East London Afternoon Tea At The Andaz, Liverpool Street
These days London is awash with afternoon tea of every sort. With themes ranging from fashion to tennis, it’s all there. And the latest one to hit the mean streets is an East London afternoon tea at the Andaz hotel Liverpool St.
Part of the Hyatt group, the hotel is in the perfect location for a sophisticated stop-off with its handy location by Liverpool St Station close to Spitalfields and Shoreditch. Inside, the 1901 wine lounge where the tea is served is decorated in soothing grey tones with high arched ceilings and marbles floors, dressed in a soothing contemporary but classic style. The table setting is equally sophisticated but with bright red floral cups and saucers by T2 providing a cute colour pop.
Sinking into our corner sofas, Belle enjoyed a cold glass of Laurent Perrier champagne before choosing our teas – Assam and Earl Grey but there is a wide range including White Peony and Blackcurrant and Hibiscus. Then the tea arrived in a gorgeous circular tea stand and we had it all explained by the very attentive and slick waiting staff.
Every element of the tea was precise and nicely thought out with some great savoury classics-with-a-twist. Highlights included the decadent truffled egg mayonnaise on a brioche bun and the melt-in-the-mouth beef tartare yorkshire pudding with tomato jus.
Another stand-out savoury was the perfect coronation chicken served on a chapati with a slice of fresh red chill. With its nod to the spice of nearby Brick Lane, it felt just right for an East London afternoon tea.
The plain and fruit scones were of good quality and our favourite cakes were the chocolate, raspberry and tonka delice – deep dark chocolate with a gorgeous punch of raspberry singing through – and the lemon and almond tart.
Unlike some of those other themed teas, this is a subtle nod to the area with its mix of vitality and classic style and the soothing cool climes of the hotel are the perfect oasis to meet a friend before catching a train from Liverpool St or if you fancy a break from shopping nearby.
- The East London Afternoon Tea at the Andaz London Liverpool St is £29 per person or £39 per person with champagne.