Saturday, 5 March 2016

Top Picks for Mother's Day Afternoon Tea

What better way to treat your mum this Mother's Day than with some quality time spent drinking tea (or champagne!) and eating lots of fabulous cake! Here's our pick of some of the best places to take your lovely mum this Mother's Day ...

Bettys, York


Bettys was the first tea room I ever visited as a child and has remained a firm favourite ever since. Boasting six locations across Yorkshire, their afternoon tea is a must for anyone travelling through the region, with York’s outlet offering both a casual dining option for passers by, or a reservation only experience upstairs in their Belmont room. Be sure to stop by their in house shop on the way out, to purchase a selection of Bettys signature breads, cakes and preserves - their Yorkshire tea loaf and fat rascal are an absolute must! - Caroline

Great John Street, Manchester

Everything about Great John Street’s afternoon tea is perfect. From its sumptuous library surroundings with sinkable sofas, to their beautiful Kumquat embellished serving plates, this boutique hotel has everything down to a tee (or tea!). Like many venues across the UK, Great John Street hotel offers both a ladies, gents and children's tea, making them the perfect choice for couples or family celebrations. Their new ‘High Breakfast’ makes tea an all day affair, offering a quirky take on the tradition, with Smoked Salmon Benedict, Mini French Toast and Strawberry Smoothies up for grabs. Definitely one to check out. 
Grand Pacific, Manchester

Our second Manchester recommendation is the ‘Asian High Tea’ at Grand Pacific in Spinningfields. Served in two waves (savoury stand first, followed by a sweet) this tea is a twist on the traditional British pastime, swapping out sandwiches for sushi, and scones for sweet spring rolls. With the bar being part of Manchester’s premier Australasia restaurant, it’s impossible to go too wrong. 
Crewe Hall, Crewe

Anywhere that’s good enough for the kings and queens of days gone by, is good enough for us. Served in the Sheridan Lounge fresh from the estate’s Victorian kitchen, the most striking part of this afternoon tea is its surroundings. With beautiful period features and high ceilings running throughout, it’s difficult not to get swept away in the venue’s history. Their champagne option is exactly how you’d imagine a quintessential afternoon tea to be, so if you’re looking for an elegant high tea in traditional surroundings, this is about as perfect as it gets!
Harvey Nichols, Nationwide

Harvey Nichols is a great option for afternoon tea on the go. Located at the heart of five of the UKs  major cities, the premium department store offers a luxury high tea experience at a very reasonable price. With seasonal menus that often include collaborations with prominent chefs, such as Paul A Young, this ever changingafternoon tea is a fantastic option for shoppers and ladies who lunch.

If vintage charm is more your style, Cuthberts’ Bakehouse in Liverpool offers a fun and affordable afternoon tea in a casual setting decorated in turquoise hues and fairy lights. Chosen from a selection of co-owner Matthew’s favourites, the menu varies from season to season but whatever the time of year, Cuthberts will spoil you with a quirky tea stand that’s packed with afternoon tea classics like Victoria sponge, huge macaroons and hearty sandwiches in an impressive selection of fillings and breads– you’ll wonder how you’ll ever finish it all.

Marco Pierre White’s New York, Italian restaurant offers a choice of two fabulous afternoon teas – traditional and Italian. Served on an up-cycled vintage style wine box, the Italian menu brings a fresh twist with a selection of savoury bites including pastrami on rye and bruschetta down to a sweet selection of cronuts, chocolate covered strawberries and polenta cake. Hardcore traditionalists might miss their usual scone fix but the surprise “wow” box that arrives as you finish, featuring mini biscuits and hot dipping chocolate, more than makes up for it. 
Are you treating your mum to Afternoon Tea this Mother's Day? Tweet your photos at @TeacupReview!
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Wednesday, 17 June 2015

Top 5 Gentleman's Afternoon Teas for Father's Day

Afternoon Tea isn’t just a ladies game you know! Just in time for Father’s Day the pies, mini fish and chips and whiskey selections have been creeping in to take the place of macaroons and mini pastries on the classic Afternoon Tea menu to give you the perfect excuse to treat your dad … and yourself! Here’s our pick of 5 of the best we've spotted so far... 

108 Brasserie - London

108 Brasserie


This Men’s Afternoon Tea is a little bit posh. Here you’ll find no finger sandwiches in sight but rather a grilled rib eye steak sandwich and free range pork & black truffle sausage rolls. Wash it all down with a pint of Guinness or authentic Irish whiskey for £28/£35 pp.


