Afternoon Tea at Jean-Georges at The Connaught Hotel

Mayfair is an area in London that is full of surprises. Whether you are looking for a bespoke service for luxury watches, a gorgeous Sunseeker yacht, and even a high-end hotel stay, there is something for you. My recent afternoon visit was no different. Except, this time it was at The Connaught Hotel. 

I paid a visit to the legendary Jean-Georges at The Connaught; the hotel has pretty much everything you would expect when it came to glamour. 

Every moment has its details and all guests that walked through the doors were attended to – I am talking about the moment I got off the taxi to the moment I was shown to the table, along with several surprises along the way.

Our table provided a lovely view that overlooked the streets of Mayfair. The interior of the area contained floor-to-ceiling windows, with lovely shades of yellow and orange which complemented the natural lights that pass through the windows of the conservatory. 

The walls contained artwork from Louise Bourgeois. You’ll also notice the joie de vivre that was introduced via stained glass accents by Jean-Michel Othoniel (French artist, and a Chanel collaborator). I can imagine enjoying a lovely cup of coffee during the autumn months and watch the sunset on the busy streets of Mayfair.

The restaurant is also opposite Hélène Darroze, which is convenient across the hotel’s lobby. Hélène Darroze is definitely on my list of venues to visit. Let’s start with what we ordered.

What we ordered:

Finger Sandwiches:

• Cucumber & Greek Yoghurt Feta Cheese, Mint & Pistachio 
• Egg & Chive Mayonnaise Pommery Mustard 
• Oak Smoked Salmon Avocado & Wasabi, Seaweed Butter Teriyaki Glaze 
• Tandoori Turkey Pickled Apple & Red Cabbage Tandoori Yoghurt 
• Home-Made Salt Beef Tomato Tapenade Basil Butter

Chocolate Fondue

• Strawberries 

Pastries:

• Rocher Hazelnut Praliné, Milk Chocolate 
• Strawberry Tart Almond Frangipane, Vanilla Curd 
• Rhubarb & Elderflower Elderflower Mousse, Lemon Shortbread Rhubarb Compote 
• Tropezienne Vanilla Cream, Caramel 
• Lemon & Poppy Seed Cake – blueberries

Scones:

• Home-Made Plain & Wholemeal Raisin Scones with Preserves 
• Strawberry Jam 
• Lemon Curd 
• Cornish Clotted Cream

Drinks:

• Earl Grey Tea
• Thé de la Longévité – white tea from the Fujian province in China. It has hints of anisette, apricot, and a light vanilla taste

Extra Desserts:

• Warm Chocolate Cake Vanilla Ice Cream, and Chocolate Crumble
• Mille Feuille Caramelised Pecan Nuts, Vanilla Ice Cream, Warm Caramel Sauce

Each sandwich filling was different; however, there were three fillings that I was particularly fond of the Egg & Chive Mayonnaise and Pommery Mustard, it had a very delicate taste of mustard which went well with the Oak Smoked Salmon Avocado & Wasabi, Seaweed Butter Teriyaki Glaze. The Cucumber & Greek Yoghurt Feta Cheese with Mint & Pistachio was a delight, the thick and full-bodied Greek yogurt provides a creamy taste and the crunchiness of the cucumber means you won’t feel too full afterwards. 

Shortly after the sandwiches, we were presented with a stunning cake 4-tier stand. filled with carefully decorated pastries that were in every way visually appealing. What’s more, there was a chocolate fondue with fresh summer strawberries. The different tiers contained well-risen golden plain and wholemeal scones and were served warm, they were also fluffy and did not flake apart (bonus!) – We were also provided with lemon curd, strawberry jam, and clotted cream. 

The intricate pastries were delicious, there was a rocher that was an enlarged version of the classic Ferrero Rocher, it had a delicious hazelnut taste that leaves you wanting more. The Lemon & Poppy Seed Cake with blueberries was another delicious piece; I rarely consume blueberries but the taste of the blueberry pieces was complimented with the hint of sweetness from the sponge.

I was surprised to see Rhubard on a list of pastries because you would usually find this particular vegetable paired with apples, butter, caramel, cinnamon, and various citrus fruits and berries. On this occasion, it was paired with elderflower on top of lemon shortbread and rhubarb compote. It encourages you to eat more.

We then completed the pastries with the Strawberry Tart Almond Frangipane with Vanilla Curd and the Tropezienne Vanilla Cream with Caramel.

To top off the afternoon tea experience, there was a chocolate fondue with fresh summer strawberries that resembles the summery months ahead.

The additional desserts were a dream come true. I quickly noticed the spiral design on the plate that was drawn with chocolate, the Warm Chocolate Cake along with Vanilla Ice Cream, and Chocolate Crumble were placed on top, giving the feeling of a ‘bullseye!’ moment. The cake combines the elements of a chocolate cake and soufflé along with a liquid chocolate center that oozes out as my spoon slices through. The cake was decorated with gold-dusted chocolate crumble.

Mille-Feuille always has a special meaning, I remember being in Geneva at Bayview at Hotel Wilson, where a front-of-house staff described Mille-Feuille as ‘a a cake with a thousand layers’ (read the blog by clicking here). It stayed with me and so, the Mille-Feuille Caramelised Pecan Nuts, Vanilla Ice Cream with Warm Caramel Sauce was ordered. Although it didn’t contain a thousand layers, you can taste the layers along with the warm caramel sauce that was poured just above the mille-feuille.

Best for: Light lunch with your friends or to spoil your loved ones. The settees were low with discreet alcoves, perfect for an intimate meal.

Where Is It?

Jean-Georges at The Connaught Hotel
Carlos Place,
Mayfair,
London,
W1K 2AL