Monday 29 April 2013

Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill, GREAT GATSBY NIGHTS IN THE MONTAGU EVERY THURSDAY IN MAY!


To coincide with the release of Baz Luhrmann’s long awaited Great Gatsby movie, The Montagu will be celebrating the roaring twenties, every Thursday evening throughout May. Reveling in this decadent era, guests will enjoy a 1920’s inspired three course set-menu, including a coupe of champagne on arrival and live music with the get-up-and-dance sounds from the Hot Dog Corn Dogs, the Hotel’s resident band. Guest are encouraged to dress for a Great Gatsby party, as they will have the chance to win a three-night weekend stay for two people at the Grand Hyatt New York. Each evening, one of the guest’s will be nominated as ’the best dressed’ and at the end of May, Michael Gray, General Manager of Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill will choose a final winner. The winner of each evening will also receive two complimentary tickets to a showing of The Great Gatsby.

The 1920’s set menu will include well-loved American themed dishes. Starters such as Manhattan Clam Chowder and Classic Waldorf Salad will feature, whilst the mains will include a New York Steak Diane with fries on the side. For those with a sweet tooth, guests will enjoy such desserts as White Chocolate Cheese Cake with Blueberry compote and Pecan Pie with whipped cream.

Guests will enjoy the vibrant tunes of the Hot Dog Corn Dogs! Including their charismatic singer and guitarist Laurence Corns accompanied by "nimble fingered" pianist Dan Teper. They combine foot-tapping jazz with a charming joie-de-vivre and down-to-earth grooviness.

For an alternative night out and a jazzed up May, this roaring twenties evening cannot be missed. The Montagu Great Gatsby Nights will be held on 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th May between 6:30pm and 10:45pm and is available at £35 per person for the three course set menu and a glass of champagne.


Reservations:
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7299 2037
E-mail: montagu.hrlondon@hyatt.com

Thursday 25 April 2013

Afternoon Tea at THE ROSE LOUNGE, Sofitel St James


Sofitel London St James is located in the heart of St. James's on the corner of Pall Mall and Waterloo Place, within walking distance of St. James's Park, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. This grade II listed building was the former home of Cox's and King's bank and now houses one of London's most unique five-star hotels - combining traditional British design with a contemporary style that is unmistakably French.

The Rose Lounge features a subtle colour scheme of pink and cream, creating a delicate and fresh ambience complemented by stunning displays of fresh flowers and the sound of a live harp. In this very feminine décor, guests can enjoy Le Tea en Rose, an afternoon tea with a French twist, presented in a unique pink china service designed by Wedgwood.

Informal yet elegant...

The Rose Lounge has been awarded with The Tea Guild Award of Excellence 2013 by the UK Tea Guild in recognition of achieving the very highest standards in the service of Afternoon Tea.

Le Tea en Rose Menu
An Afternoon Tea with a French touch

Your choice of Postcard Teas

Finger sandwiches
Chef's selection of four seasonal sandwiches

Freshly baked, homemade scones
Served warm with Devonshire clotted cream, rose scented
raspberry jam and lemon curd

Parisiennes Pastries
Your choice of freshly made miniature French pastries

£28 per person

Accompanied by a Rose & Litchi Champagne Cocktail
£32 per person

Daily between 2.30pm to 5.00pm

Friday 19 April 2013

CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW FLORAL AFTERNOON TEA, DORCHESTER LONDON


MONDAY, 20 MAY - SUNDAY, MAY 26, 2013

Inspired by Chelsea Flower Show’s centenary in 2013, The Dorchester’s executive chef, Henri Brosi, has designed a collection of floral-inspired cakes and pastries to complement the finger sandwiches and freshly-baked warm scones, as part of the award-winning afternoon teas in The Promenade.

After enjoying this afternoon tea you’ll also receive a small gift of a lavender bag, from the in-house florist, to scent your home.

Available in The Promenade: Monday, May 20, until Sunday, May 26, 2013
Daily sittings at: 1.15pm, 2.30pm, 3.15pm, 4.45pm and 5.15pm accompanied by a pianist

£51 per person, with a glass of Laurent-Perrier NV Champagne
£56.50 per person, with a glass of Laurent-Perrier Rosé NV Champagne


*Prices include VAT and exclude a discretionary service charge of 12.5%.

For more information or to make a reservation, please contact Restaurant Reservations at The Dorchester on +44 (0) 20 7317 6501 or emailrestaurants.tdl@dorchestercollection.com

Thursday 18 April 2013

Beautiful Rooms: Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris


Less of a hotel and more of a love story with foundation, Le Royal Monceau - Raffles Paris is gorgeous and colorful palace that's been graced with a modern touch. In all its grandeur, it retains a human feel.

