So you’ve been nominated for a BAFTA Award or simply received an invitation to attend the posh Feb. 19 gala — well then, hats off to you. While in London, you’ll want to celebrate your good fortune with a proper spot of Da Hong Pao, a flute of festive bubbles and a fancy cress sandwich.
Or maybe you didn’t snag a nomination or even an invite. But you’re in London! Well then, you’ll want to drown your sorrows in a proper spot of Da Hong Pao, a flute of festive bubbles and a fancy cress sandwich. See? Either way, you win.
Put on your best Stella or Vivienne Westwood — for guys, make it Tom Ford — grab a Chanel bag from your closet and take a seat at one of these legendary tea emporiums to do some serious people-watching.
Charlotte Street Hotel
Take in the BAFTAs at the Charlotte Street Hotel. Bask in the glamour of the live telecast and sip a glass of Champagne from your comfy orange leather seat in the state-of-the-art screening room (25 pounds). Or enjoy a gorgeous afternoon tea or an after-BAFTA dinner in the Oscar Bar & Restaurant, a vibrant room decorated in a Hollywood art deco style. Tea is served on beautiful bespoke china designed by the hotel’s co-owner and wildly talented design impresario, Kit Kemp. Afternoon tea, 35 pounds ($42); firmdalehotels.com
The Berkeley
The Berkeley hotel’s fashion-forward Prêt-à-Portea is not to be missed. Catwalk-inspired couture cakes are decorated to look like the latest togs, handbags and shoes from de rigueur designers like Prada and Gaultier. This month’s creations include a Christopher Kane floral gown interpreted as a creamy cheesecake atop a vanilla crémeux-and-crunchy sablé base; a Prada camel coat imagined in a chocolate cookie with pink fur sleeves of royal icing; and an homage to gender-fluid au courant designer Harris Reed via an eye-catching petit four of caramel sponge cake and Granny Smith apple compote topped with a white chocolate headpiece. Excellent celeb sightings, including frequent appearances by Fergie, the outlaw royal. 80 pounds; the-Berkeley.co.uk
The Goring Hotel
Located in tony Belgravia, The Goring Hotel is the apex of English hushed elegance. That’s why Kate, now the Princess of Wales, chose to stay here the night before her wedding. Walk through the lobby, past the hand-painted allegorical wallpaper, and that whispered refinement is evident in The Goring’s afternoon tea, served either on The Veranda or in the formal dining room. Pastries are made with locally sourced seasonal fruits and served on cheerful yellow china. And a wide selection of top-tier teas has earned The Goring a Top London Afternoon Tea Award from the prestigious British Tea Council. Go for the traditional English afternoon tea, and add a wonderful glass of Bollinger Champagne for 10 pounds more. 60 pounds; thegoring.com
Fortnum & Mason
Fortnum & Mason nods to Queen Elizabeth in its Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, where the late monarch enjoyed tea with her daughter-in-law, Queen Consort Camilla, and her granddaughter-in-law Kate, the Princess of Wales. Located on the fourth floor of this old-world food emporium on Piccadilly, the salon is decorated in muted minty green hues. It’s a charming throwback, offering a traditional tea of crustless finger sandwiches that include cucumber and minted cream cheese and Suffolk cured ham with Fortnum’s English mustard. Ask for an expert tea tasting (a 6-pound surcharge), whereby a “Tearista” will give you a proper schooling on the leaves. 75 pounds; fortnumandmason.com
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