Magnificent Jewels at Sotheby’s Auction, New York

A sneak peek from Sotheby’s upcoming auction Magnificent Jewels…  Lot number 263. Cultured Pearl and Diamond Bracelet Clip-Brooch combination and a pair of Earclips

Hello dearest, so I will be going away for two weeks to our lovely South Africa, and since the weight of my laptop is about half the checked-in luggage allowance, I must leave the laptop behind and the blog will be back again the week starting 4th of May!  But before I bid you farewell, I have a few wonderful jewellery events to share with you:

Magnificent Jewels by Sotheby’s on 21 April at 3pm

Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels auction is coming up on 21 April and here on the blog we are just beyond ourselves with excitement:  many of the pieces are spring-themed and all these beautiful colours and designs just make us want to dress up in pastels, sun hats and light summer dresses.  We have also learnt that Sotheby’s will be partnering with eBay on this occasion, so it will be the first time the jewellery sale is available on eBay’s live auctions platform.  It means that even if we are not in New York, and even if we can’t afford these amazing pieces, we can still watch the bidding live – a bit like some high-end auction-window-shopping really!  And I have of course picked out a few pieces that I thought you might love:

153. PLATINUM, PADPARADSCHA SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND RING, CARTIER
Estimate $125,000 – $150,000  Centering a square-cut padparadscha sapphire weighing approximately 13.10 carats, accented by single-cut diamonds weighing approximately .25 carat, size 5¾, signed Cartier, numbered 3998311.

What an extraordinary stone!  We haven’t yet learnt about Padparadscha Sapphires here on the blog, but will do in an upcoming post.  The definition of Padparadscha Sapphires is debated within the jewellery community, but many agree that it captures sapphires that hold a colour between pink and orange.  Unusual and just beyond beautiful!

78. 18 KARAT GOLD, FANCY VIVID YELLOW DIAMOND AND DIAMOND RING, BULGARI
Estimate $30,000 – $40,000 Of stylized floral design, centering a round Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond weighing 2.04 carats, accented by round diamonds weighing approximately 4.50 carats, gross weight approximately 12 dwts, size 6¼, with expandable shank, signed Bulgari, inscribed CM 2.04.

Oh I just love the spring-colour combination in the ring above!  Yellow diamonds are glorious in their own right and fetch very high prices – often higher than colourless diamonds – and paired up with white diamonds and yellow gold in the Bulgari design above encapsulates a sunny spring day for me!

81. WHITE GOLD, STAR SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND RING
Estimate $15,000 – $20,000 Centering a cabochon star sapphire measuring approximately 18.1 by 14.7 by 12.6 mm, framed by round and baguette diamonds weighing approximately 2.60 carats, size 6.

Given my obsession with star sapphires I just had to include the ring above.  It is like looking at a starry sky in a clear night – magnificent!  We already know that in 100 sapphires found, only three will be star sapphires – and only one of these three will have a beautiful star as well as a beautiful colour, in case you remember the blog post A Star Ruby Romance.

114. PLATINUM, DIAMOND AND EMERALD BRACELET
Estimate $15,000 – $20,000  Set with square, baguette, old European and single-cut diamonds weighing approximately 14.20 carats, accented by pear-shaped and calibré-cut emeralds, length 7¼ inches, one small diamond missing; circa 1930.

I was delighted to find this circa 1930s bracelet in such a distinct Art Deco design.  The emeralds have such a vivid green colour and there is nothing better than old cut diamonds – you know the kind that outshines and out-sparkles any modern cut diamonds when worn in a candle light-setting?

169. HIGHLY IMPORTANT PLATINUM AND DIAMOND PENDANT NECKLACE
Estimate $3,800,000 – $4,200,000  The pear-shaped diamond weighing 52.26 carats, suspended from a chain set with eight round diamonds weighing .87 carat, length adjusts from 16 to 17 inches.

I just had to include this diamond pendant with an exquisite pear-shaped diamond.  A girl can always dream, right?  So let’s keep an eye on the auction to see how much these stunning pieces end up going for – and if you click onto the event page you will be able to dive into the rest of the collection…

21 April 2015 – Magnificent Jewels at Sotheby’s 

Frock Me! Vintage Fashion Fair at Chelsea Old Town Hall

And before I go I also have to tell you about another exciting event, which takes place a little closer to home: The Frock Me! Vintage Fashion Fair at Old Chelsea Town Hall.  Very pleased to be presenting the flyer above, which you must print and bring along to the fair on 26 April at Chelsea Old Town Hall, for your half-price entry!