Situated on the prestigious Avenue Hoche, just steps from the Champs Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe and the elegant Parc Monceau, the hotel is perfectly placed to experience the rich and vibrant atmosphere of Paris.


www.leroyalmonceau.com

Afternoon Tea At SEVVA, Hong Kong


Situated on top of the penthouse of one of the most iconic buildings in the heart of the city, SEVVA welcomes you.

The menu at SEVVA is inspired by the cultural diversity of Hong Kong itself: Authentic tastes typical of those created in everyday Chinese regional kitchens adding to the myriad of influences from the colonial days. Vibrant dishes that speak of the city's love of the classic food styles of Europe and other Asian cities. The concept and philosophy of SEVVA is the interpretation of a refined upbringing and years of great exposure to the many travels and memories of Bonnae Gokson, Founder & mastermind of this establishment.The cuisine is fresh, simple and honest, good food prepared on an emphasis of the finest produce: either from bustling local markets or flown-in (specialties) from around the world.

Timeless in décor, the restaurant and bar resembles a home that oozes warmth, soul energy and exude an air of sophistication. In a class of its own SEVVA mixes masculine with feminine, everyday with ceremonial, industrial with refined and casual with formal.


Sevva‘s Heavenly Signature Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is described to be the very best in town!


Their tea set is semi-asian inspired, featuring mushroom on a toast of rice crispie's, Pork Chop Mini- Burger, Crab-Cake in Squid Ink  and a selection of pastries to finish. Everything was decadent and delectable.

The signature tea set, HK$520 + 10% for 2 persons including tea and coffee – that for sure you’ll want to skip lunch and leave room for. Reservations by email is a jiffy. Oh, don’t forget to book the outdoor terrace on a fine day to take advantage of the beautiful panoramic view overlooking the city skyline.

Just the spot to savour the good life…

WWW.SEVVA.HK

Wednesday 17 April 2013

Aqua, Hong Kong


Perched on top of One Peking Road, they say Aqua Spirit has the best views in Hong Kong. It’s pretty hard to disagree once you witness that panoramic view of Hong Kong for yourself. As such, Aqua Spirit has become a staple of any out-of-towner’s travel itinerary, and even though it’s already been open for seven years, it remains the place to see and be seen on Kowloon side.



THE VIEW IS INCREDIBLE!

www.aqua.com.hk/

Celebrate the Centenary of the Chelsea Flower Show with The Park Lane Hotel's Flowering Afternoon Tea


In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Chelsea Flower Show, The Park Lane Hotel has created a very special Flowering Afternoon Tea.Available from Tuesday 14th May to Sunday 9th June 2013, The Flowering Afternoon Tea will include a delightful array of horticulturally-inspired teatime treats.

The hotel’s award-winning Pastry Chef, Sarah Hartnett, has created an edible garden gnome as a charming centerpiece for the tea in recognition of the Royal Horticultural Society’s decision to allow the beloved bearded figurines at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show following a long-term ban.

To accompany the Flowering Afternoon Tea, a Tea Sommelier has put together a selection of traditional British, Oriental, herbal and fruit-infused teas, including Whole Rose Bud and Whole Camomile Flower teas, Flowering Osmanthus and Flowering Jasmine Peach.



Selection of Sandwiches 

Poached Scottish salmon, cucumber and fennel crème fraiche, mini muffin (cucumber flowers) 

Orange blossom honey, wholegrain mustard roast ham, candied tomatoes and watercress, white bread 

Roast corn fed chicken, walnut, celery, red onion and nasturtium mayonnaise, granary bread 

Smoked trout and confit trout, citrus cream cheese, radish and herb leaf salad, crostini 

Goats cheese, asparagus and lemon verbena tartlet, soft boiled quails egg 

Scones 

Traditional plain and apple and raisin scones served with lemon verbena curd, clotted cream and seasonal preserves 

French Pastries 

Chocolate hanging basket with spiced Chai tea mousse and chocolate soil 

Honey orange blossom pain de gene with mango compote and edible honey bees 

Rosewater and raspberry mousse with crystallised rose petals on a rose macaroon 

Pistachio and hazelnut chocolate financier “garden patch” with chocolate ladybird 

Tea will be served with a Wild Blossom Champagne Cocktail 


Our Flowering Afternoon Tea is priced at £45 per person and advance booking on +44 (0)20 7499 6321 is required.


