When the nights turn cold and dark, what better way to lift the spirits than with an afternoon tea? The Chocolate Indulgence Afternoon Tea at Flemings Mayfair is guaranteed to put a smile on your face and being a chocoholic, I was delighted to be invited to experience it.
The hotel is located a stone’s throw from Green Park and Piccadilly and has 129 luxurious rooms, suites, apartments. There’s also a seven bedroom private residence, The Townhouse, with its own terrace. Founded in 1851 by Robert Fleming, it was originally 13 townhouses, is one of the oldest privately owned hotels in London and part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World boutique group.
Afternoon Tea at Flemings Hotel London
Arriving at the handsome Georgian building, we were warmly greeted by the doorman. Flemings prides itself on its personal service and attention to detail.
The floral displays in the lobby are stunning, and the good impressions continued in the Drawing Room.
The friendly atmosphere made for a relaxing afternoon. The hand painted wall panels were arranged as a surprise for the owners of the hotel. They depict early views of India, and are complemented by the teal velvet sofas and chairs.
The champagne was already on ice, they obviously knew we were coming ;-). My friend Bryony was waiting for me – she’s a keen cook and particularly good at baking so I was interested to hear what she thought of the tea.
There’s a choice of several different afternoon teas including traditional high tea and a champagne tea. Flemings also cater for vegetarian, vegan, diabetic and gluten free dietary requirements. Bryony had opted for the latter, and was impressed that she was able to request the menu so knew exactly what she would be getting. We both started with a chilled glass of Jaquart Mosaique Brut Rosé champagne, included with our tea. It had a beautiful pink hue, and a fresh taste with notes of apricot and peach.
We were seated comfortably by the cosy open fire – above the marble fireplace, there’s a striking ‘The Tree of Life’ painting by upcoming intuitive painter Eileen Schaer. You could easily while away an afternoon here reading the stylish books from Assouline.
There’s a great selection of traditional and exotic teas by The East India Company, including a signature Flemings blend. I chose an off-menu fruity concoction that our waiter recommended, it smelt amazing and had lots of flavour. Bryony really enjoyed her spicy Bombay Chai.
As for the tea itself, it was beautifully presented on bespoke crockery. My chocolate afternoon tea looked pretty as a picture. The sandwiches were very fresh and included a selection of ham and egg. My scone was light and fluffy, and accompanied by homemade jam and clotted cream. Unusually, there were also two rectangular chocolate scones, a nice idea in line with the chocolate theme though I preferred the traditional one.
Whilst Bryony ‘s gluten free version was quite a contrast – even the sandwiches had different fillings to mine. She particularly liked her gluten free scones and as she makes these herself, it was a tough act to follow!
Whilst I enjoyed the sandwiches, the star attraction of my tea was definitely the desserts. I loved the addition of seasonal fresh figs and blackberries decorating my petits fours. If you love chocolate, you’ll really appreciate these, from the crunchiness of the chocolate pavé to the oozing consistency of the chocolate mousse, and the sweetness of the white chocolate.
Bryony would have loved to have more chocolate with her gluten free version, though she thoroughly enjoyed her selection of sweet treats and there was one chocolate pavé included.
Before we left, the manager kindly showed us around a couple of the bedrooms. Whilst Flemings has a traditional look from the outside, it has that enviable blend of old and new inside, with plush furniture designed specifically for each room following a recent £14 million refurbishment. Some of the rooms even have their own little private terrace, a rarity in Central London. The artworks are by renowned photographer Andy Gotts – celebrities including Kate Moss, Hugh Grant and Harrison Ford all had their photo taken at the hotel. It’s certainly a good base to explore the attractions of nearby Bond Street.
Afternoon Tea is served daily from 12.30pm – 5.00pm in the Drawing Room and the Grill. It must be pre-booked 24 hours in advance and starts at £34.50 for the Traditional Afternoon Tea. The Chocolate Indulgence Afternoon Tea is priced at £45 and includes a glass of Jaquart rosé champagne per person. There are more great things planned on the dining front, as Michelin starred chef Shaun Rankin will be opening a new restaurant and bar here in 2016.
Flemings Mayfair, 7-12 Half Moon Street, Mayfair, London W1J 7BH
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wow, thats beautiful! Lovely afternoon tea
Kisses,
BLOG | Taislany
It tasted as good as it looked, Taislany – thanks for stopping by
Looks like they really looks after you there. I love the look of the chocolate mousse!
Lots of love,
Angie
SilverSpoon London
The chocolate mousse was my favourite, beautifully decorated!
Looks like a beautiful hotel! and certainly indulgent! x
It did feel very indulgent, in a good way!
