London: Tea Time in Wonderland

Fascinating Lily – her skills range from the most adorable cupcake to gothic, coloured, complex cake sculptures.

Always radiant, framed by a cascade of black hair, eyes twinkling with happiness, she could be an elfic princess in Tolkien. It is easy to imagine her in a kitchen-laboratory, adding a pinch of magic or reading a recipe in an unknown and poetic language…

The girl also is sparkling with ideas -  her latest one is to transcend the too classic idea of a piece of cake in a plate or too dusty afternoon tea. Forget scones and cup of teas for a minute, this is party time! Welcome to the finger-licking-good Cake and Cocktail Club…

A delicious and simple principle in the fab 98 lounge – one of those little secret addresses in Shoreditch which you will find by stepping down forged steel stairs… It feels a little like home, with a fun and slightly unreal decoration and look closely at the bottle at the bar – they will remind you of a chemistry lab!

On the menut? For £10, the pairing of one of her creations and a cocktail. The invite listed quince-brandy-cinder toffee ice cream… Red Velvet and Cherry Mini Layer Cakes… Courvoisier Carrot Cake… Individual Vanilla and Pomegranate Cakes… Don’t forget jasmine tea flavoured cocktail, nor the one using candyfloss or even the homemande humbug rum!

Seing the absinth fountain, I just could not resist -  this is my favourite drink -  and fell for the fascinating alliance of absinth-dark choc chips-mint in an ice-cream – refined, crunchy, extraodinarily refreshing, terribly addictive – please, please do this one in tubs quickly!

For a few minutes, conversation goes completely blank – everyone being hypnotised by their choice, discovering those amazing combinations of tastes… Once tongues are free again, it is sharing time, cups, glasses, plates go around, we settle further back: comfy sofas, dimmed light, time to reinvent the world…

Oh, the most adorable fortune teller was there too, typing cryptic messages that put a smile on everyone’s face…

More festive than a lonely desert, much funnier than a simple cocktail – a sweet and new way to start the evening! Mary Poppins used to sing of spoonfuls of sugar and her magical syrup taste of rum punch -  no doubt she will be there next time!

To join this private club, ask Lily for information: sendflours@lilyvanilli.com

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