The Rose Lounge at Sofitel London is the perfect place to enjoy Afternoon Tea. The rose-filled retreat shelters its guests from the hustle and bustle of the capital while delighting them with savoury and sweet treats, as well as the main event - tea.
The Fashion Afternoon Tea at The Rose Lounge celebrates the international launch of Balmain Dreams 10:OR, a collaboration between Balmain and Z2 Comics, which features Olivier Rousteing's iconic works from the past decade. The anthology showcases over a dozen illustrated short stories in graphic novel form.
The menu by head pastry chef Jamie Warley moves away from Afternoon Tea's English origins, playfully including nibbles from all over the globe. Savouries include tasty entries such as leek and potato soup, crayfish roll with dill mayo, pulled pork gyoza with soy and ginger, ham hock croquette with Emmental sauce and truffle Gourgeres. Meanwhile, the sweeter section of the menu offers indulgent delights like a pecan, carrot and cream cheese Mont Blanc, vanilla "five ways", citrus choux bun, cappuccino macaron and praline, chocolate and caramel Delice.
Not wanting to stray too far from tradition, freshly baked homemade scones are also on the menu, served with Cornish clotted cream and homemade seasonal jam. The in-house pastry chefs have also created pastries designed by Balmain, including a macaron and choux. The latter has straight lines and transparency to reflect the fabrics in the sketches. The macarons, meanwhile, feature colourful stripes, watercolour style splashes or Bauhaus shapes and colours, each to reflect different elements of Rousteing's sketch style.
The Fashion Afternoon Tea is available Thursday to Monday in the Rose Lounge, from 12 to 4 pm, 3 February to 3 March, and costs £55 per person. Guests can add a glass of Champagne to their afternoon tea for a supplementary £10.