The refurbishment is beautiful. An afternoon tea dedicated to chocolate is my perfect afternoon tea. It looks delicious, it would be nice if they added a gluten free chocolate version to the cakes Lucy (FoodieForce)
Hopefully they will, there was one gluten free chocolate cake but it would be great if they added more
Such a luxurious afternoon tea experience. The food looks very appetizing!
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It was such a great afternoon, lovely food and stunning surroundings
Beautiful. How do you always find those incedible places? (:
Nati xx
www.simplyartdicted.com
I’m very lucky, Nati! Have a great Saturday
Such a beautiful post and outstanding place. I love how British this post is! Rose with sensational tea? Sign a girl up. Mayfair is a lovely place. I have only been to the UK once and the majority of my time was spent there. I am missing it now 🙁
XOXO
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Hope you get to come over again soon Kelly, and you’ll be spoilt for choice for afternoon tea
I’m definitely going to have to check this out – especially with rave gluten-free scones!
Hope you like it Emma, my friend really enjoyed the gluten free scones
Heaven for the chocoholic. That’s me!
Ha ha, me too Lux – hope you had a good weekend
Beautiful looking place, and a chocolate afternoon tea?! That sounds perfect to me! x
Kate Louise Blogs
It’s a pretty good combination, Kate 😉
Such a beautiful location! So luxurious and the food always looks so good!
xx
cvetybaby.com
It was a very luxurious location, Cvetina – hope you are well
Oh wow this place looks divine!!! I must visit! Those beautiful desserts have my name written all over them! Xx
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You’ll love it Emma, the desserts were fantastic
I have to say the gluten free offerings look a little sad unfortunately compared to the normal afternoon tea.
Bryony said they were quite tasty, just not as many chocolate options
Yum! Food is so visual… if they look good it just makes you that much more excited to try it!
Anna xx
http://thefashionscents.blogspot.com.au/
That’s a very good point Anna, and I was very excited to try this!
Who doesn’t love an afternoon tea?! Have yet to try a chocolate one! Looks yum! Lots of love, Andrea xxx
Andrea’s Passions
It was my first specifically chocolate afternoon tea too, and it didn’t disappoint!
What a wonderful hotel! I love how every corner seems so beautiful!
Natalia
www.lindifique.com
Yes they’ve put a lot of care and attention into the decor
It was really nice to try chocolate scones, they definitely make a change from the usual ones!
I didn’t think the concept of afternoon tea could get any better – then came chocolate afternoon tea! Looks and sounds delicious 🙂
Ha ha, I totally agree! Chocolate makes it all the more perfect
Amazing to hear that they cater for Gluten free as well, I definitely need to check this out, I’m the biggest fan of afternoon tea!
Ellie
www.theellenextdoor.com
xx
I think you’ll be impressed by the gluten free scones, Ellie
Your tea looks like a totally different experience to what I had of this very tea Suze! I arranged a surprise party for my husband here last year and although the staff were immensely friendly, the tea sadly was a huge disappoitment, starting with the fact that the hotel doorman ruined the surprise having been forewarned(!) the menus not matching those we’d been sent, the dietary requests being forgotten etc etc. What I was very impressed by was just how apologetic they were when I emailed them and how forthcoming they were in offering to make amends and I know others who have gone after me and had much better experiences so it sounds as if they take on constructive feedback and improve on it and I would certainly give them another chance for that approach to customerservice.
That’s interesting, at least they were apologetic and it does sound like it has become a much more user friendly experience since you went, Shikha
There is nothing better than afternoon tea. This places looks perfect
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My gosh the interiors are stunning! & the cakes look too delicious & tempting! I must go for this afternoon tea sometime 🙂
Serene | I Am Serene L
Enjoy it if you do, Serene – have a great week!
I always walk by here and wonder what it is like inside! The tea looks wonderful Suze, such a nice treat 🙂
Ash | Liakada
You should definitely pop in Ash, they’re very welcoming and it feels really cosy
I’d say it’s a must for anyone visiting London or just someone who needs cheering up in this rainy weather!
Having tea and eating those treats at Flemings Mayfair must be a lovely experience. I love desserts and these ones look delicious!
Danielle
www.spring2spring.com
It looks perfect!
The hotel is amazing and the chocolate cakes look soooo delicious!!!
Thank you for your visit on my blog! I’m glad to know yours, full of tips and beautiful places to visit, I love it 🙂
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Camy xx
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Omgg it really looks delicious ! I’d like to try to take an afternoon tea there sometimes ! 🙂
Do u have any other location to recommend ?
Thank you for this article
Kenza from http://travelwithkenza.blogspot.fr/