Tuesday 23 August 2011

REVIEW: Afternoon Tea at Hotel Du Vin


A rarity occurred very recently... Mister Flay took a DAY OFF! - Shocking ; ) 

As luck would have it, we were both going to not be working on a weekday, which is very unusual for us, so we certainly made the most of it and took a stroll into Cambridge for a wander in the Market Square and a slow amble along the backs, which is something we love doing if and when we get the chance to do so.
We even got a sneaky cocktail in whilst we were passing Browns - Somewhere else we have never been to before (Shameful being Cambridge born and bred!) and plan to return one day soon to eat.... Perhaps their burger for Misters' Blog?... Hmmm 

We decided to try Afternoon Tea at one of the newest hotels in Cambridge, Hotel Du Vin, as we had heard great reviews from friends and family on their bistro and cocktail bar and as soon as I found out that they offer Afternoon Tea between 2pm and 5pm daily... well.... I was on the phone like a shot and booking us a spot for that afternoon. 
Success! 
The staff were friendly from the very start, by email and over the phone as well as when we arrived at the front desk. The young lady showed us to a lounge area and told us to take a seat and that somebody would be with us in a moment. The only niggle I would have with this experience was that when the waitress came to us, she handed us a menu and told us she would be back to take our order in a moment.... We had been expecting to be taken to the bistro, so we weren't settled as such and it threw us a little, as it felt more like a waiting area with other people sat around us with luggage/waiting to be shown to their bedrooms. It felt a little bizarre, but we sat back and got comfy on the sofa, which in the end was very peaceful once the guests had been taken away.  Now, had the staff told us this would be where we were eating, we would have been a little more prepared, instead of feeling a little confused for a moment hehe. 
Not the end of the world though. 
The entire process was relaxing and we weren't pushed or hurried along at all, that sofa was ours for as long as we wanted it. The lovely waitress took our tea order - Mister had a pot of Darjeeling and I ordered a Rose Tea and I was even offered Honey to go with it... Something that I have never been asked before and I got the mickey taken out of that comment when I whispered it to him after she left... I was just pleased to have a brand new first with my tea choice ; p 
It was a little too sweet for my personal liking with this particular blend, but a generous serving was given had I wanted more with my second cup, along with a pot of hot water to top up... a lot of thought goes into this particular menu and they go straight to the top of my ratings for this. 
The Afternoon Tea Tier that we chose included a selection of delicious freshly made sandwiches, including Salmon, Ham with a Mustard Mayonnaise, Cucumber & Cream Cheese and Egg & Cress. It was nice to have 4 different choices and they were generous fingers of bread too. 
We were given 3 different (And still warm from the oven) scones, including a Plain, a Fruit and a Cherry Scone served with Clotted Cream and Strawberry Jam. There was also a selection of sweets underneath that tier including Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate-Drizzled Strawberries, a slice of Tea Loaf and a dreamy Chocolate Brownie (My personal favourite!


Needless to say, we didn't eat for the rest of the day! - The selection was bigger and tastier than my expectations had been and I loved the relaxed sofa dining experience, not as formal as most afternoon teas and if we made a mess, there was nobody to see us doing so 
- Not that we did of course ; )

 It was great fun and we would both highly recommend Hotel Du Vin for an informal, yet luxurious Afternoon Tea experience. 
Just take your time, do not come here in a rush, as it's just not the place to be so. 

The very sweet waiter who took our payment at the end even asked us what our plans were for the rest of the day, to which we replied that we would most likely be snoozing... and we did just that!

 It was the PERFECT day off and I am so glad we came here. 
Fantastic value for money, and not as expensive as I had imagined it might be, in fact I have been to pricier Afternoon Tea Venues and had an awful experience for the money. Go and try this Afternoon Tea, It will not disappoint. 


x


Miss Sue Flay 

2 comments:

  1. Glad you gave yourselves a treat. I am a great fan of the Fitzwilliam Museum opposite and discovered that it is much cheaper and SO much nicer to go from there to HdV for tea rather than the Fitz cafe. Need to book ahead though. Also a fantastic Mother's Day treat.

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  2. I haven't heard good words about the Fitz Afternoon tea... so may have to try it just to check haha... one day!
    Hope you get to HDV, it;s fab! Great mothers day treat, I would agree! x

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