We always love having afternoon tea in London so when we were invited to try the Magic of Afternoon Tea at London boutique hotel Vintry & Mercer, we jumped at the chance.
There are lots of places to enjoy themed afternoon teas in London with kids but this really was a magical afternoon tea experience. Here’s our honest review of this fun and quirky afternoon tea – and why you should definitely make a booking next time you are in London.
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The Magic of Afternoon Tea
The Magic of Afternoon Tea takes place on weekends in the Vintry & Mercer boutique hotel in the heart of London, in their Do Not Disturb speakeasy bar located downstairs. It’s the perfect setting for this spellbinding tea: moody, candlelit and mysterious.
I visited with Sam, my 10-year-old, and no sooner did we arrive in the DND Bar we were shown to our table and given both the afternoon tea menu and a UV torch to bring the mysterious menus to life.
Acting like a modern-day magic wand, the torches revealed magical creatures hidden among the menu’s pages. This was a really clever touch and set the scene for this magical afternoon tea.
Next, Sam was presented with a miniature wooden treasure chest with three glass vials and a large bottle to pour them into and create a Hocus Pocus potion, which not only changed colour but glittered, too. It was a sweet and tasty combination of pea tea, apple shrub and elderflower and Sam gulped it down.
Sam was then served a mug of warm milk (which could have done with being a little warmer) and a chocolate stick for stirring, shaped like a witch’s hat, to make a magical hot chocolate. What Sam loved most, however, was the accompanying cauldron overflowing with pink and white mini marshmallows.
Adults can choose from a range of drinks including magic-themed cocktails or a glass of Charles Heidsieck Brut NV or Rosé Champagne, Wild Idol alcohol free sparkling rosé. Although tempted, I stuck to the artisanal tea selection on this occasion and enjoyed a pot of mint tea.
A magic-inspired high tea
When it came time for our afternoon tea to arrive, two giant golden stands arrived in a swirling haze of spooky dry ice. There is not a huge difference between the children’s Wizard Tea Magic or Magic of Afternoon Tea, save for the savoury items.
On Sam’s afternoon tea stand stood a trio of savoury treats: savoury cheese straws and a jam sandwich shaped like witches hats and a sausage roll.
By contrast, my menu had a truffled egg mayonnaise on a brioche bun, a coronation chicken vol-au-vent, an excellent smoked salmon and cream cheese on toast and a mini Yorkshire pudding stuffed with perfectly pink roast beef and horseradish.
Once we finished with the finger sandwiches and savoury goodies, we moved on to the next layer of our afternoon tea stand, two freshly baked and perfectly fluffy scones, one plain and one fruit.
We are both huge fans of scones and quickly devoured the plain scone, piled high with jam and clotted cream. We decided to save the fruit scones for later as we wanted to make sure that we had enough room to accommodate the sweet treats on the top tier of the stand.
Sweet Treats
If you have a sweet tooth then you will love the selection of sweet treats created for the Magic of Afternoon Tea.
The six desserts have been created and themed around various magical tales including an Excalibur white chocolate and mango cheese cake that pays homage to the magical sword of King Arthur, a chocolate covered Wizard’s Wand that will thrill all Harry Potter fans, and a beautiful-looking Blood Moon, a chocolate orb that hides a raspberry and grenadine mousse.
My favourite was the gold dusted Book of Spells that hides a rich and gooey chocolate opera cake. Sam, meanwhile, discovered that that white chocolate owl (very Hogwarts!) and blueberry macaron were delicious.
Sam also loved the Box of Bones that arrived towards the end of our Magic of Afternoon Tea experience. Presented in a small wooden coffin, Sam opened up the box to discover crunchy chocolate “soil” and white chocolate bones and skulls – and a small silver shovel to eat it all with.
Our verdict on the Magic of Afternoon Tea
I loved the creativity of this afternoon tea.
The setting, the presentation and the clever magic-inspired cakes made this a truly memorable experience and one that I would highly recommend if you are looking to book an afternoon tea in London, either for a special occasion or just because. I do think it’s one of the best afternoon teas in London for kids and, compared to some others in the city, fairly priced.
My one criticism would be that service was quite slow when we visited but this did not seem to be the case for every table in the bar and I would not let this put you off making a reservation. It’s a really fun afternoon tea experience and one that kids will love.
Magic of Afternoon Tea – Essential Information
The Magic of Afternoon Tea is available every Saturday and Sunday from 12:00pm – 5pm. They typically also serve afternoon tea on bank holidays and during school holidays, check the website for details.
The Magic of Afternoon Tea costs £49.50 per person or £64.50 with a glass of champagne brut or £59.50 with a non-alcoholic Magical Tea Pot Tail and £69.50 when with a glass of Charles Heidsieck Champagne rosé. The Magic of Afternoon Tea Kids menu costs £37.50 per child.
Vintry & Mercer is located at 19-20 Garlick Hill, London EC4V 2AU. Mansion house tube station is a short walk away.
