Afternoon tea at The Ampersand Hotel

Afternoon Tea is a typically British affair. We British love our tea and when it is accompanied with cake and pâtisserie even better. 

As a foodie I have polished off a fair few afternoon teas in my time, the highlights being the Dorchester Hotel and Sanderson Hotel.

I'm always looking for my next afternoon tea adventure and it is for this reason I really enjoy reading Lorna and Rachel's blog "Tea with Me and Friends". 

They find the best places for afternoon tea. So when they emailed me to tell me I had won their afternoon tea competition at The Drawing Rooms - The Ampersand Hotel, I was very excited. 

You see the Ampersand Hotel has been on my list to visit for a while, why because Chris Golding their head chef is always tempting me on Twitter with wonderful foodie creations. 

Two minutes from South Kensington station the Ampersand Hotel and The Drawing Rooms have been beautifully designed. 

I loved the fabrics, colours, and overall design of this lovely place and could have happily had this as my own living room.

Now I would like one of these little fellas on my wall at home. 

The Drawing Room instantly put me at ease. It has a wonderful warm and homely interior with freshly baked goods on display (a FoodieForce paradise). 

Once seated we opt for the Classic Afternoon (£39.50) served with a wonderful glass of Champagne to start. 

The Ampersand caters for vegetarians and also has seasonal offerings for afternoon tea: Halloween and  Christmas. 

First up was the Tartines:

Gloucester old spot ham, gribiche sauce. 

H.Forman and Son London smoked salmon (one of Britain's Oldest salmon curers), dill and cream cheese. 

Coronation Chicken. 

Cheese and fruit chutney.

Highlights had to be the coronation chicken and smoked salmon. The coronation chicken had the right balance of creaminess and spice. 

Service at the Ampersand Hotel is seriously relaxed, now this won't be to everyone's cup of tea (pardon the pun), but for me I personally found this 
refreshing. Where you are quietly allowed to enjoy the wonderful food and the company of friends without being rushed. 

What followed have to be the best scones I have ever had. Now this is no exaggeration, this woman knows her scones and these were super light and wonderfully fluffy. With the addition of clotted cream and strawberry jam, all I could have wished for is that they were bigger. 

The Ampersand definitely have their pâtisserie down to a fine art. 

The lemon meringue tart, chocolate brownie and English breakfast tea bonbon were seriously delicious.   

A wonderful afternoon tea. I very much look forward to visiting again in the future to stay in their superbly modern boutique hotel. 

The Drawing Rooms Ampersand Hotel 

THE AMPERSAND HOTEL
10 HARRINGTON ROAD
LONDON
SW7 3ER