In the realm of afternoon delights, where time slows to a syrupy trickle and the world outside fades to a watercolour blur, there exists a ritual most divine: high tea. A ceremony of scones and steaming cups, where the very air shimmers with the promise of sweetness and civility.
At the Hilton’s Glass brasserie, executive chef Hamish Neale has conjured a high tea that dances on the tongue like a fairy tale. The round booth, a velvet-lined cocoon, offers a view of the QVB’s majestic dome – a snow globe of architectural wonder. Champagne flows like liquid starlight, Tattinger rosé and Pommery vying for attention like jealous lovers. I chose the blush of pink, my companion the classic sparkle, both equally intoxicating.
The savoury offerings arrived like characters from a gastronomic opera: smoked salmon cronuts, their flaky layers whispering of misty Scottish lochs; crab salad brioche crowned with caviar, each bite a salty kiss from the sea.