Afternoon tea at Blackbird Tea Rooms at the Frock Me! Vintage Fair

We are already familiar with this fabulous fair, but for any readers, it is London’s leading vintage fashion and textiles fair and they have the most amazing vintage and designer pieces on display!  Our favourite cafe, Blackbird Tea Rooms, will of course also be there, and thinking about it, I haven’t yet posted from my last visit:

It is 7:45am as I am writing this, and I am now having massive cravings for Afternoon Tea!!

And if you haven’t been yet I would so recommend that you go!  The best thing is when the most unexpected things just jump out at you and you find yourself coming home with a beautiful collection of vintage clothes and accessories!

Frock Me! Vintage Fashion Fair / Sunday 26 April / 11am- 5.30pm

I now wish you a wonderful day in the sunshine and I will see you again on Wednesday 6th May!

Rachelle’s Beautiful Bespoke Cakes at the Vintage Wedding Fair

Rachelle’s Wedding Cake Heaven….

So I visited the Vintage Wedding Fair in Chiswick and the first stand that I reached was Rachelle’s Beautiful Bespoke Cakes, that looked more like works of art to me.  Rachelle specialises in making bespoke cakes for weddings, and we can see here that her creations span wedding cakes, cupcakes and macaroons.  She will also design beautiful cookies for you if that is your preference, and you have to check out the sweetest Mini Cakes on her website!

The sweetest collection of cupcakes for those who want to venture away from the traditional wedding cake – or you can always have these on the side!

Rachelle works very closely with you to make sure that you get exactly the designs that you want to for your wedding day and you can find Rachelle’s website here.

Romantic Macaroons for the dessert table…

And below is the brooch inspiration for today:

Vintage silver and marcasite brooch worn with a white and gold scarf

A close up of this lovely vintage brooch

I thought that this look was suitable for the vintage wedding fair, and adding a brooch to a scarf that you have had forever is the perfect way to make it feel brand new again!

Gorgeous Gerties in Dorking

This one goes out to all of you vintage lovers – we are popping by Gorgeous Gerties in Dorking

I visited Gorgeous Gerties in Dorking for the first time last week, and was so surprised to find such a wonderful vintage adventure in a town that I thought I knew inside out!  Under their roof you will find a vintage tearoom, an olde world sweet shop, a beautiful collection of vintage jewellery, vintage accessories and vintage crockery – and on top of all this you can also sign up to their creative workshops and get your imagination and creativity going!

Lovely scarves and fabulous dressing gowns – of course in the romantic vintage rose pattern 

You know when you are running through all the shops in London, trying to find a nice present for a friend’s child’s birthday, but everything looks exactly the same?  Well, guess where I will be getting my pressies from now on?

The perfect dress for a little summer princess!

… with a very reasonable ticket to go with it!

A lovely collection of vintage toys and games

Upstairs in this charming 15th century building you are surrounded by vintage fabrics, old vintage patterns for making your own pieces of clothing, a children’s department, a vintage jewellery section and some beautiful items for the house.  I would come love to come here when I am decorating my future house one day, as I can’t imagine a better place to find unique pieces that give the home a very personal touch.

Gorgeous Gerties Vintage Dorking, Surrey

I love this – so very French country

Some charming vintage patterns for all you amazing people who make your own clothes!

Whenever I have spent hours searching the shops in vain for a specific design that I have in mind, I always decide that one day I will design my own clothes!  I might just start collecting vintage patterns like these so that I am prepared for that day when I finally have a sowing machine!

Some lovely vintage fabrics 

The DYI corner at Gorgeous Gerties

The Vintage Jewellery Corner, where I may or may not have bought something….

The shop and café combined is just such a well-thought through concept.  I love how they are promoting independent designers and dealers, as I am always much more inclined to shop at places like this, than at high street chain shops!  They call it a “modern day vintage department store”, which is a perfect description, except that it is so much more charming and intimate than a regular department store!

The olde sweet shop at Gorgeous Gerties

Do pop by for a cream tea! 

