I recently enjoyed afternoon tea at St. James' Hotel and Club in Mayfair. The afternoon tea is themed "The Masterpiece" based upon the artwork from famous artists, and little pastries of these "Masterpieces" were created in edible form. The hotel is located near Green Park and not far from the Royal Academy of Arts, which is possibly the inspiration for the theme. The pastries are inspired by the works of Damien Hirst, René Magritte, Vincent van Gogh, and Salvador Dalí.
Finally, we had a little bit of sun to enjoy the afternoon tea. It's starting to look more like spring, and I enjoyed the special touch of blooms decorating the front of the hotel.
I ordered the Darjeeling afternoon tea. The sandwiches included the following, and they also cater for vegtarians and other dietary requirements: ham and plum chutney, smoked salmon on rye, egg mayonnaise and watercress, and cheddar and green tomato chutney.
The pastries included a coconut-flavoured "Spot Painting" inspired by Hirst, apple mousse inspired by Magritte's "The Son of Man", pistachio, raspberry and lemon choux inspired by Van Gogh's "Sunflowers", and a dark chocolate and cherry pastry inspired by Dali. My favourite was the coconut or apple mousse.
Following the pastries, I enjoyed scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam.
I absolutely love afternoon tea, and the start of spring is a perfect time to indulge.
Leave a comment