Forgive me for what I’m about to write but, until last year, I’d never had afternoon tea. According to my mother, who’s an expert if her Facebook bio’s anything to go by, this was a crime that I had to make right. So, as soon as The Landmark London launched its Festive Afternoon Tea, I immediately knew who to take.
DesignMyNight Reviews The Landmark London's Festive Afternoon Tea
Sporting winter coats and soggy fringes, we bounded up to the entrance of the gorgeous Victorian building in Marylebone hungry for festive treats, bubbles and live piano versions of Christmas songs. Designed by Sir Edward Watkin, The Landmark London is a fascinating hotel with a rich history that spans it operating as the Grand Central Hotel in 1899 with connecting tunnels to Marylebone, through to WWI when it operated as a home for officers.
We were to dine in the Winter Garden Restaurant, nestled in the
glass-roofed atrium, surrounded by towering palm trees and
twinkling lights. It felt like walking into something out of a film
- as we took our plush blue velvet seats, an elegant oasis gleamed
around us to a rendition of One More Sleep by Leona Lewis.
There's a reason its regular afternoon offering is called the High Palms High Tea.
The Festive Afternoon Tea came in two packages, one with a glass of Lallier R.019 Champagne (£92 per person) which I opted for, and the other with Taittinger Rosé Champagne (£102). My mum chose the latter which was gorgeously crisp, refreshing and fruity, while mine was more distinctly dry, with a lively acidity.
To pair with our tipples, we sipped on the venue’s signature Winter Garden Blend (a bespoke creation featuring Indian and Chinese teas) and the Very Berry, with tart hibiscus notes, both of which were constantly topped up by very attentive staff and utterly delicious.
We devoured a selection of sandwiches served on the hotel’s own china, and I was impressed at how sufficiently filled each one was - the coronation chicken, layered between deliciously malty walnut bread, was bursting out the sides with juicy chunks of meat that had a pleasantly sweet kick when you took a bite featuring large sultanas.
The Lapsang Souchong smoked Scottish salmon was a beautifully smoky affair, and the classic cucumber made for a refreshing palate cleanser, but our joint favourite had to be the egg mayonnaise with shavings of black truffle. I’m not usually a fan of the decadent mushroom but in this instance, it took the creaminess of the egg mayonnaise to another level by adding a rich and earthy umami flavour to it.
Tipples and trees: the hotel had its decorations up, featuring golden bows and sparkling baubles.
As we pulled fresh, warm Christmas apple and cinnamon scones out of a cloth bag, winter spices immediately filled our nostrils. I split mine in two and layered it with thick clotted cream and zingy jam, leaving the insanely sweet and moreish Valrhona chocolate and caramel spread for the plain ones later. The scones were far from dry - moist and crumbly, they tasted exactly like how I’d imagine a batch cooked by elves in the middle of a snowy woods to taste.
When we finally moved on to the festive pastries, the red and glossy Christmas pudding quickly became the star of the show. If all Christmas puddings featured a bespoke blend of eight spices folded into a creamy mascarpone mousse atop a crunchy cinnamon biscuit then I would love them.
The Mont Blanc was a sweet and subtly nutty surprise, made with a glazed chestnut filling, blackcurrant curd and a gentle whip of vanilla chantilly, and the Christmas bauble was an absolute citrusy treat. Presumably made for fans of the famous chocolate orange ball, it entailed a melty mandarin and yuzu compote spooned onto a crunchy cocoa sablé, encased in a milk chocolate mousse.
The Landmark London Afternoon Tea menu is packed with freshly prepared delights.
The hotel’s take on a traditional yule log was a surprise - a far cry from the usual intense and irresistible cocoa-fuelled dessert that has families fighting over who gets the end - it included a pistachio Victoria sponge filled with tangy cranberry jam and pistachio crèmeux. Light and fruity, it made a refreshing bite compared to the richer cakes which was appreciated.
As we were about to leave, our waiter asked if he could get us anything else and to my mum’s absolute delight he uttered the very sentence that is her kryptonite: “Can I get you a hot chocolate to go?”. As her eyes lit up, she mouthed “to go?” to me in wonder and I scanned the menu to find that, sure enough, he was going a little off-piste to make her day which was hospitality indicative of a five-star hotel.
Warm drink in hand, we set off gleefully only stopping to take a few pictures for her Facebook by the soaring Christmas tree.
Overall: Festive Afternoon Tea At The Landmark London
I had an utterly magical time at The Landmark London for its luxury afternoon tea - it was like stepping back in time when everyone should’ve been wearing suits and flapper dresses while popping fluffy scones in their mouths and sipping Champagne. The staff were amazingly accommodating and the surprise optional sandwich top-up after finishing our first round was welcomed, even though without it there was enough food to fulfil our sweet and savoury cravings for the day. It was a truly gorgeous, Christmassy afternoon out.
Hungry for a sweet treat? Check out our guide to the best afternoon teas in London.
