I’ve experienced and reviewed more than my fair share of luxury afternoon teas in London and The Milestone Hotel & Residences, a five star Red Carnation Hotel in Kensington, is the venue to which I return most when off-duty due to the exceptional attention to detail and the charm of the hotel itself, where the friendly team ensures that every guest is treated like a regular.
Named after the 1834 milestone which stands outside notifying the passer-by of their 1.5 mile distance to Hyde Park Corner, as with any dining experience, the setting is paramount. If you enjoy taking in the city’s history and heritage it doesn’t get much more old-world London than this grade II-listed Victorian red brick property overlooking Kensington Gardens; hence the aptly named ‘Park Lounge’ where afternoon tea guests are made supremely comfortable with plush furnishings and book-lined walls, the like of which is hard to come by nowadays.
First opened as a hotel in 1922, you wouldn’t be remotely surprised to find Agatha Christie nibbling a cucumber sandwich in the corner and poring over a book on poisins, for the hotel has fully retained its character in the 104 years in which discerning day-trippers, business travellers and vacationers have sought out the calm oasis of its public rooms. You can immediately sense that The Milestone belongs to a family-run company, who not only train their front of house to the highest of standards, but instil in them a genuine desire to connect with their guests. It’s no surprise that so many international travellers single out The Milestone year after year, or that the flashier London 5 star establishments simply can’t compete with the ‘home away from home’ serenity and welcome you’ll find here.
The Milestone Hotel & Residences update their award-winning afternoon tea experience seasonally and nothing could be more aligned to the femininity and elegance of this rarefied English custom than their new, strictly limited ‘Cherry Blossom Afternoon tea’ from 25 March until 3rd May; a special collaboration between The Milestone’s Executive Chef, Dan Putz and the Red Carnation’s Global Director of Chocolate & Patisserie, Paula Stakelum, who is based at the group’s sister property, Ashford Castle in Ireland and is world renowned for her creativity and talent.
A refined celebration of spring inspired by the fleeting beauty of cherry blossom season, guests will enjoy delicate savouries including finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones served with clotted cream and preserves, and an array of pastel-hued pastries which capture the evocative blossom which causes so much joy each year. At the heart of the experience is a signature cherry blossom pastry by Paula Stakelum – a showstopping centrepiece epitomising her renowned artistry and chocolate expertise.
The Milestone are especially obliging about catering to dietary needs, with dedicated vegetarian and vegan afternoon tea menus, besides offering alcohol free alternatives to the optional, yet customary glass of Champagne traditionally enjoyed with sandwiches and savoury treats. This is followed with an excellent selection of Planters’ Tea from which to choose; all the favourites such as Earl Grey alongside some suitably unusual blends for a more harmonious accompaniment to this celebration of the most beloved of spring flowers; from ‘Mistress’, a golden tea featuring bergamot, orange and lemon peel; ‘St Andrews Estate Orange Pekoe’, a seasonal single estate tea with an exotic, rosy flavour; ‘Radiant Rose’, a high grown tea perfumed with rose petals. But it is perhaps the ‘Mattakelle Golden Curls’, a Gold winner at The Leafies International Tea Academy awards organised by UK Tea Academy and Fortnum & Mason, which offers the marriage made in heaven when sipped alongside this highly fragrant afternoon tea due to its clever partnering of Japanese and Sri Lankan flavours, lending it a rosy aroma with heady jasmine notes.
In a creative nod to the Japanese obsession with cherry blossom, or ‘sakura’ (meaning to bloom), a katsu chicken mayonnaise sandwich with toasted almonds is included with English staples like smoked salmon, and while the Asian theme pauses for the scones, clotted cream and jam, several Asian-inspired desserts feature within the patisserie selection; miso macaron with peanut and raspberry; yuzu, strawberry and hibiscus choux; and a Japanese rollcake featuring sencha tea and cherry. I have a feeling that the highly original, limited edition Cherry Blossom Afternoon Tea will be as reluctantly concluded as cherry blossom season itself, so I advise making a reservation sooner rather than later. As Katsumoto said in The Last Samurai, “The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life,’ I can only hope that I’ve saved you precious blossom-hunting time by finding the most magical spring afternoon tea in the capital.
Cherry Blossom Afternoon Tea at The Milestone Hotel & Residences from Wednesday 25th March – 3rd May, £85 per adult, £98 with a glass of Champagne, £45 per child. For more information and to make a reservation please visit the website.
