AUTUMN AFTERNOON TEA AT DALLOWAY TERRACE

I think I must be the only blogger who’s not been to Dalloway Terrace and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to visit this enchanting little part of the The Bloomsbury Hotel.  Bloggers have been flocking to this instagrammable hot spot for so long and it’s about time I paid a visit to see what all the fuss was about and let me tell you, I was completely blown away.

Part of the Doyle Collection of hotels, there are three in London, The Marylebone, The Bloomsbury and The Kensington, all have their own fantastic take on Afternoon Tea. The very popular and magical Tale as Old as Time based on Beauty and the Beast and at The Marylebone at 108 Pantry, one of the most delicious and beautiful Afternoon Tea’s I’ve ever had, English Country Garden Afternoon Tea. At the Bloomsbury, their star is definitely Dalloway Terrace where it not only serves a different themed Afternoon Tea every season but also their fantastic breakfasts, brunches and lunches and let’s not forget their stunning new art deco-like jewel, the Coral Room, a vibrant bar that’s slowly gaining a reputation as the place to be on a Saturday night; not just a bar though, a calm oasis to enjoy brunch, light bites and coffee during the day.

Last week I was so excited to be heading to Dalloway Terrace to try their Autumn Afternoon Tea celebrating that ever so autumnal fruit, the humble apple.  Not so humble though because Head Pastry Chef Chris Dodd has created the most interesting sweet course showcasing the apple which also features in the savoury course too and I can’t wait to get stuck in.

As I walk into this stunning outdoor terrace equipped with herringbone blankets, outdoor heaters, garden furniture and cosy comfy cushions, I am in awe of the autumnal installation.  It’s a frenzy of golden, auburn and russet colours; leaves intertwining above and around the stunning lanterns and all along the terrace against the wall, I feel as if I’ve walked into a glorious park on a crisp autumnal day, it’s sensational and now I know why this place is so popular.

As I am seated, I’m offered a glass of Perrier-Jouët champagne and why not, its 12 noon and it’s never too early to have my favourite tipple. The menu has an array of teas, black, white, green and other herbal infusions. A wide choice of cocktails is available as well as hot and cold beverages for those having brunch or lunch.  I choose my usual English Breakfast tea and marvel at the menu, I really must come here with my daughter when the festive installation is up next week.

The Afternoon Tea menu is interesting and varied and to start, the dainty sandwiches are:

Roasted Pork and Apple Chutney on Multigrain Bread

Turkey Breast with Green Apple and Radish Remoulade on Guinness Bread

Cucumber and Cream Cheese on Basil Bread

Smoked Salmon & Horseradish Crème Fraiche on Pain de Mie Bread

There are plenty more sandwiches offered should you wish and of course, I adore the Guinness bread which I tried when I had brunch at the Coral Room in September.  It’s a nutty and naturally sweet almost fruity bread which brought the usually quite boring turkey to life and went so well with the apple remoulade, it was just delicious, you don’t need to ask if I had another helping of this dainty square sandwich, it was a must. Another favourite of mine and featuring apple again was the Roasted Pork with Apple chutney which I also had more of because pork and apple is a marriage made in heaven.

Scones

Vanilla Scone and Golden Raisin Scone served with Cornish Clotted Cream, Jersey Black “butter” – a conserve made with apples, Jersey cider and spices.

I’ve never heard of Jersey Butter and I had no clue what it was until I asked.  I knew it wasn’t strawberry jam because it was rich, dark and sticky in consistency but such a beautiful tasting jam which you can order on-line. It made such a refreshing change from the traditional berry jams offered at Afternoon Tea and I loved it wish lashings of clotted cream on both the scones. The vanilla scone was unusual and again was perfect with the Jersey Butter. As you know by now, I never eat both scones, I have half of each scone offered but this time, I greedily ate both because they were so moorish with the “butter”.

Dalloway Terrace was slowly filling up, no surprise there! Camera’s a clicking every few seconds no doubt to put on Instagram, did I tell you that this place is an instagrammer’s paradise?  I was reliably informed that next week, their festive installation is going up and I can’t wait to bring my daughter here for lunch over the festive season and I know my husband would love to come and try Dalloway as he really loved brunch at the Coral Room in September.

Sweets

Braeburn Mousse – Spice Sablé Breton

Pendragon Terrine with Red Veine Sorrel

Granny Smith & Whiskey Mousse in Milk Chocolate Ganache

Spiced Apple Cake with Cinnamon Glaze

I really enjoyed all the desserts but out of the four my least favourite was the Spiced Apple Cake as I felt this was just a tiny bit dry but the flavours were nice. The Pendragon Terrine was so unusual and reminded me of the dehydrated pressed watermelon I had at 108 Pantry, most of the liquid was removed from the apple and made into a pretty square of sliced apples which still retained their pretty pink blush: can you have a healthy dessert? if so, then this is it.

Both mousses were my favourite desserts, very different but just as perfect. The Braeburn Mousse resembled a red apple with a chocolate stem, very pretty to look at and the Granny Smith and Whiskey Mousse was as light as a feather encased in a chocolate shell.  For dessert, I switched teas to have Jasmine Silver Tip which is one of my favourite teas to have especially with the sweet course.

As I devoured the last of the cakes and my time at Dalloway was coming to an end, I marveled at the autumnal scene all around me and I thought how lucky I was to have finally made it to Dalloway Terrace, I’m definitely already a huge fan and planning my next visit.

“Mrs Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself” an excerpt from Dalloway Terrace by Virginia Woolf

My champagne was complimentary, photos and opinions are always my own.

DallowayTerrace at the BloomsburyHotel

16-22 Great Russell Street

London WC1B 3NN

020 7347 1000

reservations@dallowayterrace.com