Sunday 14 April 2013

"CAFÉ PUSHKIN" CONFECTIONERY, Moscow


T
he beautiful 'Café Pushkin Confectionery' not to be mistaken for the famous 'Cafe Pushkin' restaurant  was opened in 2006 and is situated on the famous Tverskoy blvd. 
It's wonderfully charming with an elegant 18th century interior reminding of the golden age of Marie-Antoinette. 
Restaurateur Andrey Dellos personally controlled the interior design with a magical outcome.

However, the biggest delights are the desserts! Emmanuel Ryon, Chef-confectioner and true wizard in his work, creates incredible handmade pastries, cookies, sherbet, sweets, decorated with monograms and leaf-gold – all true masterpieces. All desserts are made of premium-class goods delivered directly from France.

Once entering your eyes are drawn to the glass showcase filled with pastries, cakes, cookies, macaroons, chocolates with hand-painted monograms, French buns and rolls and many more. The doll-like personnel, somewhat reminding fairies, flits from one table to another along with the sounds of classic music, presenting each guest with a smile, warmth and comfort. All this creates a cheery joyous mood.



Each dessert is a part of the interior itself: each dessert is a true piece of art, incredibly delicious and infinitely beautiful. Emmanuel Rion personally controls the elaboration of all the sweets. Only the prime natural ingredients are used in the production. All the desserts are hand-made every day and this provides for the magical taste and an absolute freshness of the product.

It is a wonderful place for a family tea-party, a romantic rendezvous,  meeting with friends or a business meeting. Not only can  you have tea and coffee with desserts in the confectionery but also you can have a lunch or a complete dinner-course by ordering dishes from the next-door restaurant Cafe Pushkin.



Desserts not only delicious, which is very important by itself, but also delightful to look at.

"Café Pushkin" Confectionery
26, Tverskoy blvd., Moscow
phone: +7 (495) 604-42-80

Saturday 13 April 2013

MARIE-ANTOINETTE AND LOUIS XVI IN CAKE FORM! Couture Creations at SEVVA, Hong Kong


LET THEM EAT CAKE!

MARIE-ANTOINETTE'S CRAVE 

Rose Petals, Mango & Mocha Macaroons of course!  on Pistachio Chiffon with Cream & Raspberries Adorned with hundreds of Pretty Sugar Dragees & Crowned with Pink Cotton Candy ..... undeniably the Queen Of Cakes!


These cakes are only for dine in.
The cakes take 25 minutes, but worth the wait.....promised to turn heads!

Darling size HK$450 + 10% service charge
Great for 4 people to share and left overs can always be taken home.


LE LOUIS 
We loved this cake. Black & Blue Berrie sponge, Whipped French Cream, Chocolate Chiffon & Marshmallow with Sugar Dragees & Crowned with Baby Blue Cotton Candy just heaven.



Darling size HK$450 + 10% service charge
Great for 4 people to share and left overs can always be taken home.

These cakes are Deliciously more than works of art. SEVVA make delicious, high quality desserts with stunning and imaginative design. With Stunning views of Hong Kong its well worth the visit, we can't express how much you must go! but its not just these two beauties, they offer a wide selection of cakes available to order. One that caught our eye was Carmen, shame we didnt have enough time in HK.

www.sevva.hk

W Rock Tea Menu Remix by Gizzi Erskine


The W hotels Rock Tea which is inspired by rock albums and songs such as Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and Fleetwood Mac's Go Your Own Way. Gizzi Erskine has created three brand new sweet treats to the collection: Wild Things, a salted caramel and popcorn eclair; Rockabilly Rebel, a devil's food cake with peanut butter mousse and peanut brittle and Flipsville, a cherry cola and yuzu tart.

The new tea has also achieved gold disc status, with the three-tiered cake stand made from original vinyl records plated in gold - the perfect rock' n' roll centrepiece.

TEA MENU 
W ROCK TEA 

To truly rock, add a classic Hendrick’s Rock 'mar-tea-ni 11' 

Darkside of the moon 
Egg mayonnaise & watercress , Smoked salmon & cream cheese , Cucumber & Greek yogurt, Roast, chicken & lemon butter 

Rule Britannia: Currant scone, clotted cream & jam 

Rockabilly rebel: Devil’s food cake, peanut butter mousse & peanut brittle 

Sticky fingers: Vanilla meringue & attitude
Flips Ville: Cherry cola & yuzu tart 

Every rose has a thorn: Rose financier & rose petal jam 

Wild Thing: Salted caramel & popcorn éclair ,

Cherry bomb : Chocolate, mascarpone & cherry 

Selection of teas:
Camomile, jasmine dragon pearl Japanese sencha, fresh mint, organic English breakfast, Earl grey, pomegranate oolong, grapefruit vanilla, ceylon decaf, mint verbena 


The W Rock Tea remixed by Gizzi Erskine will be served in the W Lounge at W London – Leicester Square between 2pm-5pm daily from 26th March 2013 for a limited three-month period and costs £25 per person. For more information or to book, visit www.wlondon.co.uk or call 0207 758 1060.

