Among the many yum-yum offerings associated with this year's Chocolate Week is one particularly gorgeous afternoon tea in the gorgeous Winter Garden at the Landmark London hotel. If you're looking to splurge or to wow a certain someone, you can't go wrong with this luxurious afternoon indulgence amid the palm treed splendor of the Landmark's interior courtyard.
For £40 (£45 with a glass of Taittinger Champagne - and we highly recommend going with the £45 option), a selection of sandwiches (cucumber, organic egg mayonnaise with mustard cress, and so forth) along with an overwhelming array of chocolate delights followed by a basket of warm freshly baked chocolate chip and fruit peel scones, with Cornish clotted cream, home made strawberry reserves and hazelnut chocolate spread can be yours. Of course, that comes with your choice of tea as well. On our visit we had the smoky black tea blend, Lapsang Souchong, which we'd gladly sip upon again.
And what of these overwhelming chocolate delights? Check it out: chocolate and orange madeleine, white chocolate and mint macaroon, chocolate dipped strawberries, chocolate and raspberry creme brulee, baked white chocolate cheesecake, marble cup cake, milk chocolate and banana pot au chocolat, dark chocolate and mango dream, gateaux opera, chocolate brownie, vanilla and chocolate choux. Now there's a mouthful of chocolate. Our fave? Hmmm probably the white chocolate and mint macaroon but we can't think of a good reason to not sample any of the above listed choco-treats. In addition to being a delicious way to spend an afternoon, the Landmark's Winter Garden guaranteed elegance.
The prompt service in such a setting impressed us to no end, and a post-tea tipple in the hotel's Mirror Bar (which might just quality as London's swishest hotel bar) confirmed the Landmark to be a destination of distinction for us. During Chocolate Week, special cocktails from the Mirror Bar and other related goodies will be available. And just so ya don't feel too decadent should you choose to swing by for this afternoon tea or any of the Landmark's other specialties, it's worth noting that throughout October the Landmark will donate £1 from selected dishes to Breast Cancer Research as part of Breast Cancer Awareness month.
The Landmark London is located at 222 Marylebone Rd. Visit them online at www.landmarklondon.co.uk for more details. See the Chocolate Week's events page for more reasons to exist next week.
Photography by Chris Osburn
