Red Rose Lounge - Havant

We enjoyed a lovely afternoon tea with the pleasant ambiance of a harp in the background, sandwiches, and tea. The standout feature of this experience was definitely the delicious Pariser cakes.

I recently visited the five-star Sofitel London St James, a unique French hotel, for their new floral-themed afternoon tea. This limited edition French twist on the classic English tradition was inspired by the renowned Chelsea Flower Show. I was curious to see how a French hotel group would put their own spin on this beloved British pastime.

I have tried the gluten-free afternoon tea at Sofitel London twice - once in the spa and the second time as part of their Chelsea Garden Show inspired menu. The gluten-free sandwiches were dry and lacking in filling, which was disappointing. However, the scones were the standout item, with the only suggestion being to offer more jam and clotted cream. The pastries were beautifully presented, but as Sofitel is a French brand, I expected more creativity and flavor. The Rose Lounge is lovely and feminine, but there are better afternoon tea options in London to enjoy. xx

I love afternoon tea, in recent years have been a number that I have been blogging for some time in one of my throwback Thursday contributions. I mean, what is not to love about afternoon tea? many sandwiches with different fillings to try fluffy scones with different toppings, and cake galore! with the widest teesortiment they may be able to ask! so I was very excited when I was invited to an exclusive preview of “Le tea en Rose” afternoon tea in the sofitel st james hotel, highlighting the arrival of jump and the chelsea flower show.

On now and running throughout May is a new floral-inspired La Vie en Rose afternoon tea at the Rose Lounge at the Sofitel London St James hotel. I got a taste of this limited run luxury a couple of weeks back and very much enjoyed it. Here’s a waft of what made it such a treat for me. Maybe it was the harpist playing in the corner of the Sofitel’s comfortable yet elegant Rose Lounge? Really, where else are you going to find something like that around town these days? Or perhaps it was the chance to sip from a selection of the exquisite assortment of blends from old school French teahouse, Dammon Freres. I tried two: the especially well suited and fragrant Rose Bud and a more robust...read more