I’ve been to my fair share of afternoon tea’s in London but the Dior themed afternoon tea called “Prêt-à-Portea ” in The Berkeley hotel has to be one of the most impressive! I visited with my mum a few weeks ago where we had a girly day out in London, starting with the Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition at the V&A museum so it was a Dior themed day!
I’ve never been to The Berkeley hotel before and the entrance is very understated – I couldn’t even spot a sign outside so but we were welcomed inside by the friendly doorman. After taking our coats, we were seated at our table in the beautiful Collins Room which is flooded with natural light, has gorgeous airy grey tones, comfortable armchairs and a relaxed atmosphere. I particularly enjoyed the Dior detailing dotted about the room including books and candles. It’s those little details that made it a really lovely experience. The service was impeccable from start to finish; our waitress started by asking if we had any dietary requirements and customised our dishes accordingly which was appreciated.
The afternoon tea here is one of a kind; it’s completely Dior themed, inspired by the fashion world and is updated every six months in line with the fashion seasons and the latest pieces on the Dior catwalk. The Prêt-à-Portea is priced at £60 per person but we opted for the Champagne Prêt-à-Portea, with a glass of Laurent-Perrier which cost £70 per person. This is about in line with other afternoon teas across London such as The Shard.
First we were served our champagne and chose our tea from a HUGE menu of different teas and then we were served sandwiches which were absolutely delicious (we got a plate of sandwiches each!). I particularly liked the china and crockery which were a gorgeous purple colour, I believe you can buy them too. Next, we were served the savoury treats and I really enjoyed these as it’s slightly different to a more traditional afternoon tea. We actually struggled to eat it all as we wanted to save some space for the cakes. Our tea was refreshed as we dined and nothing was too much trouble for the staff who were incredibly helpful.
Finally, the highlight was of course, the cakes. A waitress came over with our incredible tray of cakes and talked us through each one, we even had a plaque so we could see which items we were eating! She also sprayed the rose and lycée cake with rose water in front of us before we got tucked in. They were all delicious but I think my favourites were the J’adior slingback shoe or the Miss Dior dress. The only disappointment, or surprise I should say, was the lack of scones which I’d expect as part of a traditional afternoon tea. The excitement of the Dior themed cakes meant that I didn’t actually miss them but I think I would’ve liked one. What do you think?
Dior Pret-a-Portea Afternoon Tea Menu:
Sandwiches:
Roast corn fed chicken, truffle celeriac remoulade, lettuce, thyme cress on onion bread
Pastrami, light blue cheese cream, sauerkraut, gherkin, rocket on brown bread
Home-smoked salmon, shallot soya miring butter, daikon, nasturtium leaves on rye bread
Heritage Copper Maran hen’s mayonnaise, beef heart tomatoes, mustard cress on brioche bread
Heirloom beetroots, horseradish scented feta, watercress on tomato bread
Aromatic cottage cheese, baked courgettes, peppers, artichokes, baby spinach on seven grains bread
Savoury Treats:
Baked Camembert brioche, spiced Victoria plum jam, Manchego cheese
Parsnip cream, crispy chicken skins, Jerusalem artichokes, truffle walnut puree, foraged herbs
Seared tuna, hibiscus & cep tea, tapioca, marinated root vegetables
Cakes:
Rose pink Miss Dior eau de Parfum lychee and raspberry cake topped with lycée pate de fruit and chic oversized silver bow
The Muguet pavlova and raspberry jam cake dress with Madagascar vanilla Chantilly coconut marshmallow and elegant white sugar bow
Miss Dior floral Dulcey mousse dress with Berriolette centre set on sable Breton and crowned with violet edible flower
Evening Junon gown forage blanc and cassis jelly encased with scallops of white chocolate sprinkled with edible glitter
The Iconic Bar jacket chocolate biscuit iced with light cream royal icing
This seasons must have J’adior slingback pump vanilla biscuit with royal icing finished with edible sugar ribbon
Lady Dior Handbag gifted to Princess Diana by France’s First Lady, Bernadette Chirac. Sandwiched with strawberry ganache and iced with red chocolate miroir.
Champagne:
Laurent-Perrier Champagne La Curvee Brut NV (an extra £10 per person)
Laurent-Perrier Rose (an extra £16 per person)
Bollinger Rose (an extra £16 per person)
Ruinart Blanc de Blancs (an extra £16 per person)
Pret-a-Portea, The Berkeley – 5/5
Surely The Berkeley’s Prêt-à-Portea has got to be one of the most special afternoon tea’s in London right now and the best bit is that you could go back six months later and enjoy a different set of treats!
Would I go back? Absolutely!
Food – 5/5
Service – 5/5
Decor / Ambience – 5/5
The Champagne Afternoon Tea cost £116.67 for two people, including service.
Have you visited the The Berkeley before? Feeling Inspired? Check out my London restaurant hit list!
The Berkeley
Wilton Pl
Knightsbridge
London
SW1X 7RL
