EATING LONDON // A Room With A View

[iPhone photo.]

On the Sunday afternoon of our London trip, after a morning exploring Brick Lane, Christy and I headed over to Paramount at Centre Point to sample London's highest afternoon tea. At 33 floors up in the heart of Soho, Paramount promised us 360 degree views across the city and it certainly didn't disappoint!

The Thames and the Shard.

St Paul's Cathedral

The London Eye

The British Museum

With the lure of such exceptional views, I should probably confess to being more than a little concerned that the tea itself wouldn't be up to much. I needn't have worried. Brought to us on attractive slate stands, we were presented with a novel take on 'rolls' and sandwiches including rolled "cream cheese & cucumber on spinach bread," "piquillo pepper and artichoke on rye bread," a triangle of "egg mayonnaise on lemon bread" and a dainty little "goat’s cheese & beetroot quiche." All of this was served with a fruit and plain scone apiece, with all the necessary jam and clotted cream; a pot of tea or coffee of our choosing; and a seriously delightful selection of cakes and desserts that included a "caramel & lavender mousse cup," a "dark chocolate pave coco nib" and a "warm cinnamon & black currant doughnut." So very good!

Christy. [iPhone photo]

Eating our way through all of this while soaking up the views and the atmosphere took us almost two hours - by which point the sun was beginning to set and lights across the city were beginning to switch on - and we finished up our time at Paramount by taking in alternative perspectives with a wander around the bathrooms and the bar.

Tower Bridge

At £28 a head this was certainly the highest priced afternoon tea I've ever consumed, but it felt worth it for the views alone and I was more than pleasantly surprised by the food and the service we received. It's not the kind of place you'll frequent often, but it makes the perfect venue for a special occasion or a luxurious one-off treat!

Paramount, Centre Point
101-103 New Oxford Street, London, WC1A 1DD