Emma Oliver heads across town to taste the wares of the newly launched Low Tea at The Luggage Room - notably one of Mayfair’s best-kept secrets…
Imagine you’ve seen the
latest exhibition at the Royal Academy and just (window) shopped Bond Street. Now you’re
ready for something to eat, but have a dinner booking later. What could
possibly fill the gap?
That’s where one of
Mayfair’s favourite hideaways, The Luggage
Room comes in, for the Grosvenor Square speakeasy
retreat with its links to America has coupled up with English tradition to
launch London’s first Low Tea. (Low tea being the ‘afternoon tea’ of choice for
the upper classes in the 1920s - who traditionally ate savoury foods to sustain
them through the afternoon).
Like the food and drink The Luggage Room serves, this pairing is
clever. Complimenting the link is the history of the venue. It used to be the
old luggage store for the Marriott Hotel it sits beside. Rather wonderfully one
gains access by knocking on a secret side door.
Once in, you realise just
what a hidden gem the place is. The décor and music immediately begin to help
you unwind. Art Deco themed, it’s an intimate and informal setting and 1920s tradition blends with comfort. Sitting
cosy, one realises low tea demands a low table – one
full of delicious bite-sized creations served in a bespoke old-fashioned wooden
case.
America meets England in
this feast off. Highlights include smoked eel, horseradish and crème fraiche
vol au vents, Devonshire wild boar sausage rolls, venison and duck scotched
eggs, a home grown Rum Syllabub and rather wonderfully, as many different
blends of tea as you could ever imagine. The Balsamic Hyperion and the Chai are
spot on, along with The Luggage Room’s
limited edition Pineapple Rum, perfect in complimenting the food and frankly nothing
short of delightful. What an ideal place to stop and refuel before stepping out
into the busyness of this iconic London area once more…
This post first appeared here