To mark Afternoon Tea Week this week we tried out an award-winning dinosaur themed afternoon tea and you can even bring your dogs too.
Located within a stone's throw of the Natural History Museum you’ll find the Ampersand, this afternoon tea spot has long been a firm favourite with their science-themed Afternoon Tea.
But recently, they launched a new Jurassic Afternoon Tea, with treats themed around dinosaurs and the Jurassic world.
This afternoon tea was recently given the Award for Excellence by Afternoontea.co.uk in the Afternoon Tea Awards 2024, and after visiting we can see why.
As self-proclaimed dinosaur lovers, two of us members of the Newsquest team visited to try it in the spirit of Afternoon Tea Week this week, and I will say it brought out the big kids in us.
They also offer a children’s afternoon tea, along with vegan and gluten-free versions too.
The hotel is also dog-friendly, making it the perfect afternoon tea to visit if you want to bring along your furry friends.
We began the experience by selecting from a broad list of teas, with some very exotic choices on the menu, before caving in and opting for some of their dinosaur-themed cocktails.
I went with the Dino Sour, a punchy mix of Portobello gin, white wine syrup, lemon juice, pineapple juice and passion fruit liquor, whilst Amy went for the Raptor Brew made with Ron Piet Rum, lime, apple juice and sugar syrup.
The presentation was also on theme, with one presented in an actual dinosaur egg and the other with a raptor stencilled into the foam top.
The presentation of the afternoon tea was equally just as impressive, with dry ice poured into a miniature rocky mountain as the afternoon tea is served.
The afternoon tea also comes with a box where you have to dig for fossils with a paint brush, to help you find the hidden dinosaurs in the edible soil.
Moving onto savouries, they were a mix of brioche rolls as well as a blini, a savoury quiche.
The flavours included smoked salmon and cream cheese blini, roast beef and watercress brioche, chicken and pesto brioche, and a seasonal quiche.
I really enjoyed the savouries and that they offered something different to just a plate of sandwiches, which is so common with many afternoon teas, with more offered if you fancy asking for extras.
Moving onto scones, and these were also slightly unconventional, with a plain and chocolate and cranberry scone which came served with the usual offerings such as jam and cream, along with lemon curd and toppings to decorate them, including chocolate pearls and freeze-dried fruit.
Finally, onto the sweets, which were definitely the stars of the show.
First off we tried a mango and lime cream volcano, which was shaped into an actual volcano with an eruption of mango cream on top.
This was followed by a dinosaur egg nest made with dark chocolate, caramel and red currant, which was very rich and flavourful, along with a macaroon with a T-Rex footprint design flavoured with raspberry and peach.
One of my favourites out of all the treats was the white chocolate and passionfruit mousse shaped into a Jurassic mountain, which I could happily eat again and again.
There was so much attention to detail, which really did have us engrossed in the entire experience, and it really did bring out the inner child in us both.
If you love dinosaurs or know someone who does, this afternoon tea is not one to be missed.
Slots are bookable from Monday – Sunday from 12pm - 6:30pm, with prices starting from £59.50 for an adult and £39.50 for a child.
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