Another a year has passed and I’ve managed to tuck into 19 gluten free Afternoon Teas in 2014 so I thought it would only be right to do a round up of the best gluten free Afternoon Teas on offer including a few from around the world.
Simply the Best
Claridge’s, you’re the bees knees when it comes to gluten free afternoon tea – definitely No. 1 in London and the hotel will ruin you for life; you won’t look at a gluten free scone the same way ever again.
For quality control purposes I tried the afternoon tea out twice in a matter of months and it was perfect both times and they change their gluten free pastries on a regular basis. (Full review of the Afternoon Tea at Claridge’s).
Location Location Location
I’ll be perfectly honest, it wasn’t the best gluten free afternoon tea I’ve ever eaten however when it comes to location this one can’t be beaten!
Afternoon Tea served on the terrace at the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan while the sun sets over the Nile is utter perfection. You should partake in this afternoon tea at least once in your life. (Full review of the Afternoon Tea at The Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan, Egypt).
A big surprise
The gluten free afternoon tea that did surprise me the most this year was the Hotel Cafe Royal, why? well I hadn’t heard the best things about the food or the hotel so I wasn’t expecting much but oh my goodness the vast selection of gluten free treats popped my socks off. (Full review of the Afternoon Tea at Hotel Cafe Royal)
The Oscar Wilde Bar is truly decadent – naked boobies everywhere!
No gluten envy
This year saw the Intercontinental Westminster get rebranded to Conrad London St James and as I’m Miss Piggy, I tried out their gluten free afternoon tea twice this year and both times I was impressed. Conrad London St James currently have a fabulous Christmas Afternoon Tea on offer and everyone is provided with the same pastries as all the pastries are gluten free hence no gluten envy! (Full review of the Afternoon Tea at Conrad London St James)
My big fat greek afternoon tea
When in Athens actually pop into the beautiful and iconic Hotel Grande Bretagne and indulge in the afternoon tea ritual in the Winter Garden. The gluten free afternoon tea is up to London standards and too quote my other half – the fully loaded gluten scones are the best in the world, even better than Claridges which currently rank in second place. (My other half is a gluten eating monster and eats a lot of afternoon tea so he is qualified to make these kind of bold statements – Full review of the Afternoon Tea at Hotel Grande Bretagne Athens)
My most disappointing
Never ever make me wait 1.5 hours for afternoon tea as this turns me into a very grumpy kiwi bear – yes Shangri-La Hotel London I’m looking at you. We had afternoon tea on the opening weekend (there were a lot of issues) however I’m still reading a lot of mixed reviews about this afternoon tea – proceed with caution if you do book. The views are fabulous and it’s a cheap way to have afternoon tea and get almost to the top of the Shard Building. (Our experience was so bad that my other half complained – he’s English and doesn’t like to make a fuss but even he was disgusted with the level of service which was definitely not what we expect from the Shangri-La Hotel Chain – Full review of the Afternoon Tea at Shangri La London Hotel)
Stale Bread ain’t fun
While I hate waiting for my food to arrive, I get even more peeved off when I’m served stale bread and this has happened twice this year – at The Milestone Hotel and The Ampersand Hotel so both these hotels are on my naughty list – if you are going to serve food make sure that everything is fresh as when I’m passing over my bucks I want quality!
I’m not afraid of naming and shaming hotels folks, I give totally honest reviews on my blog as I don’t like wasting my money and I don’t want you to waste yours either – I totally get that hotels have bad days as we all do however that is when quality checks should be in place to stop anything nasty ever getting to the table – if you’re going to charge 5 star prices for afternoon tea then I expect 5 star quality every time!
Obviously you can still check out my 2013 Gluttons Guide to Eating Gluten Free Afternoon Tea post and if you need some handy tips on what to wear to Afternoon Tea then I have Afternoon Tea Tips from an Experienced Pinkie Raiser post for you to check out!
What is your favourite gluten free afternoon tea? If you have visited an establishment that you think will pop my socks off please let me know. Also please let me know if you visit one of my recommendations as I would love to hear your thoughts on the afternoon tea.
xx
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