Gizzi's brand new book 
'Skinny Weeks and Weekend Feasts' is available at the W Store and all good bookshops. 

A discretionary service charge of 12.5% will be added to your bill 

For any information on allergens - please ask.

Friday 12 April 2013

Stunning Rooms at Blakes Hotel London


Blakes a 5* luxury boutique hotel is located in a quiet residential area of South Kensington . Having recently under-gone a multimillion pound refurbished its Stunning design is elegant and romantic.  Each of there 47 rooms where individually designed by former Bond girl Anouska Hempel, now known globally for her striking interior designs. Each room display's her immaculate attention to detail  providing the ideal blend of colour, texture and atmosphere.

The colour schemes are daring, stunning and dramatic, all designed 
with a vibrant spirit, the passion for travel and life, as it should be, romantic and thought provoking. Black and mustard, rich cardinal reds, lavender, vanilla, washes of tea rose and a room that is white on white on white, offering style and elegance to the discerning traveller. In the business of making dreams a reality, unable to accept the ordinary, Anouska Hempel created a world of excellence one room at a time.




Rates Double rooms from £219.00, excluding tax at 20 percent. 
 
More details Rates exclude breakfast.
Facilities Free WiFi throughout. Massage and therapy room with a full range of treatments (book in advance) and gym.

Check-out Midday, but flexible (subject to availability).
Children Children very welcome; babysitters and nannies available on request.

Also Every guest receives a welcome drink on arrival.

www.blakeshotels.com

Wednesday 10 April 2013

Cloud 23’s Cocktail Masterclass, Manchester


Set in the sky, Cloud 23’s Cocktail Masterclass is the perfect ice breaker for a team building event, social occasion or simply, if you adore cocktails!

The different choices of Masterclasses last from two to four hours with a minimum of six and a maximum of twenty people.

Enjoy a Pommery champagne taster-board upon arrival, learn the art of mixology through expert demonstrations - where our delightful and fun mixologists will talk through the heritage of our drinks. Then, it’s over to you to re-create a classic or design your very own cocktail!


Or relax in plush surroundings and enjoy a traditional Afternoon Tea, or a selection of canapés.

Masterclasses start from £30 per person

Sunday 7 April 2013

Afternoon Tea At The Europa Hotel, Belfast


Belfast is a city unlike any other; with an infectious energy and an extensive range of pastimes to please any visitor. This in turn makes the city un-missable and a popular location to return to again, and again. Belfast is arguably best known for its rich, and colourful history. Most notably the city was the birthplace of the luxury, yet tragically doomed Titanic. For those viewers that like us, have a budding interest in the story of Titanic you will be thrilled to know that Belfast is home to the world’s largest visitor experience centre. However, despite some of the better known tourist’s attractions the city is also home to some of the very best hotels around; in which the Europa leads by example. 

The Belfast Europa is a member of the prestigious Hastings Hotel chain; which in our experience follows the principles of exceptional, intimate service from all staff members you en counter combined with faultless luxury within the hotel, which subsequently results in a truly unique home from home feel. The Europa Hotel is a well known and majestic building, superbly located for quick and hassle free access to many of Belfast’s key points of interest. The Europa offers guests the choice of 272 newly refurbished bedrooms, which includes both executive bedrooms and themed suites. In accordance with the city’s history, the Europa has designed a luxury Titanic Suite which has been in operation for three years now. The suite is stunning; lavishly decorated with rich, complementing colours filled with all the modern comforts you could so desire whilst including books and plaques on the luxury liner itself. When considering the above information it is of no surprise that The Europa is a popular choice of location with guests and celebrities alike. Notable names include the former US President Bill Clinton and his wife Hillary Clinton, the Mummy star Brendan Fraser and musician Van Morrison to name but a few! 



On a recent trip to Belfast, we could not resist trying our very first afternoon tea in Northern Ireland at the Europa. Afternoon tea here is a subject taken very seriously, with results that will leave you both deliciously satisfied and eagerly planning when you can next visit to experience every delicious bite again. At the Europa afternoon tea is served in the Piano Lounge, which we both agree is simply stunning. The Piano Lounge is beautifully decorated, with large windows allowing natural daylight to pour into the room whilst offering guests views of the bustling Great Victoria Street below. This is combined with a relaxed and refined atmosphere, where the seating is arranged to yield every guest with just the right level of intimacy to ensure your afternoon tea is enjoyed to the maximum. A touch we really like, and what we believe makes the Europa afternoon tea stand out from other venues is a lady called Helen Mc Cune. Helen is an afternoon tea specialist, and it was Helen that designed the afternoon tea menu. From the moment you are shown and seated at your table, Helen will guide you through your experience. Regardless of whether you are new to the afternoon tea world, or self diagnosed addicts like us Helen’s dedication to ensuring you have the very best experience, results in just that.