 

Peeking into the charming tearoom at Gorgeous Gerties

Through this window we get a preview of what they have to offer in this fabulous “vintage department store”

Gorgeous Gerties

61 West Street

Dorking

RH4 1BS

Afternoon Tea at the Fig Tree Coffee Lounge and Tea Room

 

Afternoon Tea at the Fig Tree Coffee Lounge and Tea Room at Christique Antique Centre

After a few hours of shopping in Dorking we ended up at the café at Christique Antique Centre, called the Fig Tree Coffee Lounge and Tea Room.  To get to the café you will go through the most alluring vintage and antique jewellery section, where glass cabinets so proudly show off their treasures, and basically it is just impossible to get to the café without buying a few pieces that one really needs!

The sun shone so beautifully on us while we were enjoying our cream tea

Afternoon Tea at the Fig Tree Coffee Lounge and Tea Room

The café is such a welcoming place, with these big windows instead of a dark ceiling, that let in all the lovely winter sun and show some nice greenery – of course including a fig tree!  We arrived at lunch time and at least I was didn’t know how I would ever be able to choose what to have, after seeing all the lovely dishes that the other guests were enjoying!

We finally decided to go for the cream tea, and it was generously portioned with two big homemade scones per person (there were three of us, and we managed 1. 1/3 each!), some glorious butter that I don’t know how they made as it was so light and tasty! – and of course lots of strawberry jam and clotted cream.  We all chose the Darjeeling tea, which was a nice change from my usual English Breakfast, and a new favourite.  It was such an enjoyable afternoon tea, as you could tell that everything had been made with thought and care, and the surroundings were so peaceful even though all the little tables in the café were taken – it clearly is a very popular spot in Dorking!

A delicious cream – I can second that!

Oh how I adore these kitschy little vintage teacup collections! 

My vintage teacup heaven at Christique Antique Centre

I just adore this little teacup – can you see what a funny little foot it has?  I wonder what fabulous tea parties it has seen in its days?!

The fabulous thing here is that after your lunch or tea you can continue to wander through the shop Christique and admire the jewellery, furniture, paintings, glassware… you name it!  In one section we ran into all these charming little tea cups, and it just reinforced my wish to collect lots of different teacups and saucers, so that I can have my own little Mad Hatter’s Tea Party in the future!

Christique Antique Centre

11 West Street, Dorking

RH4 1BL

 

I am very pleased to give the Fig Tree Coffee Lounge and Tea Room 5/5 Decades of Elegance Rings:

Stepping back in time at Chiswick House and Gardens

So after our trip to the Chiswick Carboot Sale the other week, my friend and I went to Chiswick House and Gardens, which she had heard to much about – and boy was I in for a surprise!  I entered the grounds thinking that it would be just another lovely park and yet this is the view that greeted us:

Chiswick House and Gardens

Chiswick House and Gardens

A glorious neo-Palladian villa built in 1729

… the stunning stairs leading up to the “house”…

… the architectural details were just breathtaking!

My friend and I had a little wander outside the house before we decided that it was time for some afternoon tea – of course!  It was one of those warm late summer Sundays so we sat outside and enjoyed the most delicious cream tea:

Afternoon Tea at Chiswick House and Gardens

We then continued on to having a walk in the garden, which was just so stunning with soft gravel paths and perfectly maintained lawns with flowers of all sorts covering the grounds:

The beautiful Chiswick Garden

The gardens at Chiswick cover an impressive 65 acres, so there is plenty to explore.  We walked down a hidden pathway that ended up by a tall monument and a beautiful rose garden, before continuing our stroll past some impressive old buildings and statues (you will see a gorgeous lion a bit further down in the post!)

Some romantic late summer roses 

I can’t imagine a more romantic place for a walk with a loved one

I learnt that Chiswick House Gardens is the birthplace of the English Landscape Movement and that it has been the inspiration for some stunning gardens around the world – including Central Park in New York.  It was originally created by Lord Burlington and William Kent in 1729 and you can probably see that they drew inspiration from Italy and Italian landscape painting.  Before becoming this romantic and luscious garden that it is today, the style of the garden was very formal, designed in the renaissance style.  One of my favourite things about the garden is that there are so many little paths that you can follow, which means that you are bound to run into new and unexpected details throughout your visit!

