Savage Garden’s new afternoon tea is set against a stunning backdrop of the London skyline…
Rating
Appeals To
During the week, the hotel and its restaurants are abuzz with corporate guests and tourists looking to enjoy a slice of the capital – those wanting to venture away from the traditional tea experience may enjoy trying Savage Garden’s alternative.
Weekends are much quieter, which is also an advantage, as friends and families can enjoy uninterrupted views of the city while sipping on the restaurant’s delicious tea selection.
Afternoon tea enthusiasts will also appreciate this take on a British classic, as well as the traditional scones – there is a selection of small bites (and vegetarian versions) which are a little bit different.
In a Word
‘Calming’
The Ambience
Savage Garden is set on the 12th floor of the DoubleTree Hilton and offers a compelling panorama of London from an angle usually reserved for office workers and hotel guests. While views of the city from rooftop terrace bars are by no means rare, here, the iconic Tower of London is the focal point. Seeing one of the capital’s most famous buildings up so close, but from above, along with other urban behemoths like the Shard and the Gerkhin is a refreshing and dizzying experience.
On the day of our visit, the far-reaching views are muffled with mist and rain which adds a Dickensian feel to the cityscape; try and visit on a clear day to take full advantage of this unusual angle of London from the restaurant’s outdoor terrace.
The restaurant itself is quiet, with one or two fleeting diners. Urban motifs are prevalent from design team Grapes Design, which incorporates vibrant colours, graffiti, and floral accents to counter the hard lines of the huge stone bar and metal furnishings. Stool legs are tall and high, giving an almost cold and brittle vibe, but velvet chairs and cushions temper this with a little luxury – their marbleised surfaces mirroring the clouds outside.
The Food
We start with a cocktail, Forbidden Fruit, which is mixed with Hendrick’s gin, apricot brandy, amaretto, lemon, sugar and grapefruit bitters. The delicate little glass glistens with a liquid which is pale golden like a winter sun – and tastes correspondingly Christmassy, with subtle ripples of marzipan.
The tea selection is small but tasty; we start with an Earl Grey Yin Zhen and a “Fiji” Lemon Grass, Lime and Ginger infusion for my companion – both fragrant and easy to drink.
Despite there being no advertised vegetarian menu for the tea – I call ahead and let them know there will be one among us. Chef Elizabeth Panggabean, manning the kitchen on the Sunday we visit, kindly rustles up a few variations of the original menu for her. A goat cheese and béchamel croquette is delicious but slightly too salty. While three-seeded cauliflower is well-seasoned and moreish.
The avocado taco sings with fresh lime and spring onion – mine is equally good but padded with chunks of chicken. Beetroot cured salmon from the standard menu is pleasantly smoky, cut with the medicinal earthiness of caraway bread. Sweet potato sliders are also a hit, served with coriander yoghurt and punchy red onions.
The taste is there with my roast beef and wasabi remoulade but the texture is tough and stringy on too-crisp bread, which makes it unwieldy. Similarly, scones are unforgivably stale and disintegrate when bitten.
Our second round of tea, a Nuit D’ete” red fruit infusion for my companion, and the“Coquelicot Gourmand” Poppy Almond & Cherry Black for me, comes with the sweet course. A bitesized black tea choux is painted completely gold – with pastry yielding into sweet cream which is nice but no hint of tea is detected. Cherry and coconut lamington is a little on the dry side but the dark chocolate crémeux sphere is a highlight. Indulgent, rich and heavy it leaves us in a food coma but it is worth it.
The Verdict
Savage Garden is a beautiful location in which to spend time – a design-led luxurious interior and stunning views make this a perfect venue for a slick night out and this is where I suspect the venue comes into its own. The selection of teas are good, complementing the food well, and the chefs should be commended for their creativity and flexibility to cater for all. Certain small bites are very good. But I would suggest openly offering more vegetarian alternatives and ensuring that all food is prepared fresh on a Sunday, which is usually prime afternoon tea time. It was obvious what had been left sitting, which deviated from an otherwise great experience.
The Details
DoubleTree by Hilton Tower of London
Floor 12, 7 Pepys St, London EC3N 4AF