When Netflix announced its new romantic comedy, Emily in Paris back in 2020, I knew I’d be instantly hooked. Paris is the city I adore and just the thought that I could be transported back had me bursting with excitement. The short episodes make it easy to escape to that Parisian dream even it’s for a little while. Such is the allure and charm of this city; Emily in Paris is more than a guilty pleasure kind of show.
The mastermind behind Sex and the City, Darren Starr created a show that instantly stole the hearts of all Francophiles in particular, Paris obsessives like me. The show stars Lily Collins as the effervescent Emily Cooper who lands her dream job and moves to Paris from her rather dreary city of Chicago leaving her equally dreary boyfriend behind.
Emily in Paris follows the life of Emily Cooper as she’s given the career opportunity of a lifetime to move Paris for a year. I know it’s cheesy romance and full of cliches at its cringeworthy best, but I absolutely fell in love with it. The real star for me is Sylvie (Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu), sophisticated, effortlessly stylish and rather sharp of tongue and while Emily is refreshing, bubbly and quirky, she’s actually, a very talented marketing executive even though some of her triumphs are sometimes accidental (in my opinion) don’t you just love her and her very unorthodox un-Parisian style choices.
When I found out that the Four Seasons Hotel was launching an Emily in Paris themed Afternoon Tea, I knew I had to go. The world famous Four Seasons group is known for its unrivalled sophistication and unparalleled luxury, located just off fashionable Park Lane, it sits among some of London’s most iconic hotels. The hotel is contemporary with art deco touches, sleek and glamorous while the Pavyllon restaurant is warm and inviting. Although blue can often be viewed as a rather cold colour, the beautiful soft shades of blue and azure actually make the Pavyllon a very cosy space with tweed upholstery, rustic stone tables and fires which are lit the moment autumn makes an appearance. I was greeted by restaurant manager Romain Mervelay and seated in the lounge part of the restaurant which I was very happy about, it was serene and intimate and a wonderful way to enjoy afternoon tea.
Romain explained the concept behind the Emily in Paris Afternoon Tea and the connection between Emily moving to another country with a completely different culture to hers, not to mention the language barrier. This was something that head chef, Yannick Alléno wanted to capitalise on; the parallel between his own journey from Paris to London and Emily’s move to Paris creating a themed Afternoon Tea experience. I thought this was such a clever idea, especially given the show’s popularity (with talk of Season 5 on the horizon) and its heavy focus on Parisian culture, style and food. I was so excited to see what was in store.
What I loved most were the Emily in Paris props, A fashionable woman presumably Emily against the backdrop of a chic Parisian scene and the Eiffel Tower Bien Sur. The menu is presented on a specially designed script, and there’s an Emily In Paris trivia in a beautifully embossed gold envelope recalling popular moments from the show, a light-hearted and clever little touch.
To begin my Parisian experience, I was offered a glass of my favourite tipple, champagne, no, it wasn’t Chempére, my die-hard Emily fan’s will surely know what I mean! I chose English Breakfast tea which would arrive with the sandwiches. I quite like choosing a different tea for the cake course, usually silver needle Jasmine but I wasn’t offered a choice which was a bit disappointing. I also felt that my tea arrived quite late too, in fact, I had to ask for it, minor complaints but nonetheless important to note, everything else was exquisite.
What’s in the Emily in Paris Afternoon Tea
Smoked Salmon Sandwich – with cracked black pepper, dill & cream cheese
Cucumber Sandwich – with whipped feta & preserved lemon
Chicken Sandwich – with tomato condiment & lettuce
Egg Sandwich – with Japanese mayonnaise & chive
Mini Chocolate Coffee Ėclair – coffee praline, chocolate coffee whipped ganache
Tarte Tatin – Compressed caramelised apple & vanilla Isigny cream
Créme Brûlée – Flavoured with Oolong tea
Tarte au Citron – Sweet paste, lemon cedar ribbons & yuzu citrus cream
Pistachio Financiers – Sugar-free pistachio praline, Jasmine cream & fresh raspberries
“So British” Scones – with orange marmalade, strawberry preserve & vanilla Chantilly cream
“Surprise red beret”
Along with my glass of champagne, a mini tartlet arrived called “chef’s surprise”, it was a morsel of cheesy deliciousness on the crispiest pastry tart, a divine way to begin Afternoon Tea. The sandwiches were exquisite, they arrived on plates not on stands, they looked impressive and pristine all in equal size, they were perfection.
