Lowry Hotel, Manchester

The Lowry Manchester, Friday 15th November 2013

This was booked by phone as part of our wedding anniversary treat as we were staying at the hotel. The cost per person is just £22.50 which considering the venue is very good value.

As this was at a five star hotel we did expect something special and to be honest we were not disappointed. We were seated in the restaurant in a very comfortable booth.

The service was, as you would expect first class. We were offered a choice of traditional or champagne afternoon tea and as normal we opted for the traditional. Paul as ever was on coffee and was given a number of options including latte, mocha and cappuccino etc. 

I was offered a wide variety of tea and a selection was brought for me to smell and it was very nice to be served by someone who knew about the different teas on offer.

Both tea and coffee were offered with refills and the option to have a different type. I opted initially for the rosebud tea simply as the aroma was something else.

As you can see the tea was served in a glass teapot and was very flavoursome.

The crockery was all white and the cutlery of a very high standard along with the high quality linen. We were asked if we had any special dietary requirements and as we hadn't the traditional food was ordered and served. 

The food arrived on a modern three tier stand with warm scones served to the side in linen napkin. There were two scones each, one plain and one raisin one served with strawberry preserve and fresh cream.

The sandwiches consisted off a salmon roulade, egg and cress, ham, cheese; and cucumber. There was a mixture of brown and white bread. All fresh and very tasty.

The deserts included a wonderful pistachio and rhubarb type mousse (one of my favourite desserts).

The other treats included a mini chocolate and coffee choux bun, a vanilla macaroon and a strawberry tart. All of which were first class and most enjoyable.

As I mentioned earlier we were offered more drinks and for my second pot I opted for the blackcurrant and vanilla which was served again in a glass teapot and was again exceptional. 

As with all my afternoon tea visits, I look at them as a treat. These are much more than going for coffee and cake, for me it is an experience and a real treat. I realise that you could go for a main meal for the same price but it is the event and to be honest on this occasion we were too full to eat it all. The staff offered to box it up and send it to our room for us and that was appreciated. On this point when it arrived it was served with cutlery and linen.

This does happen to be a sister hotel to the magnificent Hotel De Rome in Berlin.

This was yet another superb afternoon tea, with perfect service, delightful and knowledgeable staff; and wonderful food. It was an experience and a great wedding anniversary treat. There is no doubt that this was one of the top afternoon teas that I have had and the best in Manchester (so far anyway).

The Riverside Restaurant, The Lowry Hotel

Hotel De Rome, Berlin

English Afternoon Tea in Berlin Sunday 9th June

Last week our afternoon tea was a little bit special as it was in Berlin, Germany. I discovered the Hotel De Rome online and then found that they did a traditional English Afternoon Tea; it was too good to resist. I made the booking via email and had a lovely confirmation saying that we they had had reserved a nice table for us.

We arrived a little early on the day and arrived to see a number of Depeche Mode fans outside the hotel as the band were staying there. We had a drink in the Bebel Bar first and were then shown to the reserved table in the Velvet Room.  As for being a nice table it was very nice indeed in a beautiful room. There was just the two of us in the Velvet Room  and was exceptionally comfortable overlooking the fans and with an amazing piece of art - "As you enter the room, your eyes are drawn to the "Mensch im Holozän" (Holocene Man), a painting by Berlin artist Stefan Hoenerloh that depicts a fictitious street scene and helps foster the impression of being out of doors. The painter gives the facades of his buildings form with a meticulousness which conjures the atmosphere of a time now past into which the observer is permitted one frozen glimpse"

The service was as to be expected in a top hotel, first class. We were given a tea and coffee menu to choose from and there was a wide range of luxury teas available. On this occasion I chose the pfefferminztee - which came as fresh peppermint leaves, with refills, served in a silver teapot.

Silver Teapot

Fresh Peppermint Leaves

The food was served on a traditional 3 tier stand with sandwiches on the lower tier, scones and apple crumble of the middle tier and a selection of mini cakes and desserts on the top.

3 Tier Stand

There were eight finger sandwiches consisting of egg, cucumber and cream cheese, beef and salmon on white and brown bread. The bread was very fresh and the toppings were very flavoursome.

Excellent Fresh Sandwiches

There were two freshly made warm scones one plain and one with raisins. small raisin scone. There was plenty of clotted cream and served with five pots of preserves to choose from, Strawberry, Raspberry, Plum, Marmalade and Honey.

On the same tier were two individual apple crumbles.

Warm Scones with Cream and Apple Crumbles

Selection of Preserves

The top tier selection including a mini passion fruit mousse, cheesecake, mini cake, macaroon, sponge cake, and a dark and milk chocolate square.

Selection of Mini Cakes

Selection of Mini Cakes and Desserts 

All of the food was excellent and presentation was second to none. The silver service from the staff was first class and the Velvet room within the Bebel Bar was pure luxury. To have a traditional English Afternoon Tea in the German capital was quite something and the Germans certainly managed to do it in style and compared to the Radisson in Manchester, it was far superior.

I would highly recommend a visit to the Hotel De Rome for anyone in Berlin for afternoon tea, cost €40 per person and well worth it.

Hotel De Rome