London Landmarks Afternoon Tea at The Town House at The Kensington

We review the latest themed afternoon tea at the five-star Town House at The Kensington.

Town House at The Kensington are the foodie geniuses behind one of London’s most popular afternoon teas (the Tale as Old as Time tea) so I jumped at the chance to try their latest themed offering; the London Landmarks Afternoon Tea.

I immediately felt at home as I entered the boutique hotel, which is set in leafy south west London.

The Kensington is incredibly homely and luxurious. All guests get the VIP treatment – the staff are polite and clearly passionate, without being overbearing.

We were led into the oh-so-cosy library – complete with a roaring fire – and immediately sunk into our plush wing-backed armchairs. It was bliss, especially after spending a day on our feet in central London.

One of the best things about the Town House’s much-loved afternoon teas is that they begin with a plate of bite-sized savouries.

We started with petite steak and ale pies, filled with slow-cooked chunks of beef that fell apart in our mouths. The stilton and broccoli quiche was a personal favourite, thanks to its rich buttery pastry case and oozy cheese centre. It’s a good thing the starters weren’t full-sized, I would’ve gladly scoffed larger portions given the chance.

The afternoon tea is served on a custom-made London Eye stand. It’s marvellous and you’ll probably take a few photos before you tuck in. There are finger sandwiches, scones and masterfully-crafted cakes in the shape of famous London monuments, spread across the three tiers.

I’m not usually fussed by finger sandwiches but these were seriously tasty and inspired by yummy British classics. My guest announced that the Coronation Chicken was ‘the best she’d ever tasted’. I thought so too.

The scones were perfectly-sized, fluffy inside and crunchy on top. Even the jam’s worth a mention. According to our host, it’s one of the UK’s tastiest and I can definitely vouch for that.

My highlights from the sweets included a divine white chocolate sculpture of The Gherkin, filled with decadent dark chocolate ganache. I loved the red telephone box too, it was made tart rhubarb mousse and it cut through all the indulgence.

As well as delivering 10/10 on flavour, the physical prying apart of the buildings is a novelty in itself and you’ll find yourself marvelling at these miniature artworks before eating them. Some serious TLC has gone into their making.

For treats as sublime as this, you need top-notch tea to match and that’s exactly what the Town House serves up. The tea menu isn’t huge though it’s been very carefully curated and features some of the rarest loose leaves in the world, grown and picked in small batches. Handpicked herbal teas, delicate white teas, superior green teas and single estate black teas are all there for the sipping. You can order cocktails and bubbly too.

The icing on the cake is a gorgeous illustrated map of London and a set of postcards you get to take home – as well as any leftovers, unless like us, you couldn’t resist eating the lot.

The London Landmarks Afternoon Tea costs £42 per person or £54.50 with a glass of champagne.

London Landmarks Afternoon Tea – Where & How?

The London Landmarks Afternoon Tea is located at Town House at The Kensington, 109-113 Queen’s Gate, London SW7 5LP.

For bookings or to find out more, visit townhousekensington.com.