Saturday 1 June 2013

Just In Time For Tea... (at The Wolseley)

The Wolseley gives the impression of being a long-established landmark of London's culinary scene. However, despite the building's unusual history, The Wolseley has only been open as a (self-proclaimed) "café-restaurant in the grand European tradition"  since 2003. What that really means is: because of its opulent decor, prime location (next to The Ritz on Piccadilly), and accomplished classic cuisine, The Wolseley has initiated itself as one of the places for London's high-society to dine.
Recently, I was able to see it for myself when I went for 'Afternoon Tea'.


I must confess, when the tiered cake stand arrived - beautiful as it was - my first thought was: "well that's not going to fill me up"! Looking at the elegant sandwiches and dainty pastries, I was already planning which wrap I was going to buy from Pret across the road once we'd finished! Whilst I fully admit that I'm greedy, I like to think that on this occasion my anxiety was justified as having not eaten since breakfast, I didn't think a few cucumber sandwiches would suffice! 
However, I soon ate my words (literally!) as, a few scones, sandwiches and lemon meringue pies later, I suddenly realised that finishing the lot was going to be a challenge rather than a landslide. Naturally, I 'forced' them all down in the end... in the name of research, of course!



I think the scones were the biggest surprise for me. A far cry from the heavy lumps served to us at school, these were warm, soft, light and packed with flavour. Smothered in really fresh clotted cream and intense strawberry jam, they were truly delicious. The sandwiches also exceeded my expectations and were surprisingly tasty. My only complaint was that their fillings were (rather tediously) conventional. Similarly, I couldn't fault the petits fours, which were all perfectly executed and enjoyable to eat... and yet I still felt a little underwhelmed. There was nothing exciting about what was presented, nothing distinctive (with the potential exception of the pistachio and raspberry cake).


I appreciate that The Wolseley is intentionally traditional, but for me, the food erred on the side of (dare I say it) boring. Saying that, my experience may be no reflection on the formal lunch/dinner menu, which for all I know could well be sensational (as it is reputed to be).

Nevertheless, I would still recommend 'Tea at The Wolseley' to those who are looking for an enjoyable and quintisentially British experience without splashing too much cash - which it was. What it lacked in originality, it made up for in good old-fashioned class, in a way that makes you, and the experience, feel special. 

However, for me, some of the beauties on this list look as though they have a lot more to offer, both in terms of food and atmosphere. Here's hoping I get to review some of these sometime soon!


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