Every single sandwich was pure delight. There’s something so satisfying about a fresh soft sandwich that feels like it was made just for you. The comforting perfect texture of freshly baked bread, airy and tender, it really elevates the whole experience. Some establishments make sandwiches ahead, so you end up with dry sandwiches and those telltale dry edges but you won’t have to worry about that here. My favourite was the chicken sandwich which I was offered more of, yes please, they were so yummy. I really couldn’t fault the first course, I loved the flavours of each sandwich, very solid traditional Afternoon Tea flavours at their best.
Next to follow were the scones, not very French I know however the Emily in Paris Afternoon Tea is very much a fusion of both classic French and British traditions and an Afternoon Tea isn’t complete without scones.
What I really liked was the Chantilly cream instead of the traditional clotted cream, another nod to French pastry. It was super light subtly flavoured with vanilla, this is why the scones were so easy to eat, there was no cloying thick clotted cream. Don’t get me wrong, I adore clotted cream however, the addition of Chantilly cream lightly dusted with vanilla was a refreshing change from the norm. The conserves were beautiful too, I tried both the orange and the strawberry.
Emily in Paris Afternoon Tea patisserie is a dream and channels the city’s café scene with an array of beautiful, sweet treats. Each one was stunning and just the right size to enjoy without getting uncomfortably full.
The pistachio financier was so pretty with edible flowers and gold leaf.
I loved the tarte tatin, very different to how I imagined it to look; the apples were so deliciously caramelised and luscious, the pastry light and crispy as was the Créme Brûlée tart. I was really impressed with the citron tart; the candid lemon ribbons really elevated this classic French pastry.
I find an Afternoon Tea isn’t complete without something chocolaty and normally, it’s the chocolate Gâteau d’Opéra which can be very rich and heavy, so I was very happy to see something different with the presentation of the Ėclair. It was delightful with rich mocha flavours but also as light and airy as a cloud as only choux pastry can be, a classic French pastry at its best. It was really hard to choose a favourite but if I had to, it would be the Ėclair and the tarte tatin, I loved them both.
To finish the cake course, a red beret, the hotel describes this as a “special beret dessert to take home”. Sadly, I wasn’t asked if I wanted to take it home. It was strawberry dusted which gave it its vivid crimson colour and white chocolate in the shape of Emily’s beret. Nevertheless, I cracked it open to reveal a surprise mix of seeds and toasted caramelised nuts, oh la la, it was so delicious; it would have gone down a treat later at home with a cup of tea.
I feel a bit cheated, I wished that someone had made an effort to talk about “Emily’s Beret”. I only had a bite because it’s impossible to eat that too after all the delicious desserts. That was my only gripe about the whole experience and that I wasn’t offered more tea or a change of tea.
I had a wonderful afternoon at the Pavyllon luxuriating in the lavish Emily in Paris inspired Afternoon Tea. I thought it was very clever with the menu presented in the style of a script paying homage to the show’s storytelling and the Emily trivia quiz, the French café music brought Parisian ambience to the very elegant Pavyllon lounge and just like that, I was suddenly back from my Parisian adventure.,
Hurry because the Emily in Paris Afternoon Tea is only available until 27th October 2024.
Every Friday to Sunday from 2:30 to 4:30pm priced at £85 per person, a glass of Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Champagne is additional and priced at £28 a glass.
My champagne was complimentary, views are my own.
Pavyllon Lounge
Four Seasons Hotel
Hamilton Place
Park Lane
London W1J 7DR
020 7319 5200
Book direct with The Pavyllon Lounge
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