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Afternoon Tea amidst art at The Wallace Collection

February 29, 2016 by manjirichitnis 12 Comments

One of the things I love about London is the many free museums and art galleries that one can go to and spend a few happy hours at.

Hertford House which houses The Wallace collection is nestled in a quiet street just off the buzzing Oxford Street. The stunning historic townhouse is home to 25 galleries housing everything from the world-class armoury to Old Masters paintings.

Grand entrance stairwell at The Wallace Collection

In 1871 thanks to the political upheaval in France, Comte de Nieuwerkerke was looking to sell off his huge collection of French art collection. Which happened to be around the time that Sir Richard Wallace came into money and was looking to expand his inherited art collection. This is how The Wallace Collection came into being. Thanks to this turn of events, a spectacular and renowned collection of medieval and renaissance works of art and arms and armour are available for viewing to us to this day

Amongst the many galleries, not to be missed is The Great Gallery which has been described as “the greatest picture gallery in Europe.”

Though this national museum has free admission, I was invited as a guest by The Wallace Restaurant courtesy of my friend Fiona MacLean who blogs at London Unattached, to sample their delicious afternoon tea in the magnificent in-house restaurant. A huge central glass-covered courtyard is a haven, minutes away from the crowds and noise of one of London’s busiest shopping areas. Flooded with natural light the atrium restaurant offers an alfresco dining experience.

A huge central glass-covered courtyard is a haven, minutes away from the crowds and noise of one of London’s busiest shopping area. Flooded with natural light the atrium restaurant offers an alfresco dining experience.

Glass enclosed central courtyard at The Wallace Collection,Lodon

A group of us food bloggers (Madeleine, Heidi, Jess, and Emma)  were seated at a large table inside the stunning courtyard. I loved the experience of sitting in a large open space yet not being exposed to the elements – almost like a secret hideaway. The natural light made clicking pictures that much more an enjoyable experience.

The seating arrangement at the restaurant at The Wallace Collection

I choose to have a pot of fruity herbal tea, my pick was the orange rooibos – a blush pink coloured, light and fragrant tea. I think it was a perfect accompaniment to the freshly prepared finger sandwiches.

Fruity Tea at The Wallace Collection

I managed to devour most of the large scone with a blob of clotted cream and some Peyton and Byrne preserve. We were also served an eclair with burnt caramel and creme’ chantilly, lemony madeleines, and amaretti biscuit with orange zest. I nibbled at all of the sweet treats but enjoyed the eclair the most although I must admit the burnt caramel topping was too sweet for my taste buds. I most enjoyed the sandwiches and the tea and a glass of Champagne.

Fresh large scone with clotted cream and preserve at The Wallace Collection

For £26 with Champagne, this afternoon tea is an absolute treat, especially since one can really relax in the enclosed courtyard after a spot of gazing at paintings and gawking at magnificent Objets d’Art.

Afternoon Tea at The Wallace Collection

Curious to explore more options for Afternoon Tea in London? Why not browse through my blog and read about my experiences in various places:

  • Boyds Brasserie, Charing Cross
  • Honey Afternoon Tea at St. Ermin’s, Westminster
  • Moroccan Afternoon Tea at Leila, Ealing
  • Chocolate Afternoon Tea at The Landmark Hotel, Marylebone

*With thanks to The Wallace Collection and Fiona for the invite. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review.  As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

The Wallace Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
Square Meal

Filed Under: Featured Lifestyle, Lifestyle, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: afternoon tea, alfresco dining experience, amaretti biscuit, art, Champagne, clotted cream, comte de Nieuwerkerke, eclair with burnt caramel and creme' chantilly, Hertford House, large scone, lemony madeleines, Old Masters paintings, Peyton and Byrne preserve, Sir Richard Wallace, The Great Gallery, The Wallace Collection, world class armoury

Square Meal Bloggers Meet at Boyds Brasserie

September 9, 2014 by manjirichitnis 12 Comments

Square Meal is one of the review websites that I post my reviews too and they invited me for a lovely afternoon tea with other blogger reviewers to the very posh Boyds Brasserie at Trafalgar Square, in July.

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That day I was under the grips of a massive , massive Hayfever attack (which went on to develop into a full blown pollen induced chest infection – who knew an innocent bunch of flowers could do something so evil !?!)  and therefore starting the evening with several cups of warm tea was just what I needed ! In spite of it being a really warm evening I enjoyed cradling my hot cuppa and chatting up the other bloggers. Boyds also had a very special treat for us – Brut Ruinart Rose Champagne – I had to unwillingky refuse though …

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The potted shrimp was silky and luxurious and was polished off in no time.

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We had a selection of lovely sandwiches made with soft bread and they went down a treat .

  • Salted Beef, Pickled Cucumber, Dijon on Brown Bread
  • Egg Mayonnaise & Watercress on White Bread
  • Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, Dill on Brown Bread
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The scones served with strawberry jam and Devonshire clotted cream were next and Susan told us about the ‘Scone Test’ , apparently if you twist your scone and breaks away in half without much fuss , it has been made well and is fresh too ! So we all spent the next few minutes trying to ‘break’ our scones , twisting our faces into weird construed frowns and scaring the staff in general 😉

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That is Emily putting her scones to the test ! @emily_etc

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I gave up after a while resigning to the fact that trying not to die of Hayfever was already too much work for me. I decided to also focus on the other sweet treats that came with the warm scones  – Fruit Cakes, Mini Chocolate Eclairs , Lemon Drizzle Cake, Lemon Curd  and the very tempting Mini Strawberry Tarts.

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It was one of those blogger meets where all the bloggers who came were really were friendly and conversation flowed easily . Each one followed the others on twitter and instagram and on other vitual spaces all this while sharing our foodie adventures.

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L R – : @MyDailyDose8 ,Ele – @cakeoverworld and Snita – @herfavfood

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Far Right : @Mitzie8cake

I quite agree with what the Food & Drink Guide 2014 has to say about the  Boyds Brasserie :

‘Unashamedly British, Boyds delivers quality food and service in opulent surroundings, with a nod to its Victorian heritage, but with none of the stuffiness that might imply. After just one visit to the buzzy bar, glamorous lounge and relaxed modern restaurant, I can promise you’ll fall in love and become a regular guest of this superb restaurant.’

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No wonder then that they have just won the OpenTable Diners’ Choice Award for the third time in four months!

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Last but definitely not the least came these cute mini ice creams – I didn’t dare try one though…took all of me to stop myself from devouring these treats !

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By the time we left the sun had set on London and there was a pleasant much needed breeze waiting to greet me as I stepped out in the chaos before being swallowed up by the evening crowds heading into the tubes , everyone in a rush to get home .

I kept smiling to myself seeing the voucher in our goody bag with an invitation for a dinner for two at the Boyds Brasserie .

Curious to explore more options for Afternoon Tea in London? Why not browse through my blog and read about my experiences in various places:

  • The Wallace Collection – Afternoon Tea amidst Art, Westminster
  • Honey Afternoon Tea at St. Ermin’s, Westminster
  • Moroccan Afternoon Tea at Leila, Ealing
  • Chocolate Afternoon Tea at The Landmark Hotel, Marylebone

*With  thanks to  Square Meal for the invite and to Boyds Brasserie for hosting us. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review . All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

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Filed Under: Lifestyle, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: afternoon tea, Boyds Brasserie, eating out in London, food blogger, lifestyle blogger, Open Table readers choice winner, sliceoffme reviews, Square Meal Bloggers Meet, theatre, Trafalgar Sqaure, travel blogger, travelsfortaste

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