Last week, I took my mum to afternoon tea at Ting, the restaurant on the 35th floor of the Shangri-La hotel in The Shard. Now this was a birthday gift for her – I won’t tell you which birthday but it was a big one! Billed as a luxury afternoon tea on their website, we had high expectations.
I currently work in the City of London so I can actually see the Shard from my desk and so I’ve always been intrigued and fascinated by the building.
On the ground floor, the entrance to the Shangri-La is separate to the public entrance to the other restaurants and bars. There are a few different restaurants and bars at the shard and Ting is hidden away, in the Shangri-La hotel on the 35th floor. After being ushered through the doors by a doorman, we were soon whizzing up to the 35th floor in one of the quickest lifts I’ve ever been in!
When the lift doors open, you’re greeted with spectacular views of London and a the guest relations team are waiting to guide and direct you to where you need to be whether you’re checking into the Shangri-La hotel or arriving for afternoon tea. It’s clear that the service is a well oiled machine, no less than what I expect, having stayed at several Shangri-La hotels previously.
We arrived at 15.35 for our 15.45 booking (my mum is always early to everything) and Ting was full of parties enjoying afternoon tea, but it quietened down as the afternoon continued.
We were seated in the lounge in squashy seats which is a little more relaxed than the restaurant and we were really lucky to be given seats by the window looking out towards the City of London and across East London. The Ting lounge also offers all day dining if you don’t fancy afternoon tea but still want to enjoy the views.
Our Veuve Cliqot Champagne arrived first and we were offered the extensive tea menu to choose our tea. I went for the Signature Breakfast tea and my mum chose the Very Berry tea. It wasn’t long before our afternoon tea arrived. We started with the sandwiches, which were served with different breads with all the crusts cut off and the flavours of the fillings were delicious. I particularly enjoyed the cucumber sandwiches and the chicken ones too. Next, we tucked into the scones which are my favourite part of any afternoon tea. These scones were light and fluffy and there were four on the middle layer which meant we ate two each! By the time we reached the beautiful cakes on the top layer we were getting pretty full.
The cutlery was Robert Welch and the crockery was Wedgewood so it was nice to see that the Shangri-La were using British items to complement the experience. The waiting staff come round and offer you top ups so we had some more tea but didn’t need any more food as we were getting full. We were served by Julia and David who were extremely knowledgable, attentive and helpful.
If you’re visiting the Shangri-La, you must visit the bathrooms while you’re there — the toilet seats are heated and one of the cubicles faces outward, with a full window of glass. Not your everyday bathroom experience!
Ting British Summer Time Afternoon Tea Menu:
Cakes:
Lemon Lavender Tart (Lemon Curd, Lavender Sable)
Cherry Blossom Roulade (Chocolate, Vanilla, Sour Cherry)
Peach Melba Macaron (Yellow Peach Cremeux, Raspberry Confiture)
Strawberry Pistachio Gateau Opera (Pistachio Jaconde, Strawberry Mousse)
Exotic Eclair (Pineapple Confit, Passion Fruit Cremeux, Coconut Mousse)
Scones:
Classic English Plain and Raisin Scones served with English Clotted Cream and Strawberry Jam
Sandwiches:
Roast Beef Sandwich (Horseradish Cream and Watercress)
Smoked Salmon (Crème Fraîche and Fresh Dill)
Mango and Chicken Mayonnaise Sandwich (Chilli spice, Coriander)
Salted Cucumber (Pink Peppercorn Cream Cheese)
Champagne:
Veuve Clicquot, Yellow Label, Brut, NV
Duval Leroy, Prestige, Premier Cru, Rosé Brut NV
Bollinger, La Grande Année, 2007
Ting, Shangri-La – 4/5
Would I go back? Probably not, as this was for a special occasion, hence why we did it in style with champagne.
Food – 4
Service – 5
Decor / Ambience – 5
The Champagne Afternoon Tea cost £140 for two people.
Have you visited the Shangri-La before? Feeling Inspired? Check out my London restaurant hit list!
Shangri-La Hotel
The Shard
31 St Thomas Street
London
SE1 9QU
