The Australian Women\'s Weekly - June 2018

198 The Australian Women’s Weekly|JUNE 2018

GETTY IMAGES. ALPINE HELICOPTERS/NOEL ROGERS.

Travel

The Berkeley Prêt-à-Portea
The ive-star Berkeley hotel puts a
contemporary spin on afternoon tea
with its Prêt-à-Portea, where cakes
and pastries are inspired by the latest
designs from leading fashion houses
(middle picture, right). The spring/
summer 2018 collection includes
fashionista fancies such as Tom Ford’s
hot pink chocolate stiletto biscuits,
Ralph & Russo’s pink rufle dress
transformed into an ice-cream cone,
and butterly handbag cake inspired
by designs from Aruna Seth.
Tea is served in the chic Collins
Room, a favourite of the fashion
crowd. Afternoon tea is £52 ($94);
champagne tea from £62 ($112).
The Berkeley, Wilton Place,
Knightsbridge, London.
Visit the-berkeley.co.uk.

TheRubensatthePalace

Situated on Buckingham Palace Road,

overlooking the palace’s Royal Mews,

Rubens at the Palace (left, at bottom)

serves an afternoon tea that includes

delicacies inspired by the neighbours,

such asCoronation chicken

sandwiches, gin and tonic cheesecake,

and English rose macaroons. Teas

range from the Royal Jubilee

Blend, created tocelebrate Queen

Elizabeth’s DiamondJubilee, to

exotic varieties such as Rosy Fig

White Tea. Nibble sweet treats in

the hotel’s plush drawing-room

and, after tea, stroll up the road

to see the Changing of the Guard.

£39 ($70) per person; the Prince

and Princess Royal afternoon tea

for the kids is £15 ($27).

The Rubens at the Palace, 39

Buckingham Palace Rd, London.

Visit rubenshotel.com.

CLARIDGE’S

HOTEL

Long popular with royalty – it has

been referred to as an “annexe to

Buckingham Palace” – Claridge’s has

been serving afternoon tea for more

than 150 years. Stepping into the hotel

is like walking into an oasis: the

clamour of London’s traffic is replaced

with the hum of chatter, clink of

teacups and music drifting from a

grand piano in the Art Deco foyer.

Claridge’s tea (pictured top left)

includes a variety of finger sandwiches,

hand-made patisserie (think chestnut

and vanilla éclair) and scones,

accompanied by Marco Polo gelée

and clotted cream, washed down

by one of 24 varieties of tea.

Afternoon tea is £60 ($109);

Champagne tea from £70 ($127).

Claridge’s, Brook Street, Mayfair,

London. Visit claridges.co.uk.

You can combine a lavish

afternoon tea with a private

viewing of the crown jewels in the

Tower of London as part of APT’s

21-day Magnificent Europe tour

from London to Prague. Highlights

include a visit to the Tower before

it’s open to the public, and

afternoon tea at the Bentley Hotel,

where a former head butler of

Burghley House will be in

attendance. The tour, which can be

done in the reverse direction,

includes a 14-night river cruise from

Amsterdam to Budapest. Prices for

2019 start from $12,845 per person

twin share. Visit aptouring.com.au.

HAVE YOUR CAKE

AND EAT IT