Once settled at our table, Helen came over to introduce herself. We were talked through the different afternoon tea options with MUMM champagne or not before our experience began. In no time at all Helen returned to our table wheeling, a large wooden tea trolley filled with beautiful, deep, glass jars of loose leaf teas. The tea selection has been hand selected by Helen herself; sourced from a local family specialist tea company: Thompson Tea. We where individually introduced to each tea, which consisted of helpful insights and direction into which tea might be best suited for the different tiers of the afternoon tea itself. The tea selection experience was very enjoyable whilst encouraging hands on interaction. Our favourite part of the experience was when the jars where opened to release the stunning aroma concealed inside! It must also be noted that the Europa unlike some venues we have visited allows you to change teas throughout your afternoon tea; in fact it is encouraged that you try each one. The tea selections are impressive; ranging from the ‘Hasting’s Blend’ which is a traditional strong tasting tea to the classic ‘Earl Grey’ fashioned with rose petals to give it that additional feminine twist (which we must state does not have any effect on the taste!) to one of the Europa’s most sought after teas ‘Lemon and Ginger’ with a sensational aroma. After much deliberation, We began our afternoon tea with the classic Hasting Blend and Earl Grey. 

As we sat sipping our tea, taking in the beautiful aroma Helen returned with a beaming smile. It was immediately evident just why she was smiling so widely; she was holding our afternoon tea. The afternoon tea was served on a modern, three tier stand allowing us to truly appreciate just what was in store for us on this Sunday afternoon. 



Our afternoon tea was placed in the centre of the table; and at this stage we must admit our mouths already began to water in anticipation! Helen talked us through the three tiers of the stand; the bottom tier was an assortment of scones and raisin/cinnamon infused bread chit-chat. Our favourite item on this tier was undeniably the scrumptious scones. The scones served at the Europa breakaway from the traditional scones served at other venues; whilst still perfectly capturing the very essence of the ideal scone. The scone served at the Europa is a deliciously decadent combination of white chocolate and blueberry; keeping in consideration that the scones are served warm (having been freshly baked) the white chocolate melts within the middle.

 The middle tier contained the following extravagant freshly cut sandwiches served on Irwin’s bread: Crossgar chicken with red onion and parmesan in a lemon Mayonnaise, Mortedella and basil pesto with sundried tomato, Kilkeel prawn and lobster, free range egg, spring onion and rocket and Roast Beef with plum tomato and red onion finished with Dijon Mustard . Some of our favourite sandwiches where the Kilkeel pawn and lobster and  Crossgar chicken with red onion and parmesan in a lemon Mayonnaise sandwich. It is worth stating though; that each sandwich excelled in its own right in terms of taste. 

The top tier contained the following desserts: Banoffee Trifle, Chocolate and Bailey’s Cheesecake with a sponge base, Lemon Meringue, Peach and Almond Sponge and Vanilla Cupcakes with strawberry icing. This tier was our favourite; and who could blame us for falling in love with each dessert? The desserts were faultless exploding with flavour resulting in us being unable to determine a favourite. 



Just before we began our afternoon tea Helen reminded us of some important points that we found beneficial; first the afternoon tea can take as long as you desire, so no need to rush regardless of how tempting the food looks! It is generally advisable to take a thirty minute break during each tier. This allows you time to enjoy your tea, and prepare yourself for your next tier. The Europa afternoon tea includes two of each item on every tier ensuring that both you and your guest can enjoy each item to the maximum; however despite this you are also entitled to free, unlimited refills of any item you so desire on the stand. A touch that we adored was if you are unable to complete the afternoon tea you are given a cute, little box containing the items you were unable to finish; so you are able to enjoy them in the comforts of your home. We really appreciated these touches; as in many venues these touches are sadly missing. Afternoon tea at the Europa was simply fantastic; we both enjoyed every moment of our experience and heartily recommend this to anybody



Afternoon Tea is served daily from 2 – 5pm. 
Enjoy live musical entertainment every Saturday. 

£18 per person its fantastic value for money!

Add a touch of sparkle with a glass of our finest MUMM Champagne for only £8 per glass.

www.hastingshotels.com/europa-belfast