When I was twelve and light up Sketchers were all the rage, I went to Leeds with my parents for a pre-birthday shopping spree. It was great - we spent the day having lunch and wandering around the city’s iconic arcades, before heading home with arms full of shopping bags, feeling like Carrie Bradshaw.
After thirteen years, I thought it about high time for a repeat trip, so last month we took the train over to Yorkshire for a day of retail therapy and afternoon tea at the Leeds Malmaison.
Served in the Chez Mal Brasserie, the hotel's Cocktail Afternoon Tea is the perfect sweet treat for anyone on a day out in the city. Presented on a neat slate stand and accompanied by the hotel’s custom made crockery (look out for the cute cow 'malk' jug!) the tea features a selection of delicious treats which include; fruit scones, hot smoked salmon wraps and lemon polenta cake. However, before we get onto the food in full, let’s talk about the cocktails.
As well as a champagne option, the Leeds Mal also offers a cocktail tea for £25, with the choice of four delicious drinks to accompany your cake. On the day we decided to sample a couple of different options on the menu and went for the Orange Brulee and Patron Espresso Martini.
Now I wouldn't say we're connoisseurs when it comes to cocktails - typically opting for champagne - however there's something about this tea that really invites you to indulge in something a bit different and a bit more metropolitan - and let me tell you, they're delicious.
So what's on the menu? To start off, we were treated to a selection of delicious wraps and sliders, which included hot smoked salmon & creme fraiche, chipotle chicken & avocado and a mini burger. As usual, the salmon was a firm favourite with both of us, however this was closely tied with the avocado wrap, which was an absolute treat. I always love the inclusion of different textures and flavours which stray away from the norm, and whilst this isn't necessarily something that you'd expect from an uber traditional venue, it's something that works really well at contemporary places like the Leeds Mal.
To crown the afternoon off, we finally moved over to the scone and dessert selection, which was perhaps my favourite part of the whole experience, with delicious strawberry & vanilla pavlova, lemon polenta cake, salted chocolate brownies, peach & amaretto cream and a frozen berry summer smoothie served in a a tiny milk bottle. If I had to pick a star from this selection it would have to be the Polenta cake, for its rich, dense deliciousness. Having never tried polenta in a dessert before I can definitely say that it's something that'd I'd be keen to sample again!
All in all we were very impressed with the Leeds Mal's afternoon tea offering and even though it's part of a chain offering a uniform menu, I wouldn't say that this takes anything away from the overall appeal. Definitely one to look out for if you're looking for a spot of afternoon tea to accompany your next shopping trip!
PS: They also offer gluten free and vegetarian options for everyone to enjoy!
Have you ever been for tea at a Malmaison? Let us know what you thought in the comments below.
For more information about the Malmaison Afternoon Tea, please visit their website:
We were kindly provided with a complementary afternoon tea for review purposes, however as usual, all thoughts and opinions are our own!