London: Tea Time in Wonderland

My advice of the week? Go for a Christmas afternoon tea at the Mandeville hotel. They had already won my heart (and my stomach) with their traditional version and I fell for that one too. Tangerine tartlet with a touch of gold, light but delicious Stollen the best scones in town, mince pies to die for, cupcakes decorated as a Christmas tree, a brownie teaxture to the chocolate cake with a touch of mint… What better way to celebrate the season before, during or after a shopping session? Even better, match it to one of theur fantastic cocktails -  the Via con me is a drink-it-up tiramisu version and the Dragonfly is very Turkish Delight like… You will be back for more!

‘Tis the season to be jolly:
* The Xmas tree dresses up in Legos at St Pancras.
* Don’t forget the Pudding Race!
* Woodlands get enchanted.
* Celebrate Xmas with a Swedish touch -  gorgeous food and drinks, ski lodge atmosphere and soft furs…

That’s art, baby:
* Open space and green!
* Robots invade the Science Museum.

Yummy time:
* Shhh -  a secret place for Whisky lovers.
* The Real Food Market gets festive.
* Learn to cook Tudor style at Hampton Court.

December, your best excuse to do some shopping:
* Do your shopping at this night market. Chinese lanterns and DJ – what a lovely atmosphere!

Out of the ordinary:
* Turn back the clock and head for a sensational Victorian evening.
* Brave the cold.
* Fingercross for a chance to see the Cointreau Cabaret.
* Beat that winter-blues with a ray or two of light.
* Discover Mrs Marmite Lover’s London.

A winter treat.

Lost gloves. Blowing on my fingertips, in vain.

Pushing the door of the One Aldwych, sudden cocoon of warmth.

Sitting at the bar, cheeks pinking up slightly, smiling.

Choosing and changing my mind a hundred times.

Spellbinded by The Mist.

Hypnotised.

Dancing blue flame of the Calvados.

Vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, Szechuan pepper.

A slice of dried apple, a swirl of delicious aromas.

A nectar to be sipped delicately.

Sugary lips, dreamy gaze.

The cold? Bring it on.

The Mist, £11.50 in the seasonal menu.
Love flamed cocktail? Then do try the Wild Essence too: vanilla and honey,
orange, cacao liqueur, bergamot.

One Aldwych Hotel
1 Aldwych
 London, WC2B 4BZ

Well if it is going to get all chilly and wet, I might as well go winter cocktails hunting. You’ll find a few celebration ideas here. Mulled ciders, toddies, buttered rums, here I come!

That’s art, baby:
* Go and see Leo. Not the one from Titanic, the other one.
* Hogarth’s house (the famous painter) is opening again to the public. Even better, entrance is free.
* Discover little secrets of your daily household objects…
* You will be in awe of this photo exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall.
* Do you have a lucky charm? There is a whole collection here.

The music touch:
* Dance, sing, play along the Thames with the Merger festival.
* Jazz it up!

A little fresh air:
* Street lights are pretty much the same from one year to another these days. Yet Carnaby street‘s always are particularly colourful. They’re switched on Nov 10. Oh, and Covent Garden has digitalised the Nativity scene. Not to be missed!
* Keep fighting and garden.

Kids-friendly:
* See (real) reindeers at Covent Garden.

Yummy time:
* Falling for cupcakes? Meet Lola’s founders Thursday at Selfridge’s.
* The Make Lounge offers lovely workshops – this week-end it is all about chutneys and jams.
* To decorate your cakes as if they were works of art, have a look here.
* Oh, a new supperclub, Spanish style…

Out of the ordinary:
* Fancy being  foxy? I mean, really?
* Express yourself and get a free haircut.
* Less known but still worth a detour: the mayor’s parade.

Psst, try your luck, we have two competitions on the blog at the moment:
*5 Time Out Eating and drinking guides for foodies.
* You live in the UK? Great – you might win £400 worth of flights to Europe.

