I love a good Saturday Girl Date; take a friend – Emma, some Culture and Afternoon Tea and you’re all prepared for a perfect day. The V&A Museum was our bit of culture and they currently have a new exhibition on about Pearls (totally worth a visit to ohh and ahh over some pretty pearls) and we decided to head for Afternoon Tea at The Ampersand Hotel.
The Ampersand had been on my wishlist for a while as the Drawing Room looked like such an amazing space to have Afternoon Tea served in so I was pretty darn excited about visiting and as it’s a five minute walk from some of the best museums in the world; the location is a total winner!
Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest of the hotel however all the views are my own
Sandwiches
The gluten free sandwiches were served up just the way I like them, open sandwiches which of course means you can fit all the other goodies into your tummy! The fillings were the standard; cheese and fruit chutney, Smoked Salmon, Coronation Chicken and the best Ham I have tasted during my Afternoon Tea outings this year.
Now I have to say Emma’s sandwiches looked incredible, hello savoury gougères! Read Emma’s full Gluten Loaded review here
Scones
The scones passed my scone test with flying colours – they were easy to cut into, they didn’t chip a tooth and were very yummy.
They were a tiny bit dry which made them slightly crumbly when I was eating them but trust me when I say that no scone was left on my plate.
Emma was onto her white chocolate scones and they looked impressive especially as they came with chocolate jam; yes you read that right – Chocolate Jam!
Pastries
I like a bit of variety when it comes to my pastries and if you are gluten free then you are not going to be disappointed – the Salted Caramel Bonbon was my favourite!
As I was totally impressed with the Macaroons I decided the girls needed a close up!
Emma’s gluten loaded pastries looked impressive and her winner of the afternoon was the Apricot and White Chocolate Mousse.
Tea
There were a good selection of teas on the menu so I decided I would go with a refreshing peppermint tea and Emma went for the Afternoon Tea blend.
Atmosphere
The hotel had been on my radar for a while but I always get slightly worried about visiting what I deem to be a “design” hotel as I find them slightly cold and uninviting however The Ampersand is the complete opposite and you feel totally at home the moment you walk in the front door and every room holds a new discovery.
I loved the vibe in the Drawing Room where the Afternoon Tea is served and it is such a truly comfortable room to relax in (so much so if I had a bigger hand bag then the red high back chair would have left with me – you can see me relaxing in the chair on Instagram!).
Service
You couldn’t fault the service, the staff are dressed in casual attire however the service is totally 5 star all the way. I loved the banter between staff and customers and there was no stuffiness or coldness.
Emma and I moved down to the bar area for a cheeky cocktail or two and these were amazing! I was totally thinking of rocking up to reception after finishing my cocktails to see if they had a room available as I didn’t want to leave.
We had the pleasure of meeting Head Chef Chris and Head Pastry Chef Ji Sun Shin in the kitchen and can I just say they have some wicked Afternoon Tea’s planned and thank you so much for my cute gift.
Would I recommend the Afternoon Tea at The Ampersand Hotel – Yes!! I have decided that I will be coming back to stay at some time in the future to discover the hotel again and the South Kensington area. Is Emma heading back, yes at the end of the month for her birthday!
Afternoon Tea at The Ampersand Hotel starts at £27.50pp
If you are keen to stay at The Ampersand, the hotel is part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World Network and they have a great loyalty scheme to join where you can earn free nights.
xx
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