Did somebody say afternoon tea at The Palace? You could not ask for a better location to take guests. Whether organising a girls’ day-out or celebrating a special occasion, The Rubens at The Palace offers afternoon tea in a majestic setting with views of The Royal Mews, the entrance used by the Royal Family. If you like traditional hotels, The Rubens should make you feel at home. The palace lounge is cosy — decorated with opulent, red velvet furniture and paintings of royalty such as Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), King Henry VIII (1491-1547) and Anne Boleyn (1507-1536), second wife of King Henry VIII. The historical references embrace the concept of Royal Afternoon Tea and, as such, make for a superb experience.

VIP Hospitality at The Rubens

Mohan Senchuri made us feel welcome from the get-go. He was courteous and thoroughly explained The Rubens afternoon tea menu, which included bottomless Lanson champagne and a selection of teas. Mohan recommended the best teas to pair with our menu choices, which the reservation team tailored to our dietary requirements. My final choice of tea was Jungpana Tea Estate – 2nd Flush Darjeeling, perfectly paired with The Rubens traditional plain scones. Jungpana estate produces tea in the conventional method where leaves and a bud are carefully hand-picked. It was truly delicious and a refreshing change from English Breakfast tea.

Award of Excellence

The Rubens is, by far, a premier leader in afternoon tea (a London delight) and received the award of excellence at The Afternoon Tea Awards, 2017. We loved the ambience, but what makes The Rubens stand out is the customer service. You get to enjoy the experience at your own pace with the bonus of extra sandwiches upon request and bottomless champagne. “Why resist temptation? There will always be more.”

The Rubens Royal Selection

One tip I can offer is to save your appetite for the delicious sandwiches and desserts. As a pre-warning, you may feel pretty full after 4-5 sandwiches followed by The Rubens signature Crown Jewel dessert, which sounds as good as it looks (an Earl Grey-infused Mousse with Yuzu Chocolate). The sandwich selection included: Smoked Scottish Salmon & Horseradish Cream Cheese, Coronation Chicken & Toasted Almonds, Cheese & Tomato Chutney (without ham), Egg & Watercress and Cucumber & Cream Cheese. Spoilt for choice, we also had traditional scones and honey & chocolate served with homemade seasonal preserves and clotted cream.

A Touch of New York at The Rubens

Upon leaving, we noticed a performing artist in The New York bar at The Rubens. The sound of Jazz-inspired music almost made me stay into the evening, but I now have another reason to return to The Rubens. I plan to book late-afternoon tea and then move onto The New York bar for evening cocktails and nostalgic, live entertainment.

Before making our way home, the Hotel Manager – Vince Castronovo – asked how our afternoon was, which we found encouraging. I have dined in many high-profile hotels, but they lacked such a personable approach. Afternoon tea at The Palace is truly exquisite, and rest assured you will not be disappointed. Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea is available from 15th November – 23rd December 2021. I will see you there!

Written by styleiconnat | PR trip