Afternoon Tea at Kensington Palace

I have to admit that recently I've been rather spoilt when it comes to afternoon teas. When a best friend visited from Australia, it was top of her wishlist to enjoy an Afternoon Tea in London, even a few of my meetings recently have been over tea and scones in some of London's most decadent hotels. Absolutely spoilt. What many teas do not offer, however, is the grandeur of an incredible building - a palace, perhaps would quite literally be the icing on the cake to create the most fabulous experience. That is why, today's post is all about Afternoon Tea within The Orangery of Kensington Palace. Once the setting for Queen Anne's raucous parties, with ornate ceilings and 18th century architecture, it makes for by far the most grand of Afternoon Tea locations I am yet to encounter.

Last weekend, while still feeling a little delicate following our Christmas Jumper Party the night before, I was invited to try out their Festive English Afternoon Tea. Mum and I took our seats within the bright and airy room before being given a brief history of the building and it's colourful past. Before long, our table was decked with a three tiered selection of sandwiches, scones and sweet treats, but I did struggle a little to see what made it festive! Nevertheless, each 'course' was exactly what I was hoping for, hearty sandwiches including an Egg mayonnaise roll, smoked salmon and cream cheese mini bagels and turkey and cranberry sandwiches (oh, there's the festive part!).

The scones and cakes were traditional and tasty - many teas choose to make their sweet courses outlandish and incredibly creative but sometimes loose the quality of the food itself, but at The Orangery the selection was simple yet delicious.

While munching our way through the tiers, we enjoyed a festive tea as well as a traditional English Breakfast, on beautiful china emblazoned with the royal crown.

The tea itself is very well priced in my opinion, at �26 per person including tea, it's certainly one of the better value teas in town, especially given the grandeur of the surroundings!

And what does one wear to Afternoon Tea in the grounds of a palace? Well, as much as a fan as I am of getting all dressed up, my 'delicate' state lead me to opt for an outfit that I felt comfortable in for the mild December morning; a wine coloured leather skirt, brown jumper and my favourite new neopolitan striped faux fur scarf.

SHOP THE LOOK

Have you visited Kensington Palace Gardens for Tea?

xoxo

Things To Do In London

This mini guide to London doesn't include any museums, landmarks or sightseeing hot spots. Well, not the Hot Spots that you'd read about in Lonely Planet guides anyway. This, is my personal list of things that I absolutely love to do in the fabulous city that I'm proud to call my home. All of them are amusing, alternative and suit a wide variety of tastes and budgets, so if you want to discover the city in a slightly different way, here are my favourite Things To Do in London!

1. Take a Rebound fitness class.

Never have I ever enjoyed exercise quite so much as I did at a recent Rebound fitness class! Available across the capital, they are a lively, high-intensity class which you complete on a mini trampoline! I visited this one in West London, where we shimmied and shaked to tunes from Pharrel Williams and the Spice Girls while burning off calories.

2. Be a Spa Junkie.... In Harrods

With brands from Mac and YSL to Chanel and Valentino all under one roof, it might seem odd that it's the Spa in Harrods that makes my list! But yep, hidden away on the fifth floor is the most opulent Hammam (Turkish bath) spa experience. In a marble den, you de-robe and relax in the warm haven, before being taken to an individual marbled area where the body is scrubbed and massaged using black-olive soap, a chess glove and finally warm water from the baths. As it's Harrods, you can imagine that every part of the spa experience is utterly luxurious, from the box of essentials that you'll find in your locker, to the heavenly products that are yours to use in the showers afterwards. I sauntered out of the Hammam feeling not only cleansed and relieved of tension, but also revitalised and energised - just how one wants to feel before a shopping spree!

3. Afternoon Tea of course! 

I have devoted many, many blog posts to Afternoon Tea places in London, and it's absolutely one of my favourite things to do in the city. Here are my favourites and some of the most unusual teas in London.

4. Visit a Market

As well as Afternoon Tea's, something we do pretty well here in London is a good Market! Whether you head for the foodie delights of Borough Markets, or brave the crowd on Portobello Road, there seems to be a Market for all of your wants and needs. 

