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30 Oct

Photo of the Week: Rock and Roll Afternoon Tea at The Gore

Posted by Jenny in Eating Out 1 Comment

Cakes at The Gore hotel

This week’s pic shows what happens when afternoon tea goes rock ‘n’ roll – it is put on a Union Jack plate and served at The Gore hotel!

The Gore was the setting for the 1968 launch party of  The Rolling Stones’  Beggars Banquet album, and favoured hangout of such musicians as Annie Lennox, Paul Weller, and er, Spandau Ballet.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Afternoon Tea includes the best cheese and ham sandwiches I’ve ever tasted (how did they make a simple sandwich so good?) and delicious chocolate éclairs (which tasted suspiciously boozy.)

Do you have any brilliant London images to share? (They don’t have to be cakes, although we do rather like them!) Join the Visit London Flickr pool and your snaps could end up here on the VL Blog.

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27 Oct

Met Bar Spooktacular – Part I

Posted by Jo & Jamie from the Met Bar in Clubs, Pubs & Bars No Comments

Scream Tea at the Met BarWith our penchant for extrovert occasions, it’s no surprise that we take Halloween very seriously here at the Met Bar. Not content with just one instalment we will be updating you on our Halloween happenings in a two-part fright night special.

Yesterday saw the launch of our Scream Tea menu in collaboration with turntable goddesses, the Broken Hearts. Inspired by the work of Tim Burton and Tim Walker, as well as their own interest in the macabre and the aesthetics of Halloween, the Broken Hearts have created a delectable seasonal menu that will be available daily 3pm-6pm from Monday 26 October until Saturday 7 November.

Guests can expect a frightfully delightful menu including seasonal pumpkin, blackberry and blood-red versions of the legendary low-fat cupcakes, combined with a classic Broken Hearts colour palette and a few spooky surprises such as taxidermy crows, giant spiders and edible artwork by illustrator and Halloween-enthusiast Rob Flowers. You can also expect to hear a mouth-watering culinary soundtrack handpicked by the Broken Hearts themselves.

And speaking of the Broken Hearts, they will be our special guest DJs on Thursday night for our Death on the Dancefloor Halloween Extravaganza – until then ”stay spooked” for our next episode where we will spill all the gory details…

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21 Oct

Swissotel The Howard’s Chocolate St Paul’s Cathedral

Posted by Lettice in Eating Out 15 Comments

A white chocolate St Pauls Cathedral

Swissotel The Howard London have created a tiny chocolate St Paul’s Cathedral for their luxurious London Landmark afternoon tea and we think it’s really cool. If you want to eat one of these and other famous London landmarks transformed into biscuit, book now!

(Sorry the photo is a little fuzzy, when I went back for more pictures, the cathedral had mysteriously relocated to a nice safe tummy.)

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19 Sep

Lulu’s Tea Party at the Met Bar

Posted by Jo & Jamie from the Met Bar in Eating Out No Comments

As London Fashion Week rolls into town (cue Balmania on the streets!), The Met Bar has created an afternoon tea in honour of  iconic handbag designer Lulu Guinness.

Lulu's Tea

The lip-licious version of our Afternoon De-Light menu is inspired by Lulu’s famous lip clutches, Pollyanna pochettes and Lulu Cameo heads. The low-calorie treats are all in vivid paint-box pinks and this season’s must-have purples reflecting her Spring Summer 2010 collection.

Since the Lulu Tea debuted on Monday, the Met Bar has been flooded with fashionistas including London’s top Fashion Bloggers and fashion press (Vogue, Grazia and Harpers Bazaar to name a few). And the Lulu Tea is already fully booked this weekend.

Lulu Guinness will take up residence in the Deluxe Park Suite during London Fashion Week here at the Metropolitan to showcase her Spring Summer 2010 Collection (by appointment-only) alongside Matthew Williamson and some of London’s emerging new talent.

Much as we could gush about the Lulu Tea all day, our wardrobe awaits for a weekend of LFW madness including visits to Vivienne Westwood, Issa, Fashion East, Osman Yousefzada, Mulberry, Luella, and most importantly our very own Lulu Guinness Preview Party!

The Lulu Tea will be available every day from 3pm-6pm in the Met Bar until Saturday 26 September – advance bookings required.

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12 Aug

Seduction at the Met Bar: Cour-tea-san De-Light…

Posted by Jo & Jamie from the Met Bar in Classes, Pubs & Bars No Comments

Cour-tea-san De-light“Is there an art to seduction? How does one become an artist, fluent in the many techniques that can be used to appeal to the senses?”

These are questions that you may never have considered before now but for guests attending ‘Cour-tea-san De-Light’ at the Met Bar on Saturday; it was the hot topic of the day.

