AFTERNOON TEA REVIEW: Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon (London)

 

Location: Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Fortnum & Mason, London UK

Price: £84 per person (plus add-ons); prices vary for other menus

Reservations: In advance via website

Normally I like to go to afternoon tea with at least one friend. It’s just more fun that way. But if a good tea awaits and I’m flying solo, then so be it.

The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon is one of the poshest affairs you’re going to encounter. Situated on the fourth floor of Fortnum & Mason, it requires booking in advance and fills up very quickly. That said, if you have the time and the money, it is extremely worth it — especially at the holidays.

It was the special holiday menu that got me to go the extra mile (both literally and financially) for this particular engagement. I'm a sucker for themed and seasonal menus, just as much as I'm a sucker for a fancy afternoon tea. For diners less interested in sweets, there's a savoury afternoon tea with different scones and pastries; but I wasn't about to miss out on the desserts on offer.

Before I go into the menu, it's worth mentioning that going alone was not at all an awkward experience. Most diners were in pairs or groups, understandably; however, I was not the only solo diner there, and the waitstaff took extra time to check in on me. So if you want to check out this tearoom but have no one to go with, don't worry. You can enjoy it solo. (Or do like I did and keep sending snaps to your bestie.)

The Sandwiches

The spread came with five varieties of sandwiches, most being variations on familiar standards. Like everything else on the menu, more was available at no extra cost; but honestly a single serving was extremely filling.

• Coronation Chicken: Not something we tend to have in the US; this is a sort of curried chicken salad originally created in honor of Elizabeth II's coronation. I've never actually had coronation chicken before, but this was extremely nice. My second favorite of the sandwiches.
• Cotswold Legbar Egg Mayonnaise: You know egg salad means business when they tell you what kind of chicken the eggs come from. Honestly, though, egg salad just hits different in the UK. Just a reminder that we could have great things if we didn't chemical wash our eggs.
• Kames Bay Smoked Trout with Dill Cream Cheese: Best of the bunch, at least in my opinion. It tasted like a slightly subtler smoked salmon, which I'm always a fan of.
• Cucumber with Lemon and Mint: An old standby, but if you don't like cucumbers, this probably won't change your mind. I do, and I always save the cucumber sandwich for last.
• Christmas Spiced Suffolk Ham: I'm not big on ham (which I know is a sin for a Virginia girl), mainly because it can be so gristly and salty. But this was thin-sliced and very nice. The spice was unusual, but in a good way; very warm and wintry.

The Scones

Rather than one scone, each diner gets two little scones: one plain and one fruit. The menu says they come with strawberry & champagne preserve or orange curd, but I got little jars of both. I'd bought some of the former for myself last year so I knew I'd like it, but the latter was absolutely amazing. I'm kicking myself for not picking up a jar on my way out. There was also clotted cream which was, of course, excellent.

The Pâtisseries

As much as I love a good tea sandwich, spotting these on F&M's Instagram is what lured me over. Each one looked so beautiful, and they tasted amazing, too.

• Rose Éclair: I saved this one for last. Maybe it's my love of anything rose-flavored, but this was the best of the bunch. Very small, not overly sweet, and absolutely very floral.
• Mandarin Mousse: An orange mousse in the shape of a little Christmas bauble, this was one of the two most visually pleasing desserts (while also still being delicious). I loved the glossy outside.
• Chocolate and Cranberry Bavarois: Tied with the mandarin mousse for aesthetics, this was a little Bavarian cream treat in the shape of a shiny apple. Extremely nice.
• Sticky Figgy Loaf: The largest and densest (and sweetest) item on the menu. If I hadn't been at the far end of an afternoon tea, I might have liked it a bit more. But it sat a bit heavy. Delicious nonetheless.
• Mince Tart: Naturally. It was very standard, but very nice. Nothing over the top or inventive, but it didn't need to be.

The Teas

Of course the tea menu here is absolutely massive, considering the catalogue of blends the shop has to its name. And, like the rest of the menu, you can get refills. More importantly, you can switch up your tea if you want!

I started with the Queen Anne blend, which I'd never had before, and I was not disappointed. It's a very smooth Assam/Ceylon blend that's strong without being overpowering, meaning it served as a nice complement and palate cleanser to pretty much everything on the menu.

As I was wrapping up the last of the desserts, I went with the Smoky Earl Grey — which I'd never had but assumed I would like since I love both smoky teas and bergamot. It was as good as I'd hoped, but I was glad I waited 'til after the bulk of the meal to have it. This was a nice one for enjoying after the fact on its own.

And the Cocktail

Later in the week, I'll be making a post about the different themed and seasonal drinks I had while I was on holiday, because I made it a point to give them a go (even if they were pricey). I told you, I'm a sucker for special menus. But this one goes here, since it was part of the tea menu.

The Turtle Dove Cocktail is the drink featured in the photo above, made with rum and citrus. It tasted a bit champagney (to the point that I imagine champagne was actually part of the mix), but that's a good thing as far as I'm concerned. It was a nice lead-in to the meal, and I loved how the side of the glass was prettied up.

Again, this is a pricey afternoon, and that's a big part of why I ended up soloing this. But you get what you pay for in terms of food, tea, ambience, and experience in general. It's a lovely space with a friendly staff; and if the holiday menu is any indication, the menus year-'round are likely gorgeous. If you can swing it, treat yourself.