggy bag to take home some of the sweet treats that you might not have room for - so you can continue the experience at home!
 
Thanks for popping by today,
Rachel & Lorna
 
 
Square Meal The Caramel Room on Urbanspoon

6 comments:

Vanessa said...

Wonderful post...I like your pretty blog.^^
Maybe follow each other on bloglovin?
Let me know follow you then back.
Lovely greets Nessa

Anika said...

very good to know they let you take stuff home as I think the cakes look lovely but would not want to eat more than one of them after all the savouries, which I prefer. This way it is like having two teas!

Marcela Gmd said...

Nice post! would you like to follow each other with GFC and Bloglovin?
Besos, desde EspaƱa, Marcela♥

Rosinda said...

MMM! I'm glad you enjoyed National Afternoon Tea Week! The Berkley looks like a lovely place to stop for tea and treats! Thanks for sharing! Rosinda xo

Rosie said...

Wow! That looks so cool!

Sheree said...

Pretty cakes! Is that a leopard print handbag?!