Nothing worse, around Covent Garden, then those overprices tourist traps for lunch. Expensive yet bland menus. Try Machiavelli who recently joined the scene and brings poetic elegance to an Italian deli. The counter offers a lovely range of tempting colourful dishes. We lunched  there of the most tender fritata (£4) infused with basil as well as a plate of grilled vegetables that made fennel dance with juicy peppers (£7). All around, shelves offer beautiful honeys, charcuterie, spices and herbs, books and guides, delicate ceramics… so hypnotising you might very well freeze from time to time with your fork in the air. Just time for a coffee? Do order the Dai-Dai ice-cream (£3.50), though -  fun cubes of vanilla and pinenuts with a crunchy thin chocolate layer.

Machiavelli
69 Long Acre
London WC2E 9JS

You know how sweet places matter to me. Yet around Covent Garden, this proved tricky. There are delicious cupcakeries and pâtisseries, yes, yet with very limited seating space.

Wasn’t there an atmospheric lounge where one could spend the afternoon with friends? One that would wow friends visiting from abroad, where we could dream together while sipping on a fragrant cup of tea or a succulent cocktail, forgetting the time entirely?

Well, I have found it. Just a two minutes walk from the market. Perfect location.

Step in One aldwych hotel and you will find a soothing luxurious atmosphere, a lovely cocoon. On each side, huge windows bring natural light in -  on a sunny day,  it has a golden touch to it. Look around – there are amazing work of art around the whole building, such as this man in a tiny boat rowing his way through the room. The florist has amazing skills too -  his creations always fill the room magniciently, a botanical firework. Whether you are a regular visitor or a first time guest, you will be treated as a first class guest, an elegant and delicate approach that matters most to this independant palace.

Follow me -  it is afternoon tea season! With a glass of champagne any rainy day suddenly feels bubblier…

Here tradition is brought a modern twist. The triangle sandwiches offer delicious salmon with a hint of wasabi, generous chicken, yummy sauces, cucumber slices so thin they almost feel creamy, seedy bread… but you will completely fall for the canape versions of Welsh rarebit and Scotch eggs. Miniature versions you see, allows more focus on taste and oh, those savoury bites are just to die for.

Ah, this melted cheddar with bechamel that fills the mouth, the discreet Worcester sauce that makes the whole difference, the tomato locking all the taste in a single mouthful… And the quail egg, still runny yolk with a pinch of celery salt, the herby meat followed by the crunchy bready wrapping. I had never been a fan of Scotch eggs -  a bit dry to my taste but here the balance is just right, moist and tender. Try it with a little caper sauce to add crunchiness to the texture…

You could stop there. You would be totally satisfied with a whole plate of those. But you have already looked up and you cannot resist trying the cakes anymore. Start with the carrot cake -  amazing portion yet very light, a little poem of carrot, raisins, walnuts. Well done for not killing it with icing but sprinklinh chopped hazelnuts instead.

Next on your list is the chocolate fondant – dark cacao laced with raspberry. A very dramatic effect that will suprise any chocoholic by its intensity finishing on the cloud effect of the cream. So complex it feels like it is telling a story…

The star is the Battenberg, so cheerful in colour, an explosion of colour. If like me, you had only tasted Mr Kipling’s ones, make a special detour for this. The almond paste is incredibly refined, and you can taste the vanilla in the cake, the apricot jam keeping the squares together. I cannot understand why such an amazing cake does not appear more in British cafés. The graphism is so inspiring too, you feel like piling the squares, making a Rubik’s cube with them or bite straight into it.

Take the opportunity to rediscover the Eton Mess too with this autumn version served in a cute glass. Caramelised apple compote, a layer of vanilla treat then whipped cream and crunchy sugary topping. Dig all the way down to try and have the four ingredients on your spoon and let it melt slowly on your tongue…

Or give up on the clotted cream and enjoy it on their brioche-like scones -  that is just royal.

The bonus? The more the merrier. 4 friends and one afternoon tea is free. 8 friends and you can enjoy a complimentary magnum of champagne.

