Last Updated on August 15, 2022
A High Tea to remember – Experience the Whispering Angel Afternoon Tea at the Gherkin
How about combining a tasty afternoon tea at a smart venue offering breathtaking views, and celebrating your find with a glass of something rather special in the form of Whispering Angel? This can be yours in London’s City, 38 floors up at the distinctive office building, number 30 St Mary Axe. Affectionately known as “The Gherkin”, due to its unique shape, height and glass casing, this building has become almost as iconic for London as its famous Tower and nearby bridge.
Take two elevators skywards and you emerge on floor 38 to wonderful floral decorations welcoming you to Helix by Searcys, a glass birdcage of a restaurant. Shaped like a rocket and offering stunning panoramic views across London, as well as up into the sky above, this is a special venue to catch up with friends and family, hold a milestone celebration or impress on a first date. All these scenarios were in play on neighbouring tables when we sat down to enjoy the Whispering Angel Afternoon Tea.
The much-loved Whispering Angel, pale, fresh and crisp, is the standard bearer for rosé from Provence and it proved a perfect companion to Searcys’ Afternoon Tea. Following a perfect mini plate of beetroot cured salmon, pickled fennel, fennel pollen cream and a rye crisp, with a flourish and a nod to the venue, the full tea was served in a gilded cage.
The assortment of sandwiches includes vegan and vegetarian options: whipped chive cream cheese and cucumber, roast beef, dill pickle and rocket, devilled egg and mustard cress and shrimp cocktail bouche. We were delighted to hear that we could request unlimited additional sandwiches, but how would we then have been able to do justice to the traditional scone, cream and preserve, as well as to the dainty pastries? Mini strawberry and vanilla Battenberg, coffee and hazelnut praline choux, blackcurrant éclair and, of course, the Victoria sponge with raspberry jam were all ably served by the tea menu featuring traditional as well as excellent herbal and fruit teas, all with helpful explanations. Tea (or coffee) will be served until you say “Enough!”
This leads us to service. The Helix team were cheerful and charming and their attentiveness certainly added to the sense of occasion. Before leaving, guests were able to pop upstairs to Iris, Helix’s sister bar for the full 360-degree experience, drink in the views, and plan their next roof-top sortie.
The menu helpfully tells us that although the Afternoon Tea (without wine) tots up a respectable 1,656Kcal, the average adult requires some 2,000 calories daily to survive – so what better way to use your allocation?
Jenny was a guest of Searcys at the Gherkin. The Whispering Angel Afternoon Tea is served at Helix by Searcys and costs £55 per gues
Helix by Searcys
The Gherkin
30 St Mary Axe,
London, EC3A 8BF
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