5. Make the most of Public Transport!

With some Bus routes taking you past the big sights such as Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham palace, sometimes it's nice to just climb on board and take in the sights of the city from the top deck of the 137 bus! The Thames Clipper is a fantastic way to see the city from the River, and why not take it all the way down to Greenwich and stop for a picnic on the river bank!

6. The View from The Shard

And there are definitely ways of avoiding the crowds (and the cost!) of going up the official way, such as Afternoon Tea at Gong - on the 52nd floor of the shard, or even better, Yoga at The Shard which allows you to go right to the very top and enjoy a Yoga class before the crowds arrive!

7. Ride a Borris Bike

Or Santander bike as they should now be known! Definitely the funnies way to view the whole of London town, there are over 10,000 bikes across 700 stations in the city. I love to while away the hours around Chelsea and Kensington or across Hyde Park for the most scenic of rides!

8. Have a coffee in a public restroom.

It seems to be a growing trend to create beverage hot-spots in disused public toilets, so if you fancy something a little bit different then head to The Attendant near Tottenham Court Road or WC (Wine & Charcuterie) in Clapham for a very different dining experience!

What are your favourite things to do in London?

xoxo

Dinner at Sanderson

Sanderson (without the 'the' apparently) will forever be London's coolest, most instagrammable, and stylish hotel in my mind. During the Summer months, there's no greater place to enjoy a fine meal, than in the hotel's garden courtyard, under heated lamps with a silk pashmina (provided by the restaurant) to wrap around your shoulders as the temperature drops. Serving classic-contemporary dishes in a typical English style, Sanderson is a glamorous but still very relaxed location which has passed the test of time as dining trends come and go in our foodie capital.

So on a balmy evening Charlie and I met at The Long Bar (it's 80ft!) for a cocktail or two before making our way to the restaurant. The surroundings are styled by Ian Schrager and Phillipe Strack - the fun, fabulous and always fashionable interiors of Sanderson are instantly recognisable. With inspiration drawn from Salvador Dali and Alice in Wonderland, the boutique hotel's lobby area is home to oversized lip sofas, a hanging egg chair, and other oversized and unusual artworks.

After finishing our killer cocktails, we ordered from menu which was teeming with fashionable takes on English favourite dishes; Charlie opted for a terrine of Chicken, while I enjoyed a beautifully presented goats cheese, beetroot and walnut salad. We couldn't help but try a taste of each other's starters, following the declarations of how delicious each dish was.

I opted for a slow cooked pork belly main course, served with scallops and a light salad, a dish which  was cooked wonderfully, and the flavour of the pork was like no other pork dish that I'd ever tried. We accompanied our mains with side portions of broccoli, hand cooked fries and a garden salad - perfect for breaking down what could have been quite a heavy but flavoursome main course.

With Rugby the following day, Charlie fuelled up on a perfectly marbled steak (and more fries), which judging from his squeaky clean plate in record time, I'd say he rather enjoyed! He proclaimed that the Bernaise sauce in particular was a highlight, resorting to ordering another pot of it after I couldn't resist dipping my fries in it too!

Throughout the evening the service was excellent, with our waitress offering recommendations, and leaving us the perfect amount of time before tempting us with the dessert menu. Of course, we couldn't refuse. 

A warm chocolate brownie and incredible passion fruit mousse dish later (both absolutely incredible, in fact I may return to Sanderson very shortly just to indulge in a plate of each) and Charlie and I left feeling incredibly satisfied, but not that overly full feeling that you get from a heavy meal. Our evening at Sanderson was the perfect date night; a fabulous location, delicious food and the perfect way to enjoy some time together after a hectic week.

Sanderson Hotel

50 Berners Street

London

W1T 3NG

020 7300 1400

Have you visited Sanderson? What dishes would you recommend?

Laid-Back London

One of the great things about living in London is that you can dress up, or dress down, and no one will really bat an eyelid.

In fact, it is more than acceptable to pull together an oh-so-casual outfit, and then add a touch of glamour with heels and a designer dupe bag, and this look rocks exactly that. I built the look around my new high rise ripped jeans, adding a taupe suede top - of course- and lace up block heels (which were an absolute steal at just under �23!) to give me the height boost that I need! Distressed jeans have definitely become by everyday go-to, the easy and effortless vibe of this look is most definitely addictive for city living.

