Afternoon Tea at The Carlton Tower

Unparalleled Tea Experience with Unlimited Delights

Recently, I slipped into the genteel rhythms of an afternoon tea at The Carlton Tower, and let's just say, they certainly have upped the ante in what's increasingly becoming London's competitive world of tiered platters and clinking China. With a delightful theme inspired by the King's garden, this was not merely a tea parade but a festival of unexpected flavors paired impeccably with fragrant brews. Relaxed yet smartly attuned to its audience, the decor blended seamlessly with the vibrant menu—which cunningly masked sugar along with calories—and genuinely took you on a consummate journey through gourmand glens. This isn’t your dotty aunt's cucumber sarnie hour; it's a lavish free-pass to as many flavor-packed sandwiches as you can muster, though the current record remains a daring 47.

Service sang in harmony led by Mattia, who has a deft touch akin to a sommelier but with leaves not grapes. He transformed my cup into a swirling pot of detectable delight, one infused with empathy and subtlety—turning a seemingly ordinary afternoon into a dazzling spectrum of gustatory pleasures. The man is a veritable wizard with the brew, swooping in with the soft filigree of recommendations that playfully dance atop each course. Everywhere there were nooks blossoming with attentive service, creativity flavored by character, where staff such as Andrea and Nicola wrap you in grace without casting so much as a whiff of starchy over-performance. London may thrive on choice, but for splendid unabashed indulgence that's wrapped in the delicate balance of tradition reimagined, The Carlton Tower irrevocably tastes like a return ticket. — Milo Tastemaker