Traditions can really make the holiday season feel special. If you are someone who likes to treat yourself to an afternoon tea to embrace the magic of the festive period, London’s Kona at Taj 51 Buckingham Gate has curated an impressive menu to do just that!
The experience starts off by selecting one of over twenty varieties of tea. From Oolong, white, black, green, and herbal you will find something special and new to try or enjoy a reliable favourite. Although the selection is vast there isn’t a rooibos style tea offered on the menu, so if this is something you typically enjoy this experience will be an opportunity to try something new. Each tea selection is served in loose leaf form in personal tea pots.
To get your appetite started, they offer an elevated Christmas dinner themed sandwich course. In addition to the teatime classics of smoked salmon and cream cheese and cucumber on crustless white bread, this unique sandwich course also includes an inside-out roast beef & horseradish cream sandwich on a brioche roll, beetroot eclairs with coronation chicken mousse, and honey & mustard roasted turkey with cranberry chutney and beetroot pickled quail egg in a puff pie crust. The rich Advent-purple colour of the pickled egg is particularly impressive and festive.
Following this, the scones and clotted creme are spiced and infused with fruit which provide a lovely twist on a classic Christmas pudding. During this course the chef makes lovely use of edible flowers in the presentation and has paired the clotted cream with a delightfully sweet honey cranberry relish. If you are someone who usually asks for seconds of the cranberry sauce at Christmas dinner, this afternoon tea really hits the spot with complementary flavours throughout each course.
After this, if you still have room, the “Sweet Tidings” course wows with a range of cakes and pastries including raspberry creme, both white and milk chocolate mousse, marzipan and a chestnut choux. The Manjari chocolate mousse is particularly well-presented, with chocolate sable and reindeer horns that really put a smile on one's face.
Kona at The Taj are also able to accommodate allergies and dietary restrictions and were able to recreate this entire experience for us in a vegan soy-free offering.
Although the atmosphere is not particularly festive and the experience could be enhanced with some seasonal decor for ambiance, both the excellent food and service make this afternoon tea experience a special day to remember during the holiday season.
The Christmas Afternoon Tea at Kona, Taj 51 Buckingham Gate can be booked here.
The set menu is £60.
[Items in this article may have been gifted to Chatting Food. No financial payment has been made to feature in this article, and entries to the feature are made independently by members of the Editorial Team. This page contains affiliate links and we may receive a small commission for purchases]
Chatting Food Contributor Alyssa LeAnne's motto is, "The fastest way to the heart is through the stomach" and she has fallen in love with cities, cuisines and people after tasting their food.
After over seven years in lifestyle PR, she landed in her true passion for food and beverage as a Food Stylist where she makes food and drinks look gorgeous for the camera and informative to consumers. She loves a restaurant tasting menu and is always up for creating one on her own by sharing with whoever she is dining out with. While at home, she is an avid dinner party host, experimental recipe developer and enjoys everything extra spicy!
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