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Afternoon Tea at The Langham London

By Michelle McKinley | September 29, 2016 0 Comments

When in London visit Palm Court at the Langham London

The English are famous for many things, tea time being one of them. There’s no shortage of venues when it comes to tea time, but the Langham London is the premier destination for English tea. Explore the Langham London, and why we find it to be the best afternoon tea in the city.

Langham, London History

The Langham London is one of the largest and most well known hotels in London. Located in the Marylebone district of London, the hotel faces Regent’s Park, one of the royal parks of London. The hotel was built between 1863 and 1865, featuring the first hydraulic lifts in England. At the time the hotel was the largest in the city. In the 1860s the hotel became popular with American clientele, including Mark Twain. In 1879, Arthur Conan Doyle set Sherlock Holmes stories at the Langham London, including The Sign of Four and A Scandal in Bohemia.

The hotel’s success continued into the 20th Century, and was frequented by royalty and powerful politicians including Diana, Princess of Wales, Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle.

Check out other famous London Hotels

Palm Court

Afternoon tea is served at the Palm Court restaurant located near the entrance of the grand hotel. Palm Court is a princess’ dream, with luxurious leather booths, crystal chandeliers, floor to ceiling mirrors, and purple orchids. The room is light and airy, with hues of cream and pale pink.

Afternoon tea was actually born over 150 years ago at Palm Court. Serving tea to the rich and powerful since 1865, Palm Court is truly every grown up little girl’s dream. While many establishments with this amount of prestige feel stuffy, the staff at Palm Court make guests feel comfortable and welcome. Make your reservations in advance to secure your spot for afternoon tea.

The Food

Don’t eat before you go. If you’re used to afternoon teas with tiny finger sandwiches that leave you hungry for more, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by just how much you can indulge at the Langham London. The Wedgwood Afternoon Tea is the most popular menu at Palm Court. The meal begins with a tea of your choice, which is to be enjoyed with an Amuse bouche of lemon posset to cleanse the palate. Next, waiters come by with trays of tea sandwiches. These sandwiches are actually quite large. You can choose between the following sandwiches:

Truffled duck egg brioche
Smoked salmon, asparagus and rye cracker
Classic cucumber, cream cheese and chives
Corn-fed chicken and golden sultana on carrot bread
Peppered beef pastrami and red leicester coleslaw on cocoa bread

Try them all, or just a few, it’s up to you. Unlike many afternoon teas, you can request as many sandwiches as you’d like. Try not to fill up too much on tea sandwiches, since dessert is a one-of-a-kind experience. Of the sandwiches, our favorites were the classic cucumber and the truffled duck egg brioche. I didn’t care for the peppered beef, which had an odd bitter taste.

In addition to tea sandwiches, guests can choose between a selection of warm plain and fruit scones served with clotted cream and strawberry preserves.

Dessert

Perhaps the best part of the experience is dessert. The Palm Court has the added draw of employing award winning Pastry Chef Cherish Finden. Earning the title “Grand Dame of British Pastry,” Finden is an impeccable artist. As executive pastry chef for the Langham London, Finden has designed unique pastry experiences, unmatched by any afternoon tea in the city.

Not only did we each receive this plate of beautiful treats, but Finden sent us a special dessert to help us celebrate our anniversary. The attention to detail was so great, and effort put into each aspect of the dessert so high, we hesitated to take a taste. We couldn’t hold back, and so we tried each one, each better than the one before. Stuffed as we were we couldn’t finish all we were served, and were happy to find out that the Langham London allows you to take your treats to go in a beautiful to-go box. View the slideshow below to see our anniversary dessert.

Want to book your reservation for the Palm Court at the Langham London? Use this reservation link.