The Conservatory at Chiswick House and Gardens

The inside of this lovely conservatory, which is the home to the oldest camellia collection in England 

Some interesting historic facts in the Conservatory

The Beatles made some promotional videos at the Chiswick Gardens back in the 60s

For all of you that adore camellias, a visit to the Conservatory is a must!  The 6th Duke of Devonshire commissioned this grand conservatory and had it designed by Samuel Ware, who completed it in 1813.  It stood as the forerunner of many subsequent glass buildings, among others the extraordinary Crystal Palace in Sydenham, London.  As for the collection of camellias (a flower commonly found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia) the Conservatory still features some plants surviving from those planted in 1828.  No surprise that this is thought to be the oldest camellia collection in England, and possibly also outside China and Japan!  According to the Chiswick House and Garden website it includes what is thought to be one of only two surviving ‘Middlemist Reds’ in the world.

Chiswick House and Gardens

Chiswick House and Gardens

Chiswick House and Gardens

Overlooking his kingdom…

Chiswick House and Gardens

When it comes to visiting these stunning gardens around the UK you will always have a unique visit, no matter what time of the year you decide to go.  Mid-winter invites us to a steaming hot cup of tea and cake after a walk in the winter garden, whereas springtime shows an explosion of colours and beauty… not to mention the enchanting autumn coat in yellow, gold, orange and green that you will experience within the next few months!  So give yourself a little treat in the shape of a visit to this beautiful haven that is Chiswick House and Gardens, and do tell us about your visit afterwards!

A bohemian adventure at Cape Town’s Cafè Mozart

Dreaming back to South Africa – above you can see the east coast of Cape Town with the beautiful False Bay

Hello my lovely one!  So I am having some serious Cape Town fever at the moment and I would just love to go back to those stunning views, spend an afternoon at a wine farm and enjoy the beautiful weather (not that there is anything wrong with the weather here in London at the moment – I am wearing all my favourite summer dresses still, which is just heaven!)

I was organising my photos the other day and found a bunch of pictures from this beautiful, eclectic café in Cape Town, called Cafè Mozart:

The lovely bohemian interior of Cafè Mozart on Church Street in Cape Town

We had just spent an hour or so in our favourite antique jewellery shop Jewel Tree and decided to go for an early lunch, when we came across this lovely café on the pedestrian street Church Street.

We sat down at a table in the shade of these beautiful, tall trees with a lovely view of the little antique street market and ordered some food that turned out to be absolutely delicious! It was so hard to choose as everything on the menu looked so alluring; from the breakfast omelettes and filled croissants to the gourmet sandwiches featuring from smoked salmon to pastrami and pickles… and if you don’t believe me here is a link to their menu!  I am so hungry now 😉  On their website they describe the café as having a “laid back Parisian ambience” and I couldn’t agree more:

Beautiful inside and out – the Madame Zingara Group supports and acknowledges the work with under-privileged children and cultural arts development in the non-profit sector of South Africa

Cafè Mozart belongs to the Madame Zingara group, which also includes the Theatre of Dreams, The Sidewalk Cafè, The Bombay Bicycle Club and Cafè Paradiso.  The Theatre of Dreams is described on their website as:

“a travelling dinner theatre extravaganza housed in the last remaining antique mirror tents in the world.”

I was also delighted to see that they take their responsibility and give back to the community by supporting and acknowledging the work that is being accomplished with under-privileged children and cultural and arts development in the non profit sector of South Africa.

Nothing quite like feel like a princess when visiting the ladies’ powder room, don’t you think?

I love the detail that has gone into decorating the café 

As I ascended the stairs inside the café I was taken aback by the lovely bohemian style decor, and restaurants and cafés that put down a lot of effort on their powder rooms always get a gold star in my book.  You can see above the view that met me upstairs…

The upstairs of Cafè Mozart…

An eclectic mix of furniture and objects d’art that made the whole experience all the more delightful!

The place is adorned with antique furniture, vintage lamps and beautiful mirrors… the only way to really experience it is of course by visiting!  So when you are next in Cape Town you can find Cafè Mozart on 37 Church Street – and make sure to combine it with a visit to the Jewel Tree just around the corner, what a perfect way to spend a day!

Do combine a meal at the café with a visit to the Jewel Tree on Long Street… what a perfect day spent! 

A trip to The Jolly Farmers pub in Surrey

Hello my dear, I hope you had a wonderful bank holiday weekend – even though parts of it did take place in the rain!  I had a great time and on Sunday I visited this lovely pub in the Surrey countryside – and I knew as soon as I walked in that I would just have to share it with you!

