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Sparkling Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea

I love a festive afternoon tea so was delighted to be invited to try the Sparkling Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea at St Ermin’s Hotel, a lovely four star hotel close to Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament.

I also love a Summer Afternoon Tea so returned to St Ermin’s Hotel in 2018 to indulge again!

You’ll feel festive from the start as the hotel’s courtyard entrance has twinkling fairy lights to set the scene. The opulent lobby is always stunning with the sweeping staircase, chandeliers and splendid mezzanine balcony. And that’s all before you even sit down.

St Ermin's Hotel entrance - Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea

The Menu

Executive Head Chef, Alexander Boyd has created a fabulous selection of seasonal treats for the cake stand.

The savoury bites include festive sandwiches: Roast turkey and cranberry sandwich with stuffing; Smoked mackerel pâté with horseradish cream; plus cucumber, beetroot & goats’ cheese tart with balsamic caviar, and truffled egg mayonnaise roll. (Vegetarian options are available.)

Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea cakestand

There are, of course, freshly baked scones, both plain and fruit scones, with clotted cream and jam.

Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea scones
The scones are not on the cake stand and come to the table warm as you finish your sandwiches.

 

Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea scones
Do you prefer clotted cream or jam first?

All of this is topped off with the sweet treats including: Banana bread with salted caramel and banana crisp, Coffee choux bun, a mini yule log, Pear & ginger mousse with redcurrants, Mincemeat macaron, and Mulled wine cream with chestnut and cinnamon mille feuille. Yes, ‘wow’ would be the right reaction to that list.

Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea sweet treats

 

The teas are by Newby Teas and I can recommend the Earl Grey as it’s the best I know.

Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea - teapot

Venue

The Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea is served daily in the pretty and intimate Tea Lounge. When this is busy you can also dine at the seating on the mezzanine balcony.

St Ermin's Hotel Tea Lounge - Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea
This photo doesn’t do justice to the ornate ceiling.

Special Dates

There are two very important dates to note. On Sunday 11 and Sunday 18 December 2016, 12.30pm-6pm, there’s a special Baubles, Bubbles and Jingles celebration being held in the Crystal Ballroom, with live music and unlimited Champagne.

Cost

The Sparking Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea includes unlimited Champagne and is priced at £40 per person. Without the Champagne it’s £32 per person. Ask in advance if you have special requirements as there are gluten-free options available and a Kid’s Afternoon Tea too.

Conclusion

Wonderfully indulgent and beautifully presented, the St. Ermin’s Hotel’s Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea is a lovely festive treat. Combining my love of mince pies with macarons was genius, in my opinion. I would have liked to have seen a mini Christmas fruit cake but the sweet treats included were all delicious.

I left smiling after feeling thoroughly spoiled, and I didn’t need to eat again for the rest of the day.

St Ermin's Hotel Afternoon Tea

Address: St. Ermin’s Hotel, Caxton Street, London SW1H 0QW

Official Website: www.sterminshotel.co.uk

Disclaimer: As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary afternoon tea for review purposes. While it has not influenced this review, AboutLondonLaura.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.