If you're new here, you may have already heard me exasperate on how many afternoon teas can one go to. I’ve been to a few, to say the least.

However, I did share when I had my baby shower afternoon tea, it's often the perfect balance between something formal and something light hearted. And something other than brunch. And with the variations a city like London has to offer, it always feels like a treat.

The quest for finding dining options is never ending because trying to get a booking for more than eight people in the main restaurant is almost not a thing; for a party of above eight you're pushed into private dining, for which there are many options, so finding those which are worthwhile can also be a challenge. A good example is private dining at China Tang which was wonderful; they have a gorgeous private dining room and fantastic food all of which exudes real old world charm.

Having been to The Taj before, it was the perfect choice to bring our families together to celebrate my second son’s first birthday. The luxury hotel itself is not as renowned on the list of London’s best hotels (a real shame) but most definitely worth a visit, like most not-so-renowned places.

The weather Gods were with us which just made the afternoon perfect as London truly does transform under the sun; it was sweltering hot only to be followed by a cool overcast the very next day. That’s the wonderful United Kingdom for you.

The Aesthetic

I declared my love for interiors at The Rosewood afternoon tea and how it can make, break and elevate an experience. After all, the whole point of dining anywhere is to feel something different as much as it is to taste something different (can you really have one without the other?)

The Taj has opulence, but with a twist. It does well to balance an Indian heritage but catering to a Western market (perhaps too well in fact, one might say it could do with bringing forth the Indian heritage a little bit more).

The courtyard is by far one of the main attractions; I love their centre stage installations made up of a string of flying, colourful butterflies. There’s al fresco dining dotted all around the installation so you can enjoy the scenery whilst still intimately nestled within the hotel premises.

And the stonework! Is that an odd thing to mention? Because it is beautiful; yellow, bluish, green hues. Departing from the traditional English red brick work but still emitting a subtle regal vibe. 

Afternoon tea or not, it’s definitely worth popping over for a stroll or drink.

The Terrace

It is the terrace we hired for a few hours and it truly did make you feel as though you were in another city. It has its own staircase (no step free access I'm afraid) decked with artificial floral arrangements all the way to the top. When you reach the peak (only two flights of stairs), it unfolds into a reasonable size space decked with astro turf to emulate the great outdoors (doesn’t cheapen the look and feel either), and overlooks the splendid courtyard. London isn't exactly famous for its rooftop bars and restaurants, the city really isn't built that way which is intentional, though it does have a fair few treasures (Maddison, Sushi Samba to name but a few). 

The Cuisine

Whilst a traditional English Afternoon tea is never a bad idea, I'm so in love with novel experiences like the Chinese whispers afternoon tea at Kai, and Indian afternoon tea did not disappoint. 

The dining set up rested under foliage covered arches, and the dining table itself backed up against a flower wall making it feel like the pocket of an enchanted garden. 

Like with Kai, the spread is vast and the culinary options substantial. Traditional English sandwiches and pastries were replaced with alternative options known to the South Asian region - with a twist. 

Savories included pakora sliders, samosas, paneer tarts and dhoklas to name a few. The sweet treats ranged from mini cups of falooda, rasmalai trifles, gulab jamman cheesecakes and chocolate laddoo cups. 

I love Indian/Pakistani sweets and found the fusion to be tasteful and fun.

We bought in a birthday cake which was completely unnecessary and purely ceremonial due to all the food and sweet treats we had (for which I’m so grateful for). And my cake toppers are from none other than Atelier Choux; I love, love, love this children’s brand. I’m so into children’s art & design, but that’s for another time…

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