Afternoon tea at The Laurent Perrier Champagne Lounge

Friday was a bit of a special day in my calendar, as I took my lovely mom to experience the new afternoon High Tea at the Laurent Perrier Champagne Bar at Marco Pierre White’s 25th floor restaurant in The Cube, Birmingham. As a lover of high tea (especially scones and cream) this had been the perfect invitation for me, and I was delighted to be given a chance to savor the flavours.

We arrived a little early, so decided to make the most of the lovely sunshine and hot weather by enjoying a drink on the terrace. MPW has what is agreed are the best panoramic views of Birmingham, you can have great fun trying to spot local landmarks for way up high. It was also a good excuse to sample those famous Mr McQueen chairs that adorn the terrace.

The Laurent Perrier Champagne lounge has just had a refurbishment and it looks lovely – all metallic grey quilting, teamed with glossy black. We sat down near a window (all the better to enjoy those views) and we given a glass of champagne whilst we waited for our afternoon tea. We also ordered tea. I stuck to my traditional English breakfast, but fruit teas and coffee were also available. And then tea arrived.

As you can see, it all looked delicious and was plentiful. We started with the sandwiches, cheese and fruit pickle, ham and mustard, and smoked salmon and cucumber – these were all perfect choices for afternoon tea, and were served the traditional way – with the crusts removed. My favourite was the cheese with the fruity chutney – the tangy fruit was absolutely delicious. Next we moved onto the cake selection, mini bite-size favourites that included a chocolate brownie, a split cream donut, mini cheesecake and chocolate eclair. All were delicious, but my personal favourite was the Carrot Cake that had a real taste of warm cinnamon running through it.

We finally moved on to my favourite section of afternoon tea – the scones and cream. These warm fruit scones were huge, although I have to admit that not being a sultana fan, I would prefer a plain option. However they were delicious, really moist and fresh tasting. There was a small jar of raspberry jam that was nowhere near enough for the four scones presented, but staff were more than happy to bring extra jars to the table. The cream was very tasty, and there was lots of it, but I am not sure it was clotted cream, it tasted more like a fresh cream. However, we were getting so full by this point that we were not able to finish the scones – I guess you can get all caked out!

Overall, I was pretty impressed with the afternoon tea on offer. The lovely location makes the dining experience special, and the staff are friendly and attentive. The food was delicious and plentiful, and the relaxed atmosphere helps you to relax and enjoy your food. It is also the perfect place if you want to get dressed up and celebrate a birthday, upcoming wedding, or just enjoy a day out with your mom or friends.

The afternoon high tea, when served with a glass of Laurent Perrier Brut costs £29.99 per person. Served with a glass of Laurent Perrier Rosé Brut it costs £35.99per person with £1 of each sale being donated to Cure Leukaemia. Click here for more information.

With thanks to Sarah Morris, The Ed James Group, and staff at MPW in The Cube.