As it is situated at the heart of theatreland (The Lion King is played in the nearby street), One Aldwych has thought of an idea for those who want to enjoy the magic of an evening a little longer. Come after 22.00 to enjoy the 10 after 10 offer: one of their amazing desert (and the description will make your mouth water) and a glass of wine for £10… Worth noting too are their movies evening -  £42.50 is quite a deal for a 3-course dinner, projection, popcorn and champagne! Being a mum, I love their brunch and family film option too. This is a particularly child-friendly hotel. Little ones get their own slippers and robe, a book is left on their bed for bedtime stories, the room service offers special dishes and smoothies for them…

Have a look at the website to discover the beauty of the rooms. This sublime hotel puts a special care in small details, a personalised atmosphere and really goes the extra mile to make your stay feel festive. I can only tip my hat to them.

One Aldwych
London
WC2B 4BZ

Afternoon tea, £26.50
Champagne afternoon tea, £35

Teatime in Wonderland was invited by OneAldwych for their gorgeous afternoon tea

Already famous in the US, the brand has just opened its first two European addresses, both in London: on in Covent Garden, the other in Marylebone. Don’t know it? Well, listen closely, Eileen Fisher is going to make you love winter.

Her collections are best describes as cocoons you feel like snuggling in. Alpaga, merinos – the textures are thin yet extra-warm, a caress to the skin, fall in beautiful curved collars, flatter the body, allow to superpose and play on transparence. The palette of colours altern between bright grays highlighted by brilliant bronze, golden yellow, lilac that will brighten your complexion better than any cream on the market. The clothes have been thought to make your life easy, they all complement and match each other.

We fell in love withe coats with Asian modern lines, the rich velvety scarves so soft you will keep them on all day long, the belts that turn a dancing tunique into  a gorgeous waistline, the satin textures.

The shop is extremely well designed – clear, spacious. It is easy to butterfly from one side to another, marvelling at his new range. It is a whole lifestyle -  one set is so elegant yet so comfy you can easily go from a business meeting to a dinner with friends. The fabric evolve around your body, never in your way always working with you. A must for the modern amazones…

Eileen Fisher UK

Covent Garden
5 Slingsby Place
St Martins Courtyard
London WC2E 9AB

96 Marylebone High Street
London W1U 4RH

Remember. There was a time, in the 80ies, when cocktails were so very colourful, the rim lined with sugar and served with a cute umbrella. The latter would be turned, played with, opened and closed incessantly. All this went with memories of sunny holidays, swimming pool or white sandy beach.

So very kitsch yet it does trigger a slight nostalgia -  happy times.

For this year’s cocktail week, Hendrick’s Gin has decided to bring those umbrellas back to the scene. How? By setting up one of their fabulous pop-ups that willl welcome a bar (hoorray!) and also a fun collections of those parasols. Even better they will create new models for the modern barmen. You will also get a chance, in exchange for their always-perfect G&T, to design your own -  the very best will be sent into production. Entry is free so go and say hello to the team!

Hendrick’s Unusual Umbrella Emporium
65 Monmouth St
Covent Garden
London WC2H 9DG
Wednesday 12th October, 5pm – Saturday 15th October open midday to 11pm every day.

There are also worskshops to join:

* Discover gin in litterature -  this spirit has inspired so many writers by its complexity and charm. Come and listen to delicious quotes while sipping on cocktails. £10 – all drinks included, 13th & 14th October 18.00-19.00

* Understand (and taste!) the quintessence of gin – you will learn all about its composition, distillation and of course what makes Hendrick’s so very unique. £10 – tasting included, 13th & 14th October 14.00-15.30

To discover a little more about Hendrick’s world:
* Carriage of Curiosities
* Hendrick’s refined courtship clinic
* Of tea, legends, adventures and G&T

Lego had the fun idea, for the London Design Festival, to build this greenhouse entirely with their transparent bricks… Even the ground is covered with some of the brand’s little cubes to create this illusion of earth. Only the plants are “real”.

It will still be in Covent Garden till tomorrow evening – this should give quite a few ideas to your little ones!

Lego Greenhouse
Covent Garden
Until Sept 25 2011, free

At least on Floral Street. The artist Tim Fishlock had this strange idea a few years ago. You will need sharp eyes for this one as it is pretty discreet – look close to the Ted Baker shop.

Pssst: Cherchez également dans Soho, les murs y ont des nez. Look out for another eccentricity in Soho: noses.