2 Hours at The Langham Afternoon Tea in London

Hey guys!

We were so excited to head to London as part of our 6-week trip throughout Europe! Not only was it my first time in London, but we were also meeting up with Zach's brother, Caleb, and his beautiful wife, Kath! We had 5 days to explore the city together, and knew the best way to start would be to have afternoon tea at The Langham, London to feel as British as possible! :) The Langham, London is iconic-- dating all the way back to 1865-- and is one of those historic hotels that has shaped the area in which it is located. Offering a luxurious experience from the moment you step foot inside the hotel, The Langham is the place to be if you want to feel as regal as a queen (or king)!

Greeted by marble columns and a grand chandelier in the hotel's lobby, we were brought straight into Palm Court- the dining room where afternoon tea is served. I immediately fell in love with all of my surroundings and by the looks on everyone else's faces, it's safe to say that we all felt the same! You can't help but notice the rose theme throughout all of Palm Court- on display right when you walk in with actual roses inside of tea cups, found on the menu with drawings of delicate roses, and even painted on the teacups you drink from. The hostesses' outfits even play in on this theme, as they wear an a-line skirt with a beautiful pink blouse. I was in awe before we even sat down!

Afternoon tea began with a glass of Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé (a rose-colored champagne) and we quickly learned that this was a summer staple here in London. It was as refreshing as it was delicious! Our waiter informed us early on that we would not leave hungry, but I still don't think we quite understood just how much food we would be consuming at an afternoon tea! You can choose between the afternoon tea or the high tea option, and we chose the high tea as it comes with an additional course and we came hungry. We informed the hotel ahead of time that both Kath and I were vegetarian and gluten free, and they made sure to prepare special options for us that made us feel very well fed and taken care of. We didn't miss out on anything! We were all given finger sandwiches to start: for example one with tomato, mozzarella, and basil, one with egg salad, one with cucumber, cream cheese, and chives, and there was a chicken salad option. Even after finishing our sandwiches, there was someone walking around with more to 'refill' our plates if we wished! Afterwards, we were served (what felt like) a never-ending supply of decadent treats; such as macarons, truffles, small cakes, mousses, etc. and finally... SCONES. The gluten free raisin scones were among the best I've ever had-- and there was strawberry and apricot jam that made them even more delicious! Of course I cannot leave out the fact that the whole time we were served different pairings of tea off of the tea pairing menu; all of which had unique flavors and notes that helped to distinguish them. I'm usually not much of a tea drinker because I prefer coffee, but I can honestly say that this experience was something that should not be missed and the selection of teas here made me reconsider my feelings about tea vs. coffee.

Our visit to the The Langham, London was one I will never forget, and I don't think I could ever visit London again without including this afternoon tea as a must on my itinerary!