It is called the Jolly Farmers and you will find it just outside the charming town of Reigate:

The Jolly Farmers 

Oh how I love it when they turn these beautiful old buildings into something as cosy as a pub, where you can spend a lazy afternoon in the company of your loved ones.  It also gives me the perfect excuse to write about it, since the building is ever so antique and fits the image of the blog perfectly:

Let’s pop inside!

You can see the timber frame inside the building in the photo above.  It really is one of my favourite features in old English houses, and you might remember that we looked at a few more of those in the blog post A tennis tournament and an English garden tea party.  When we step inside we are able to continue admiring this lovely old architecture:

Such a warm and welcoming atmosphere

The bar and deli at the Jolly Farmers

Before my visit I read about the deli on their website (you can find it here: the Jolly Farmers Deli) and I was very much looking forward to checking it out!  They have all these mouthwatering local products for sale and the best part is that so many of them can be found on the restaurant menu, so you can test drive them before stocking up on your favourites!

The Deli at the Jolly Farmers Reigate

The most lovely selection of jams, honey – home made and locally produced, “alongside a few of life’s essentials”

… very innovative displays – not to mention the sweet packaging…

The restaurant section with paintings on the wall that are for sale if you fall in love with any of them! 

We had a lovely lunch in the pub and I can warmly recommend the fish ‘n chips – even though it took me forever to decide as everything looked amazing.  I loved the fact that they had home-made elderflower and raspberry drinks on the menu – as well as home-made milkshakes, yum!  It is so nice to know that all this thought and effort has going into creating such an alluring menu, which then lives up to your expectations!

The walls of the restaurant section feature some fabulous paintings by a local artist, and they are all up for grabs with price tags and “sold to”-signs on them.  At the back of the restaurant there is a big terrace with a dining area, which I am sure has been very popular during the summer!

… no surprise there once you try the food!

I was also very pleased to see that all of their hard work has paid off in the form of various awards, like the one above.  I am so looking forward to visiting again, as there were a couple of dishes on the menu that I just can’t wait to try…

The Jolly Farmers, Reigate Road, Buckland, Surrey, RH3 7BG

Afternoon Tea – the Colonnade Hotel

We are back to one of my favourite blog post-series here on Decades of Elegance: Afternoon Tea!  This time we are visiting The Colonnade Hotel by Warwick Avenue, Little Venice:

The Colonnade Hotel, London

The beautifully arranged hotel garden  

The Colonnade Hotel is a luxurious boutique hotel based in a beautiful part of London called Little Venice.  You will find Little Venice just north of Paddington and the river that runs through the area is in fact the Grand Union and Regent’s Canals meeting up – and creating such a picturesque place.  I very much enjoyed the short walk down Warrington Crescent to the hotel from Warwick Avenue underground station, as I passed these beautiful Victorian houses so peacefully resting in the shades from the tall trees lining the street.  A set of stairs takes you down to the restaurant, which is nice and bright as the daylight comes in through the glass ceiling:

The staircase leading down to the hotel restaurant 

Now first of all, I didn’t have my camera, so we will have to make do with photos from my iPhone.  Please note that everything is 20 times more beautiful in real life than in these pictures!

We started out with a glass of bubbly each, which is obviously always a fabulous start to any tea party.  Now, I must confess that we didn’t make it very easy for the restaurant, as one of us was allergic to mayonnaise and mustard, and another one was gluten intolerant – and then there was of course my allergy to shellfish, but I am delighted to say that this didn’t create any problems, and they did a wonderful job coming up with suitable sandwiches and cakes for all of us.

Amazing selection of cakes, sandwiches and of course scones…

In the photo above you can see an afternoon tea-stand to the left.  My cakes, scone and sandwiches are at the back of the stand, and the gluten free delicacies at the front.  The scone had been substituted with a bunch of grapes for my friend who is gluten intolerant, and that is the only thing that I think they could have done differently.  I am pretty sure that you can make gluten free scones, so that might be an alternative for the future, but my friend was very happy with the cakes and sandwiches that she was served.

Afternoon Tea at the Colonnade Hotel, Little Venice, London

In the photo above here you can see my other two friends’ cakes and scones, and the restaurant did a great job sorting out mayo- and mustard-free sandwiches.

Tea, anyone?

We ordered a pot of tea each and since we spent almost three hours there, our teas obviously went cold towards the end, as they always do.  However, the waitresses were very quick and helpful and brought in new tea pots with fresh, hot tea, and we were able to continue enjoying the rest of our cakes.  Three of us had English Breakfast and one of us went for Green Tea and it was all delicious, although we would have loved to see a few more choices, like Jasmine Tea, which is such a lovely accompaniment to scones – and maybe some more exotic choices as well.