DoubleTree by Hilton – Manchester



We had the pleasure of visiting this rooftop afternoon tea hotspot last year in their exclusive skylounge (review here). Now this Afternoon Tea in the city has been given a manly makeover to include mini burgers, fish and chips and a pint of Manchester Bitter. Price pp. is £21/24 and booking is required. 

Park Plaza, Cardiff



Dainty but macho nonetheless, this offering is filled with meaty bites including a Brecon Venison burger and Welsh sirloin steak with caramelised onions and garlic mushroom on toasted ciabatta. Be sure to leave some room for the Rum Baba filled with Chantilly cream and raspberries. All this for £19.50pp.

The V&A Hotel – Manchester



Scones with a twist are on the menu at this Manchester retreat with cream cheese and red pepper relish relegating the classic the jam and cream. Top it off with a good old Manchester Tart for a sweet finish for just £16.95 pp. Check out our review from when we visited last year. 

The Milestone, London



We’re huge fans of the old world glamour and delectable Afternoon Tea menus at one of our favourite London tea parlours and have had the pleasure of indulging in both its traditional and Gentleman’s tea options (See our review). Treat dad to a savoury medley including chicken lollipop skewer and toad in the hole and to finish a trio of heady whiskeys. Prices start at £36.50 pp.


Are you treating your dad to tea this Father’s Day? Tweet us @TeacupReview!


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Wednesday, 31 December 2014

A Year in Tea - Top Tea Reviews from 2014


As another great year for Afternoon Tea addicts comes to a close we look back at some of the best teas we tasted in 2014. 
WARNING – Prepare to experience some serious food envy.




Sushi Afternoon Tea
“Gone are the cucumber sandwiches of traditional afternoon teas, in favour of tuna, salmon and mushroom Sushi and Nigiri on the base, whilst a wonderful Asian seafood and noodle medley replaces the scones. With neither of us being particular sushi fans prior to this afternoon tea experience, we're pleased to report that Grand Pacific have managed to convert us.”
Review here.


Tea for Two at home.
“Now, we don’t know about you, but there’s little more exciting than a huge pink box filled with cake - it's just a fact. Wrapped in luxury gold gift paper, the Rosewater Bakery’s delivered Afternoon Tea hamper is a winner from the get go and girly girls will absolutely love the array of rosy accents and ribbons.”
Review here.



The Wellbeing Farm.
“Located in the rural backdrop of Bolton, this tea room is surrounded by stunning views of green fields and hills with a few animal friends to keep you company – it was a shock to drive past a free roaming llama we must admit!”
Review here.




“Gentleman's afternoon tea has always been a temptation that we've lusted after, but never dared pursue. Reluctant to betray our cakey treats, we've remained faithful to the end, leaving the scotch eggs to the lads. However, when we heard that our favourite hotel had launched a male option, our resolution gave way.”
Review here.



Urban Afternoon Tea.
“Usually, city centres are not exactly our location of choice on a scorching summer's day but the moment we stepped out onto the hotel's eleventh floor balcony we thought 'ah, this is where the fresh air lives!'.”
Review here.



Greenhouse Afternoon Tea.
“After we'd devoured the allotment stage, we moved on to the garden itself. Presented underneath a fantastic glass greenhouse, this second part of the tea really is its crowning glory … every cake was a spectacle and very much a feast for the eyes.”
Review here.



Classic Bettys Tea
Caroline – “As a little girl, I loved nothing more than going to Bettys with my parents. The gentile surroundings and beautiful tea services, fascinated my curiosity for times gone by and secured the establishment's place in my heart. As an adult, this love has continued, making Bettys one of my go to places for a good pick me up or escape from reality.”
Review here.



The York and Albany
“The trendy townhouse restaurant is part of Gordon Ramsay’s portfolio and is known for its comforting starters and meaty mains. We had planned a week-night quickie but after the first sip of Earl Grey & Grapefruit Sour cocktail, served in a large glass tea pot, we decided clock-watching was off the cards and a mid-week hangover most likely.”
Review here.


It’s been a pretty good year for tea and cake (we all managed to get over #bingate eventually) but as the new year approaches it’s time to start looking forward to all of the teas that 2015 has in store. Tweet us with some of your fave teas from 2014 and tell us about the ones you’re looking forward to in the new year @TeacupReview #YearInTea.
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