This week I spent a lovely afternoon with some of my favourite bloggers, testing out the new Festive Afternoon Tea at Aqua Shard! I’ve been to the bar at Shangri-La at The Shard a few times, and even stayed at the hotel itself, but I had never been to any of the restaurants in The Shard outside of the Shangri-La group. Based on my experience at Aqua Shard’s sister restaurant in Hong Kong though, I knew I was in for a treat!
I arrived at The Shard to find the lovely Sima, Binny, and Angie & baby Oscar already there. It had been ages since I’d seen them all so it was great to catch up and coo over adorable little Oscar, who was good as gold and slept the entire time! Soon after D joined us, and Christina too. We had a gorgeous table right by the window overlooking the city, and the late afternoon lighting was perfect for a posse of bloggers all wanting to take snaps of the very photogenic afternoon tea.
After photos were taken, we settled down to enjoy the spread along with a glass of Veuve Clicquot each, and I also chose a pot of fresh mint tea! The sandwiches consisted of: Cranberry, turkey & lettuce sandwich; Fig chutney & brie sandwich; Roasted peppers, aubergine, hummus on brown bread; Crumpet with smoked salmon; Cheese & pickle sandwich; Egg & black truffle sandwich.
My personal favourites were the Cranberry, turkey & lettuce, and the Egg & black truffle! Both were completely moreish and I may have scoffed Sima and Binny’s turkey sarnies as well (they’re both vegetarian, so I skipped the veggie sandwiches in favour for extra turkey ones – promise I wasn’t just being a total pig haha).
Next up was the all-important freshly baked scones with homemade cranberry & apple jam and Cornish clotted cream. I’m not a huge scone person and really have to be in the mood for them, but these were probably the best I’ve ever had. A perfectly crisp and crunchy exterior with a beautifully fluffy interior, I somehow limited myself to just one to save myself for the desserts.
Finally, we indulged in Aqua Shard’s selection of homemade cakes and sweet treats. My favourite was – unusually for me – the light option, which was the Clementine & Prosecco trifle. The flavours worked so well together and I really loved it. I also very much enjoyed the Gingerbread, but I scraped the coffee interior out (classy as always) as I don’t like coffee. The other two desserts were a Dark chocolate & cherry present, and a Pear & cinnamon Santa hat. All of them were delicious and I thought there was a good variety of types of dessert and flavours.
It’s been years since I had a festive afternoon tea, but I absolutely loved our experience at The Shard. The winning combination of delicious food, a relaxed atmosphere, and that incredible view over my beloved London has had me raving about it to everyone! If you’re looking for something really special this Christmas, book the Festive Tea at Aqua Shard.
*Our afternoon tea was complimentary
Catherine Lux is a veteran travel blogger by night and the Head of SEO at Havas Media Group by day. Originally from Surrey, she spent four years living in Australia (2007-2009, and 2016-2018), and now lives in London. An ex-party girl sometimes prone to relapses, she loves nothing more than sharing her fine dining and luxury travel experiences with her loyal readers.
