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You are here: Home / Restaurant / Corinthia Hotel Festive Afternoon Tea

Corinthia Hotel Festive Afternoon Tea

December 15, 2014 by Fiona Maclean 8 Comments

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Last Updated on November 23, 2016

An Elegant Tea in the Stunning Lobby Lounge – Corinthia Hotel:

On the corner of Northumberland Avenue and Whitehall Place, the Corinthia Hotel seems perfectly situated for visitors to central London.  Those who don’t know the place can be forgiven, although the building originally opened as the Metropole Hotel, during both World Wars it was requisitioned by the Government and laterly used as the headquarters for MI19.  After the Second World War it was bought and transferred to the Crown Estate to be used by the Government until it was sold in 2007.  The refurbished hotel re-opened in 2011 as the Corinthia.  The interior seamlessly fuses Victorian features with contemporary design creating a refined and elegant venue, currently decorated for Christmas with fantastic floral arrangements, columns of silver and white decked fir trees, a collection of gingerbread houses and a 10 foot edible gingerbread Christmas tree.

Afternoon tea is served in the Lobby Lounge.

Corinthia Decorations 2

There’s a central area, beneath what must be the largest glitter ball in the world, with larger tables for groups, while tables for two surrounding the central lobby have comfy leather club chairs bordered by their own tree.  It’s intimate and luxurious without being oppressive.

Corinthia - champagne

What of the tea though?

We started, as you should, with a glass of Laurent-Perrier Brut champagne while we chose our tea.  I was pleased to find a wide selection on offer both of blends and single estate teas including some lovely tributes to the hotel’s heritage.  How about the Winston Churchill Blend – Lapsang Imperial, described as ‘deep, rich and smoky’.  Or the Bert Firman 1921 – a Kenyan blend infused with mandarin and cornflowers in tribute to the youngest bandleader in the world who lead the Midnight Follies at the Metropole.  With one of those hard to shake off winter colds, I chose the Sencha Fukujyu, a light, delicate tea which the menu informed me was ‘high in vitamin C’.

Corinthia Hotel Tea - Sandwiches

Finger sandwiches were perfectly fresh and nicely balanced.  I couldn’t pick a favourite – the mixture was a classic selection with just a hint of seasonal twist in the roast turkey and stuffing with fresh cranberry compote.  The roast beef was rare and the salmon was delicate and not over smoked.  Delicious.

corinthia scones

Plain and raisin scones came with strawberry and raspberry jam and a good helpng of clotted cream.  These were a refined and delicate offering, probably a good idea given the excellent selection of cakes to follow.

corinthia - Cakes 2

In an afternoon tea, while the scones, sandwiches and tea itself are almost set pieces, the cakes are more often, as at the Corinthia, a showcase for the creativity and ingenuity of the Pastry Chef.  The menu lists seasonally inspired ‘fancies’; Jack Frost, Stocking Stuffer, Sugar Plum Fairy, The Scrooge, Rudolph, Yuletide Treasure, Santa’s Little Helper and Avalanche.

Corinthia Macaron

We’d both got excited by the idea of Santa’s Little Helper – a chestnut cream and blackcurrant macaron with sugar snowflake.  Something of a chestnut fan, I found the blackcurrant a little overwhelming, though the macaron was beautifully crisp on the outside and just slightly chewy inside as you’d expect.

Corinthia Sugar Plum Fairy

My favourite was the Sugar Plum Fairy – a beautifully spicy tartlet with a seasonal sprig of (chocolate) holly on top.

Corinthia - Cakes

But it’s hard to pick – and definitely a matter of personal taste.  The selection was beautifully executed and stunningly presented in elegant and luxurious surroundings.  If you are lucky to go, I’m sure like me, you’ll find it hard to pick a winner from this festive tea.

The Corinthia Decorations

London-Unattached was served a complimentary afternoon tea  for the purpose of a review. All views are my own and I did not receive a payment to write this feature

Corinthia Hotel
Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2BD UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7930 8181
Email address: london@corinthia.com

 

Filed Under: Restaurant Tagged With: afternoon tea, Hotel, London Hotel

About Fiona Maclean

London based freelance writer and marketing consultant. I edit London-Unattached.com and write for a number of other publications. With a music degree and a background in marketing across many sectors, my passions include all types of music, food, restaurants, wine and travel

Comments

  1. Pamela Morse says

    December 27, 2014 at 7:41 pm

    I also enthusiastically endorse the Santa’s little helper treat..so pretty and sounds scrumptious. All very lovely.

    Reply
  2. Jan Beal says

    December 22, 2014 at 1:03 pm

    I visited here after reading your review – it is absolutely beautiful – really magic and the tea is gorgeous!

    Reply
  3. Stevie Wilson says

    December 18, 2014 at 1:00 am

    Talk about a fabulous afternoon! This blows all the teas I have been to. I love the desserts….. the champagne speaks volumes about their attention to the best experience!

    Reply
  4. Jacqueline Meldrum says

    December 17, 2014 at 12:42 pm

    Oh nice! Love the Christmas decorations and some delectable treats too.

    Reply
  5. Heidi Roberts says

    December 15, 2014 at 10:39 pm

    Afternoon tea is one of my favourite things – All those pastries and cakes looked amazing!

    Reply
  6. MissLilly says

    December 15, 2014 at 7:02 pm

    so classy!

    Reply
  7. Janie says

    December 15, 2014 at 4:42 pm

    Wowsers, that afternoon tea looks utterly stunning. I also really like the row of white xmas trees in the last photo, they looks stunning.
    Janie x

    Reply
    • Fiona Maclean says

      December 15, 2014 at 6:10 pm

      It was really really beautiful. One of those places which somehow manages to look sophisticated and luxurious without being OTT.

      Reply

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