High Seas High Tea at The Landmark London

The grande dame of luxury 5-star hotels in London, The Landmark has recently undergone a major £1.3m refurbishment. Part of that project is to launch a brand-new luxury Champagne Bar. It is on a mezzanine level on their famous garden terrace. The vision of tropical palm trees and the eight-storey-high glass atrium recalls a bygone era of glamour and high society. The Champagne bar designed by Alex Kravetz Design is created to blend in with the luxurious surroundings. The main bar is hidden under a foliage-laden glasshouse. The furnishings have a mixture of vibrant greens, blues, and gold that transports you to the Jazz Age era.

Accentuating that imagery is their High Seas High Tea offering. The hotel offers a traditional afternoon tea at their famous Winter Garden Restaurant but at the Champagne Bar, it is very much seafood-focused. It is available every Saturday and Sunday between 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm. You will also hear the melodic piano sounds emanating from the Victorian Winter Garden atrium. They use the term ‘sandwiches’ but what is served up at the beginning is more tartlets of umami delights from the sea. They offer a tartlet of Scottish lobster, a tartlet of poached langoustine, salmon pastrami, Cornish white crab and yellowfin tuna. Focusing on local produce, the freshness of the seafood is top-notch. The salmon and tuna exuded healthy omega-3 fattiness, whilst the shellfish had a gentle sweetness when you bite into the firm, fresh meat. Each creation has been carefully crafted to maximise the flavours of the seafood. For example, the yellowfin tuna is served with ponzu, black sesame, toasted rye, and fennel butter. The citrus notes from the ponzu are a match made in heaven with the enticing tuna.

The fruity flavours were very much in evidence with their scones and desserts. The scones were either freshly baked apple or raisin scones. All the condiments you would ever need were present from clotted cream to a plethora of jams. The options included Bergeron apricot, London marmalade, strawberry, rhubarb, redcurrant & vanilla and raspberry deluxe. Each scone was generously sized and I have no doubt, they would offer you a refill if you asked.

The desserts were exquisitely presented with a parade of appetising colours. If you are looking for something subtle and delicate, there is the tartlet of nectarine, ginger, mascarpone and raspberry gel. The nectarines were sliced with military precision and presented in an intricate rose shape. If you are looking for textural variety, there is the black cherry and pistachio bakewell. The key is all the creations were sweet without being overbearing. And they do offer boxes for you to take away anything you can’t finish. They only use the finest of ingredients from Valrhona dark chocolate in their choux to English strawberries in their Swiss rolls.

The tea offering also shines brightly in this regal afternoon tea experience. They have green teas, herbal teas, oolong tea and white tea. That includes very high-end options such as Snow Buds white tea. which is high-altitude-grown white tea made entirely of silver-haired tea buds. That creates an elegant, sweet-flavour profile with delicate vegetal notes.

The afternoon tea is available at £75pp or £88pp with a glass of Ruinart Champagne Brut.

If you visit in the evenings, they do still offer seafood-focused small plates, as well as heritage tomato tart and British cheese plates. They also serve a caviar selection that ranges from platinum caviar to the rare, golden oscietra. They have a lengthy Champagne selection that includes on the top end, Krug, Grande Cuvée MV. They can offer a Taittinger Champagne flight, which is 100ml per glass which is great if you want to pair your glass of bubbly with your seafood.