So, I hope I'm not in the minority here as someone who didn't even know that Whittard did afternoon teas. Of course I was well aware of their beautiful crockery sets (the Alice in Wonderland one has been calling my name for years), and their fabulous selection of teas, but did you know they actually have their own little tea room?
Nested beneath the market of Covent Garden, you would hardly even know it was there unless you knew the secret beforehand. It exists in what feels like a little underground tunnel, with white walls and mirrors dangling all around.
My mama and I were kindly invited down to create one of our legendary Tea Files reviews for them and we were so excited to try it out.
Obviously, the first thing I fell in love with was the stunning teacups and mugs, which I was half tempted to buy by the end of the meal! Gorgeously delicate teacups with an intricate pastel design that also happens to match my aesthetic perfectly. Couldn't complain.
We were promptly seated by our waiter, Luca, and offered some hot drinks to start. As I don't drink tea I went for a hot chocolate which I was pleasantly surprised to see came in a huge array of flavours! In the end I went for Rocky Road Hot Chocolate which may have been the best hot chocolate I've ever had. It was incredible and piled high with a mountain of whipped cream and marshmallows (just how a hot chocolate should be, in my opinion.)
While my mama went for the 1886 Blend; a historic blend inspired by two different types of tea enjoyed in Victorian London. It's apparently incredible, and mama said it was the best cup of tea she's had in a long time.
You're also given a cute little egg timer that tells you exactly when you tea will be ready! Which I think is adorable and definitely made for a little more magic.
Then up came our food. We both went for the traditional Whittard Tea, but they also do a more savoury option if you don't have as much of a sweet tooth, where they exchange scones for a scotch egg and other savoury delights.
The sandwiches were on the bottom tier; smoked salmon, cucumber, coronation chicken and egg mayonnaise. They tasted nice enough but the bread on some of the sandwiches felt a little hard. I think they had been made earlier in the day and left to sit for a while.
The scones were served warm with a selection of jams and clotted cream, and again were nice enough by not quite as fresh as they could have been.
We were also given a huge array of mini cakes which looked absolutely beautiful. I'd say these were about 50/50 when it came to freshness, some of them weren't so good but others like the Victoria sponge and the chocolate mousse brownie were absolutely delicious.
Overall, I'd say Whittard is worth the visit if you're looking for a pretty good afternoon tea around the Covent Garden area. The service and drinks were absolutely excellent, but the food wasn't quite as fresh as it could have been, which is a shame! I feel like as Whittard are renowned for their tea and the tea room didn't appear to have a separate kitchen attached to it, the food had been made early in the morning and then served throughout the day, which meant that a few things weren't as amazing as if they had been served to order. Nonetheless, I'd definitely pop in for a drink and to give it a test run!
I have to say a big thank you to Luca, our waiter as well, who was so helpful and couldn't have done enough for us! You can check out their afternoon tea on their website HERE!
The Tea Files Rating
6.5/10
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This post was kindly sponsored by Whittard and our afternoon tea was provided complimentary in exchange for a review, but all opinions are my own.
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