My newest Chloe dupe bag was such a steal at under �40, and is a brilliant dupe of the 'Faye' bag. It's the ideal size for a day strolling the city, and the perfect shape too as it's a cross body - absolute winner! The bag also comes in classic black and a gorgeous mink colour too.

I've become obsessed with the new copper range from Trollbeads and this White Diamond bangle adds a gorgeous lady like touch to this look. I finished the #OOTD with my favourite accessories, so scroll down for more details and all the links! 

- SHOP THE LOOK - 

High Rise Ripped Skinny Jeans by Missguided   |   V Neck Taupe Suede Top by Misguided   |   Lace Up Block Heels by New Look   |   Chloe Faye Dupe Bag by Jessica Buurman   |   White Diamond Copper Bangle by Trollbeads   |    Sunglasses by Jeepers Peepers at ASOS   |    Fiji Friendship Bracelet by Monica Vinader   |    Diamante Cross Ring by Wanderlust + Co

The Best Afternoon Teas in London

Next week sees the launch of Afternoon Tea week in London, and to celebrate I thought I would round up some of my absolute favourites from across the capital. After all, an Afternoon Tea is one of life's little luxuries; consisting of endless finger sandwiches, scones, and mountains of jam and cream, and often some of the prettiest cakes you'll ever lay eyes upon. This British tradition is my absolute favourite - who can say no to drinking bottomless tea and eating cakes all afternoon, right?! It's also a tradition that I've been lucky enough to sample a fair few of across our capital, and so I thought i'd offer you some tips for some of my favourite places to go. I'll try to add to this whenever I can, so make sure you keep it bookmarked!

Afternoon Tea at Gong within the Shangri La hotel certainly takes afternoon tea to new heights! Up on the 52nd floor of The Shard, it's London's highest tea, and is certainly a memorable experience. The kitchen will cater to the most obscure of dietary requirements, and still are able to whip up one of the most delicious teas I've ever tasted. Even the egg mayonnaise sandwich is given a luxurious twist with its truffle flavour, and the pastries include delights such as the Soft Chocolate Cream Carible, with chocolate sable Breton and banana compote, and the Yuzu - a baked and cold mousse cheesecake with yuzu juice soaked sponge and orange marmalade.

A classic tea is �49, and with a glass of champagne, �57. 

The newly updated Afternoon Tea at The Sanderson is one that I always recommend to friends that have 'seen and done it all' and really want a unique experience. The tea is Mad Hatter's themed, and the experience starts with you flicking through a vintage book to find the menu, napkins wrapped with riddles, and a whimsical themed tea with dainty sandwiches and 'Tick Tock' macarons, 'Drink Me' potions and Marshmallow Mushrooms. I wrote a post on the tea before the updated menu here, and the update is just another level of crazy fabulousness. Tea is priced between �38 and �58 per person.

Although mostly renowned for their incredibly stunning hotel, The Corinthia is one of the absolute greatest teas in London. With the lobby area constantly filled with the most instagrammable of floral displays, it's the kind of place you want to while away the afternoon, enjoying the daintiest of finger sandwiches, and a constantly changing pastry menu which always consists of the most beautifully crafted treats. We visited while they were serving their Chelsea Flower Show tea, and you can see more about it here.

For a very reasonably priced, London themed tea that doesn't have a bonkers waiting list, Biscuiteers is a perfect option. If your visitor is from out of town then they will adore the British twist to the cakes, with Union Jack brownies and a telephone box biscuit as my highlights! Tea for two is just �48, and includes sandwiches, cakes, biscuits and, of course, freshly baked scones and clotted cream. For more pictures and my full review, click here.

And finally an Afternoon Tea which I still feel is very much under the radar, and one which again you can book in with just a few days notice (although probably not for long, as it's so good!) is Afternoon Tea at 108 Pantry. Guests can enjoy the classic afternoon tea with all the guilty pleasures or a 'healthy' option with gluten free and low sugar options. The tea is specially selected from the Rare Tea company, and includes exotic blends all expertly explained to us by our very knowledgable server. 

Where are your favourite Afternoon Teas in London?