The idea to host a series of sassy seduction classes was conceived over several cocktails enjoyed with Kelly Isaac, Founder of seductive lingerie brand, The Modern Courtesan. The classes are designed to present short s-educative experiences from leading experts in a more relaxed, social setting to be enjoyed by groups of friends or couples.

For those who are intrigued as to what happens at a seduction class – please read on.

Firstly, expect delightful sensations throughout the course of the afternoon to tempt ALL your senses! Guests were welcomed by a delicious Ginger & Watermelon Martini before taking to their seats to enjoy an aphrodisiac-inspired version of the Afternoon De-Light menu. Gorgeous cupcakes made with fresh ginger, strawberries and Champagne each topped with a rather suggestive cherry, plus chilli and chocolate macaroons (my personal favourite) to accompany the no-bread sandwich pots and light-as-a-feather scones.

After a brief introduction to Modern Courtesan and the “Seduction Boudoir” (which was later open to acquire weapons of mass seduction), the guest speakers were invited to the stage. Saturday’s guests included best-selling author, Suzanne Portnoy, who spoke on the subject of erotic writing and her fabulous memoirs, plus iconic British photographer John Stoddart whose famous collection includes “Peep World.”

The finale to the class was the gorgeous Pegah, who captivated everyone with her exotic dancing and treated guests to a 20-minute workshop. Sad to shimmy no more, it was time to depart and complete our homework…

The next Cour-tea-san De-Light is scheduled for 26 September between 3 and 5pm.

More classes and workshops in London

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7 Aug

Yum Chaa: A Tea Bag Free Zone

Posted by Jenny in Eating Out, Shopping No Comments

Try loose leaf tea at Yum Chaa

Living in London, we’re used to doing everything at twice the normal speed – lunches on the go, speed-dating and of course, grabbing a quick morning brew.

Newly opened tea shop Yum Chaa is encouraging us to slow down and take a bit of me time over a cup of their specially-blended, loose leaf tea. While tea bags may be more convenient, they constrict the movement of the tea, releasing bitter tannins which spoil the flavour. So you’ll only find the loose leaf variety when you sit back and relax at Yum Chaa.

The teas on offer range from the familiar Earl Grey and Assam, to more exotic varieties such as Egyptian Nights and Chilli Chilli Bang Bang. There’s also a naughty selection of cakes on offer.

The shop floor

Yum Chaa is located in Soho, just a few minutes walk from Oxford Street, making it the perfect place to take a break from shopping.

And if you really are too busy to be away from your email, the café has free Wi Fi so you can tap away to your heart’s content (or have a loose-leaf to go if you must dash!)

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31 Jul

A Week of Afternoon De-Light…

Posted by Jo & Jamie from the Met Bar in Pubs & Bars No Comments

Afternoon_Delight“…Sky rockets in flight. Afternoon delight. Afternoon delight”…some of you may recognise the lyrics from the Starland Vocal Band (later used in hilarious comedy, Anchorman) but to Jamie and I, the words play out like a sweet reminder of our marathon of Afternoon De-Light meetings this week.

For those of you who have not yet indulged in our guilt-free Afternoon De-Light, it’s London’s first ultra-chic yet waist-friendly version of the quintessential occasion.

Our marathon began on Monday. Following the success of the after-party at The Met Bar, we celebrated our accidental initiation into the “Ministry of Waxing”, truly converted by their manifesto to perfectly manicure the bushes of London’s elite – population that is!

On Tuesday, we welcomed vintage record-spinning DJs to the bar, the Broken Hearts (also known as Amber & Nisha), renowned for their kitsch costumes and fabulously themed parties. They will be making a guest appearance on the Afternoon De-Light roster in October with “The Broken Hearts present Scream Tea – a Halloween Spooktacular”!

On Wednesday, sassy author-in-the-making Bethanie Lunn joined us to experience the menu in order to include it in her forthcoming book, “The Modern Girls’ Guide to Fabulousness”. As a previous Burlesque performer and girl-about-town, word of our delectable tea had been ringing in her ears and she could resist temptation no longer. Perhaps it was the promise of a Victoria’s Secret cocktail?!

With more than 20 low-fat cupcakes (not that we’re counting) consumed (and still feeling saintly), yesterday we reached the dizzying heights of delight when seductive lingerie brand, The Modern Courtesan visited, who in less than seven days (8 August, to be exact) will be co-hosting our “Cour-tea-san De-Light” – sassy seduction classes where you can have your cake on the side.

Here we are at the start of a new day, with another meeting and yes, you’ve guessed it we’re “gonna grab some afternoon delight”…!

