As far as whimsical restaurants in the capital go, Aqua Shard is up there (literally). Housed on the 31st floor of the Shard, it offers its guests playful house cocktails and top-notch modern British cuisine. However, there is even more magic to be enjoyed when it comes to the afternoon.
The Aqua Shard Peter Pan Afternoon Tea takes guests on a whimsical tour of Neverland with delicious food, adventurous teas and creative cocktails. Based on passages from the JM Barrie books, this menu has been carefully crafted to transport guests back to their childhood.
The savoury selection starts things off with a “baked pig” sausage roll, an “enormous mushroom chimney” with bread and duxelles and “codfish Captain Hook”. These playful dishes set the tone for this culinary quest in the clouds. The lost boys sandwich features roasted chicken, crispy bacon, mayo and mustard, while the little bird includes egg mayo, cucumber, chives and truffle.
Sticking to the original text, the vanilla and golden raisin scones come with Mammee-apple jam and coconut clotted cream, while the sweet treats celebrate key characters. Peter’s Secret Never Tree Entrance is a dark chocolate mousse with raspberry jam, chocolate sponge and ganache, while the Tinker Bell is a sweet pastry biscuit with white icing and gold fairy dust. On the villain side, Hook’s Perish cake is a lime green Victoria cake with coconut and fondant icing, while Tick-Tock the Crocodile is a raspberry and Rooibos tea jelly with a crocodile gummy.
Specialty teas are the darling, a blend of black teas from around the world with elegant rose petals and adventure tea, which includes sunflower blossoms, mango pieces, lemon and orange peel.
The additional Fairy Dust cocktail packs a punch, featuring mint and cucumber Ketel One, apple liqueur, ginger switchel, makrut leaf powder, absinthe and gold fairy dust, while the Never Grow Up Punch is a milder affair, made with pineapple, pear puree, elderflower tonic, lime and grenadine float.