The Mad Hatter's Tea Party...

..and other afternoon tea experiences.

The Mad Hatter's Tea, at Sanderson with T, S and B. An afternoon tea which made me buy Alice in Wonderland just to watch again. I can't wait for the Tea Party scene. 

I loved how they made it as Alice-in-Wonderland-y as possible, there were rainbow coloured finger sandwiches, "Eat Me" - Queen of Hearts Strawberries and Cream mousse, Chocolate Opera Rabbit's Clock, Blueberry "Hot and Cold" lollipop Hazelnut Praline Ice-cream "Bursting" lollipop and "Drink Me", the queerest item on the menu. Basically it was a three-layered drink, and we were told to drink it with a straw in three goes: the first was Apple Pie (of which I tasted cumin?!), the second Lemon Curd and the third English Toffee. All in liquid form. Interesting.

Fashion Ladies Afternoon Tea, at The deVille Restaurant, Mandeville Hotel with C. Three hour ordeal of kiss and tell but at the same time I got a lot off my chest. A sense of relief. A different perspective on things. And we got extra scones for free.

Next to us sat two elderly couples. Is it truly possible to have love last so long? The two gentlemen had the Men's Afternoon Tea, which consisted of mini-burgers and no pink at all.

The Parlour, Sketch. Macarons on a floral cake stand makes me happy. A Friday afternoon escape amidst the rare Friday afternoons I have for myself to do whatever I want.

Robuchon. No scones but instead a very French afternoon tea. Macarons, cream puffs, canelé. And a lovely rose tea. And the bruschetta I ate for almost every meal in Malta.

St James, Fortnum & Mason, with E. Another three (and a half) hour session of sipping smoky earl grey and lapsang souchong with pinkies up and long deep chats about things I never have imagined we'd talk about, or that I would say. People-spotting in between refills of chocolate cake and mango macarons, admiring the old elderly couples coming into the restaurant hand in hand, sitting down and gazing each other with such tender looks that makes me wonder whether I, too, would be one of those lucky enough to be contented at old age. One of the most lovely afternoons I had with the most lovely person and I went home with an unexpected serenity, of reassurance, enlightenment.