Charlie and The Chocolate Factory adventure
If you love all things sugar and sweet treats there is a place in London that you need to visit for Afternoon Tea!
A few weeks ago I got to hang out with a family friend and we went for Afternoon Tea at the One Aldwych Hotel in London. It was my first time going to hang out with a friend after the pandemic and getting the underground was definitely different. I would say that if you’re travelling around London at the moment, please follow the rules and wear masks as per the guidelines. I must admit it did annoy me how many people still don’t follow basic COVID rules. OK rant over!
I’ve been for afternoon tea before, but not for one like this!
The tea was split into two rounds as expected – one savoury and one sweet. It also included unlimited drinks such as tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cocktails.
The savoury section included a spinach roly-poly, salmon cream cheese on bread, beef horseradish slider, cucumber sarnie and then a macaron. Here was the twist: It was a salmon & beetroot flavour macaron. I did not expect to like it as I’m not a fan of strong salmon. I wanted to have a go so I tried it and oh my gosh it was the most amazing treat I’ve eaten in a long time! I liked it so much that when the waiter asked which ones we wanted to try again I immediately said the macaron please! I could easily eat a whole plate-full of those macarons!
Then came the dessert section and I was speechless. What arrived is shown in the picture below. There were two large bundles of candy floss along with: a chocolate financier cake, blueberry tart, violet marshmallow, white chocolate cremeux with rhubarb, dark chocolate cake, swudge milkshake (mint chocolate), Scones with jam & clotted cream.
Selection of Sweet treats for Afternoon Tea
I started with the scone and then ended up being so stuffed that I had the swudge milkshake and cremeux before packing the rest to take it home. These tiny things were incredibly filling.
In terms of drinks the tea list was extensive. In keeping with the theme, I decided to try a chocolate Noir tea and the flavour of chocolate came through without it being sickly sweet. I loved it!! I would recommend that if you find the sweet treats a tad too sweet then definitely order a tea or coffee to help contrast the sugar hit.
Everything was surreal from the food to the decorations of the room. With the afternoon tea being Charlie and The Chocolate Factory themed there were lots of kids & parents and families. I say you’re never too old to enjoy this kind of treat. The staff also cater to various dietary requirements so ensure to let them know at the time of booking.
The afternoon tea costs £52 per person but if you go on Groupon or Living Social you will be able to get it at a discounted cost so it’s worth checking before you book.
Also when we rang to book they advised that each booking lasts about 1-2 hours. I would say that if you’re not in a rush then plan to spend at least 3 or 4 hours minimum so that you can relax and enjoy the food. The staff were friendly, and they don’t hurry you out so you can spend the whole afternoon relaxing.
If you’re in central London and decide to check it out I’d love to know what you’re favourite part is!
Take a look at the below photos to see even more of what was included with this experience! In order the captions are: Afternoon tea sign, Chocolate tea, Salmon & beetroot macaron, swudge shake, fruit tea and cremeux rhubarb dessert.
