luxury

With Christmas fast approaching, weeks are becoming crazier and crazier already.

So busy in fact that it’s becoming difficult to take time out to just enjoy something nice and relax.

Luckily, birthdays are nature’s way of reminding us to eat more cake, so afternoon tea was in order to celebrate Michelle’s (of Petite Tea Lover) & Binny’s (of Binny’s Kitchen).

So we all braved the rain and more-than-unhelpful Google maps and made our way to the Park Tower in Knighstbridge to forget life for a few hours over tea, cake, presents and giggles.

The Knightsbridge Lounge, where the afternoon tea is served, is one of the most beautiful rooms I have ever set foot in.

The walls are covered in flowering magnolia trees paying tribute to the ones flowering each year in nearby Hyde Park.

Complete with some of the comfiest, marshmallow-like chairs and delicate tableware!

A truly stunning room indeed!

Only matching for the truly stunning, nut-centred (almond, peanut, hazelnut, walnut, they were all there!!) afternoon tea that followed.

Starting with what might have been my favourite; a stunning, crisp and elegant mushroom quiche.

Made truly exceptional by a perfectly executed, paper-thin pastry case and the addition of toasted nuts complementing the wild, umami mushrooms brilliantly.

The sandwiches selection is rather classic, featuring British favourites, such as Salmon & cream cheese, Coronation chicken, Pastrami, and Egg and cress.

Simple but not boring, thanks to small twists to the old classics: walnut bread for the Coronation chicken (quite a genius move!), the addition of nori to the salmon roll, or this golden brioche encasing the eggs…

There were of course some warm scones, served with the traditional cream & jam, as well as some more novel chestnut puree.

And finally, the best part: the cakes, pastries and all other kinds of sweet treats!

Apple & berry cup, Chocolate & orange cone, Nougat, Turkish delights, Marshmallows, Macarons…

And all sorts of nut-filled cakes, cupcakes and tarts!

Making it quite hard to decide where to start (and find the psychological strength to eat that delightful swan-shaped chou!)

Favourites around the table included the Vanilla & pistachio mousee dome.

The Walnut and whisky cupcake (of course).

And of course the adorable Paris-Brest Chou!

Putting it simply, the afternoon tea at Park Tower Knightsbridge was NUTS!!

Park Tower Knightsbridge, 101 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7RN

Cocktails were definitely on the list when in New Orleans. We had a few obligatory Hurricanes, but when we tasted one of those vile grape-flavoured Voodoo-slushie thing, we realised it was time to up our cocktail game.

And that (and my obsession for Pinterest) is how we found the prettiest bar on Earth.
A classy carousel for adults, where you can sit, drink the best cocktails and see the world (or at least the bar) unfold in front of your eyes. It was everything I was longing for.
I could have just stayed there in the doorway staring at this spinning carousel for hours.
Good thing it was rather busy so I get plenty of time to do so! Soon enough, a couple of seats became available and jumped on them!The cocktails are the perfect mix of classic and local. Vieux Carré, Old Fashioned, Sazerac… Taking their roots in old-school, traditional American cocktails, they’re mixed to perfection by the ace bar team. A classy hotel bar without being too stuffy, The Carousel bar was the perfect start to our evening, before we tumbled down to The Preservation Hall for the best of jazz concerts. I don’t have any pictures or videos, but take my word on it and go, go, GO!!