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23 Jul

The Big Lunch in Brixton

Posted by Claire Doble in Attractions, Eating Out, Kids, London, Music, Open Spaces, Special Events 1 Comment

mpho2Last Sunday, people all over London turned out for The Big Lunch – a huge communal event that was also satisfyingly local.

Consisting of a series of street parties across the capital (and indeed across Britain), the idea behind The Big Lunch was to encourage community spirit by allowing folks to get to know their neighbours during a relaxed afternoon of food and fun.

Although I’m a dedicated North Londoner, I went to Brixton to attend the Big Lunch with some South London friends. Here I joined “Poet’s Corner” residents from streets Chaucer, Milton, Shakespeare and Spenser who were gathered to share wine, women and song.

Well, maybe not women. But there was food and drink a’plenty as well as a bouncy castle for the kids and a makeshift stage in the courtyard of a block of flats.

In true London style, the event featured celebrities (restaurant critic Jay Rayner took to the BBQ, then tinkled the ivories), up and comers (we were serenaded by next big thing MPHO Sounds – whose new single Box N Locks mixes the “Echo Beach” riff with a hip-hop/RnB vibe), Buddhist prayer flags for bunting and even a real London Bus!

And connections were made – my local friend met a guy from two streets down and they decided to form a jazz duo; kids of all ages bonded over the joy of free cupcakes; and we all ended up back at the neighbours’ place for some post-Big Lunch African singing and drumming.

This was just one of many communal events in London that people can be part of this summer. All in all, I’d say The Big Lunch was a Big Success!

Did you go to The Big Lunch? Tell us about it…

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16 Jul

A Giant Cupcake in Covent Garden

Posted by Claire Doble in Attractions, Eating Out, Kids, Open Spaces, Shopping, Special Events 4 Comments

cupcake1

Lunchtime visitors in Covent Garden today helped devour what was probably the world’s largest cupcake.

Designed by Culinary Olympic champion Michelle Wibowo, slices of the 2-metre x 1.25-metre cupcake were distributed for free to an eager crowd, which had queued up around the block for a piece of the action.

Unfortunately we were not prepared to wait, so my friend and I joined a much shorter (but like-minded) queue at the Crumbs & Doilies cake stall at Covent Garden Real Food Market instead. At £2 for a regular cupcake, or £1 for a miniature version, we were well satisfied. As, I’m sure, were the 2,000-odd who scored a slice of “El Gordo” (the big one).

Take a look at Visit London’s guide to Afternoon Tea and tell us what’s your favourite spot for cupcakes in London?

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15 Jul

Visiting London: Sophie May

Posted by Julie Chappell in Arts, Cinema, Eating Out, Shopping, Special Events 11 Comments

Where are you visiting from? I live in Los Angeles, but I’m staying in Somerset for the school holidays. I was in London for just one day last week and I hope to come back again before the end of the summer.

How was your day in London?  I spent the day with my mum and auntie and had the most interesting and exciting time. I truly saw what this wonderful city has to offer. The combination of things we did in one day was astonishing.

Claude-Oscar Monet: The Beach at Trouville, 1870. Copyright National Gallery, LondonTo start the day we went to the National Gallery which has a great collection of art. One of the best things is that it’s free, like many other museums in London which is wonderful because everyone can appreciate the art the city has to offer. We saw the new exhibition Corot to Monet which is a collection of landscapes by European artists. After the exhibition we looked at some of the museum’s vast permanent collection.

Did you go anywhere nice for lunch? Yes. We walked down The Mall to a great Japanese restaurant called Sake No Hana. The food was amazing, the service was good and everyone was friendly and organized. The interior was very interesting and designed in an authentic Japanese style with a modern twist.

What came next? We went to Dover Street Market in Mayfair to look at the interesting clothes and shoes. The new Haunch of Venison gallery is round the corner so we went there too. I thought the contrast of the lovely old building with contemporary art inside was really interesting.  The Royal Academy of Arts was our next stop and we saw the J W Waterhouse exhibition, which was lovely and featured some beautiful paintings.

The Parlour at SketchWe needed a rest after all that art and went for afternoon tea at Sketch - a restaurant, tea room, art gallery and bar close to the Royal Academy. The interior is amazing. Each piece of furniture and art is different and better then the next. The afternoon tea was delightful and I will definitely go back.

What was the highlight of your day? The most exciting part happened right at the end. We went to a  charity preview screening of Harry Potter and the Half  Blood Prince! It was at the VUE cinema in Leicester Square at the same time as the premiere. The movie was wonderful and it really made a great end to the day.

My day in London was so interesting and diverse, there is so much happening and each experience is different. There is so much to see and do in London and that’s what makes it an amazing city.

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