A chocolate éclair from heaven…

Here is a close up of the cakes, and guys honestly, those chocolate éclairs are to die for – they just melted in my mouth!  Definitely my favourite part.  The other ladies were swept off their feet by the carrot cake and the other cakes went down a treat as well.

I was being a veteran-afternoon tea’er, as I didn’t eat all my sandwiches and was therefore able to enjoy a whole scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam (sooo good!) – but one of the other ladies was heartbroken as she just couldn’t finish her scone since she had already had all her sandwiches!  So just a word of warning – pace yourself, or have the scones before the sweets, if you adore scones!

The perfect strawberry jam and Cornish clotted cream to accompany our scones…

We had the most delicious strawberry jam, so I was very pleased since I have recently been to two different Afternoon Teas where they had run out of strawberry jam.  Instead they served black forest berry jam or raspberry jam, which really takes away from the experience, but here everything was just perfect!

Two of my friends wanted to give this Afternoon Tea 4,5 Decades of Elegance rings, whereas another one of the ladies and I would like to give it 4.  The Afternoon Tea is £32 but we found an offer and much less than that, which I thought was very reasonable.  I personally would have liked for the interior to be a bit warmer and more Afternoon Tea’ish – the place is beautiful for a restaurant, but it could do with a bit more kitsch or luxury for the tea, to enhance the experience.  They could also add a few more tea choices to the list.  However, they did an amazing job catering for all of needs and the range of cakes was great – and delicious… I will be dreaming about that chocolate éclair for a long time…. mm-mm-mmm!

Unfortunately I am unable to create a 1/2 ring below, but we will give the Colonnade Hotel 4,5 Decades of Elegance rings:

A tennis tournament and an English garden tea party

Happy Monday to you my dear, I hope you had a lovely weekend!  I had the most divine Sunday afternoon at a village tennis tournament in Surrey, where four hours just flew past!  The walk to the house where the event was held took us past some of the most picturesque English countryside houses:

I would absolutely love to live in a timber framed farmhouse like this one!

If any one of you lovely readers know anything about English architecture I would love to hear your thoughts on the houses in this post.

I am just fascinated with these old houses in the Surrey countryside.  It really is the most divine thing to drive down those winding roads lined with these beautiful old houses and walls! 

The house where the tournament was held is one of the most impressive buildings that I have seen in Surrey, and it created the perfect backdrop to the day:

Such a beautiful place to have a summer tea party!

We all brought our folding chairs and blankets and sat down outside the fence to the tennis court:

The beautiful tennis court where the tournament was held

After the semi-finals everyone queued up outside the kitchen window and were handed a cup of tea and a plate of sandwiches and cakes – so very Alice in Wonderland’s tea party!  I had one of the best carrot cakes to date…

I managed to get a quick snapshot before all the cakes were gone… you can see in the bottom right corner how someone has already had a nibble of the most divine carrot cake…!

I can’t wait to have my own garden one day, where we can have the most fabulous tea parties!  Part of the fun would be to go through my vintage and antique jewellery collection to find the perfect match for my dress of the day.  Yesterday I hadn’t brought too many things with me so I ended up wearing a pair of pearl and gold earrings from South Africa and my turquoise flowy summer dress:

It was such a warm day that I opted for a very light dress and just a few simple pieces of jewellery

And here I am – enjoying my tea and cakes far too much!  I wore my great-aunt’s watch, which I thought was so suitable for the occasion – and I also wore my Audrey Hepburn-style sunglasses but I didn’t get a photo of that!  The day was so hot that I was glad that I only went for this little summer dress and nothing warmer! 

Afternoon Tea – the Drawing Rooms at the Ampersand Hotel

 

Today’s Afternoon Tea review from the Drawing Rooms at the Ampersand Hotel

In the heart of South Kensington lies a golden gem for us Afternoon Tea lovers: The Drawing Rooms at the Ampersand Hotel.  The Ampersand Hotel was originally built as a boutique hotel called The Norfolk Hotel, and it reopened in its modern incarnation in the summer of 2012.  I just love this review of the Norfolk Hotel from 1889 on their website:

Review on the Norfolk Hotel, now known as the Ampersand Hotel, in South Kensington, London

Here is the elegant entrance to The Drawing Rooms:

The inviting entrance to the Drawing Rooms at the Ampersand Hotel

The Ampersand Hotel, the Drawing Rooms

The hotel presents very unique designs, furniture and works of art in such an elegant manner.  The Drawing Rooms immediately makes you feel at home with its comfortable sofas, scarlet armchairs and beautifully set tables.  In a neighbourhood where French style is so prominent, these influences can also be found little details, from the blue and white striped sofas to the heart-shaped gougeres in the Valentine afternoon tea.  The sun very happily shines in through the grand Victorian windows and creates the most fabulous backdrop to your afternoon tea.

