English version only.
A London modern, luxury hotel in the city’s Belgravia district.
An afternoon tea at the Basque restaurant inside the hotel.
An afternoon tea at Ametsa with Arzak Instruction.
Ametsa with Arzak Instruction is a collaboration between Elena and her father Juan Mari Arzak, whose three Michelin-starred restaurant, Arzak in San Sebastian, is one of the best in the world – and on my wish list -.
There are many afternoon tea options in London, but you will never find one with a distinctly Spanish twist, created by a Michelin-starred chef, which will satisfy both a sweet and savoury tooth.
For this afternoon tea the usual British finger sandwiches have been replaced with a choice of Spanish tapas.
Savoury offer
- Spider crab tempura
- Iberian pork croquette
- Piquillo peppers and avocado sandwich with garlic aioli. Definitely a tastier version of the traditional afternoon tea sandwich
- Turmeric and paprika test tubes
- Torta de Barros, a Spanish soft cheese, on muesli cracker. Sheep (or goat) cheese made with raw milk, with a particular, intense aroma.
On the sweet side
- Catalan cream with cinnamon
- Chocolate with Churros
- Sweet cabbage juice with melting rock
- Elderflower trifle with cranberry juice and biscotti on top
- Hard Spanish “Turrón”
- Orange French toast with Spinach and passion fruit sauce
To match the tapas we chose 2 green teas, a Hoji Cha (roasted Japanese) and an organic Jade Sword and of course, a glass of Spanish Cava.
A different afternoon tea, I really enjoyed it. I promised to myself to come back soon and have dinner at Ametsa with Arzak Instruction.
Final Notes
Top Treat: for Giuliano the Iberian pork croquette, for me the Catalan cream with cinnamon
Cost: Afternoon tea is £32 and £36 with a glass of Cava or a Sipsmith cocktail.
Address: The Halkin by Como
Halkin Street, London – SW1X 7DJ
The WOW factor: the food styling, not your average afternoon tea.
Disclaimer: we were guests of Como Hotel, but hopefully you’ll trust this post is about an honestly enjoyable afternoon.