The Drawing Rooms at the Ampersand Hotel, South Kensington

Mouthwatering cakes and meringues await you 

I went with my sister and Lady L, and we ordered almost every afternoon tea variety that they had on the menu: The Vegetarian, The Classic and Valentines Afternoon Tea – all accompanied by a glass of champagne of course.  We were delighted to find that the staff was ever so helpful and attentive, and took the time to tell us exactly what was being served.

A glass of champagne to add an extra splash of fabulousness to our tea

Our food arrived all at once so beautifully displayed on three-tier cake stands: in the Classic and Vegetarian Teas the savoury tartines were placed on the bottom; the scones, jam and cream in the middle; and the sweet cakes at the top:

The Classic Afternoon Tea 

The Vegetarian Afternoon Tea 

The Valentine’s Day Afternoon Tea had the most beautiful heart-shaped gougeres (a very thin baked savory pastry)  the bottom level with various sandwich toppings; scones, jam and clotted cream on the middle level and the most romantic sweet cakes at the top:

The Valentine’s Afternoon Tea 

We were all so pleased with our choices: in the Vegetarian version I just love the thin bread that they make the sandwiches of as it makes the meal very light and tasty – and same goes for the Classic version.  The Valentine’s Day one was a little bit on the heavy side with the gougeres that replaced the sandwiches, as it made it a very “bready” choice, but the fillings were all heavenly and we finished every little bit.

Champagne Afternoon Tea at the Ampersand Hotel

The scones were heaven sent!  The clotted cream and strawberry jam were just perfect and came so beautifully presented as you can see above.  I actually came here for afternoon tea before Christmas with a friend of mine from Sweden who had never tried scones before, and she has made me promise that we come back here every time she visits, just for these delicious scones!

The sweets in the Valentine’s Day Afternoon Tea 

We finally arrived at the top level of our tea, where a collection of the most heavenly cakes greeted us!  The Valentine’s Day one was especially lovely, as all kinds of heart shaped beauties were presented so beautifully.  You can see the in photo above that one of the macaroons had a little pipetti that Lady L squeezed in order to create a sweet red filling:

Fabulous detail of squeezing the filling into a macaroon in the Valentine’s Day Afternoon Tea 

… and the cake sure went down a treat!

Valentine’s Day macaroon heaven…

I chose their delicious Jasmine Tea while the other ladies went for a heavenly Earl Grey:

We enjoyed the Earl Grey and Jasmine teas

I have found that making that little extra effort when dressing for your Afternoon Tea really makes all the difference, as you feel so perfectly suited for the occasion!

I took a little wander in the rest of the hotel and everything is just so beautifully decorated and planned.  A charming arrangement of fairy lights adorn the staircase:

Fairy lights bring a bit of magic to the staircase 

Lots of little hideaways downstairs…

I don’t think that I will often be writing about the ladies’ powder rooms in these afternoon tea reviews, but the one at the Ampersand Hotel deserves its own little section as it is such so lovingly designed and decorated:

Easily one of London’s most beautifully presented ladies’ powder rooms

The Jasmin Room

The Violet Room

My choice of a pair of vintage style pearl earrings and the shift dress from Vintage Shrewd felt just right!

Conclusion:

We all found the Afternoon Tea at the Drawing Rooms at the Ampersand Hotel to be the most wonderful experience!  The setting is so bright and beautiful in the elegantly decorated Drawing Rooms and the staff is always so welcoming and helpful.  A lot of thought has gone into creating the menu and it keeps changing with seasons and holidays, which is perfect when you want to do something special with a loved one.  For example, they have a Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea coming up – and we of course took advantage of the gorgeous Valentine’s Day Afternoon Tea.

There was no question about it – we all thought that this afternoon tea deserved 5 out of 5 Decades of Elegance rings: