20 June 2009

Lisa Higginson

Afternoon tea is one this country’s culinary institutions. But we actually have Portugal to thank for the customary practice of washing down crust-less cucumber sandwiches and cream-filled cakes with a cup of tea. The story is such that afternoon tea was first introduced to the UK by Catherine of Braganza who married Charles II in 1661 and brought the custom of drinking tea in the afternoon with her from Portugal.

Britain has since done a good job of adopting the practice and making afternoon tea a lavish affair. It has made historic hotels such as The Ritz and The Dorchester in London famous and people travel to the Lake District’s Sharrow Bay Hotel solely for its acclaimed afternoon tea, which is definitely worth the trip. But if you think this type of dining experience is just for mature clientele who favour a twin set and pearls then you are mistaken. For a new age of afternoon tea has arrived in one of Manchester’s hottest hotel bars.

High Tea in Cloud 23 has been launched at the Hilton Deansgate and is already proving popular with young city folk. Created by executive chef David Gale, the afternoon tea is served amid the city’s skyline in the impressive bar that occupies the sleek hotel’s 23rd floor.

Arriving on a Saturday afternoon, the bar looked somewhat different in daylight but was still bustling with guests, city shoppers and families who had stopped by to nibble on neatly prepared sandwiches and tasty-looking tarts. We sunk into the low seats and gazed out of the floor-to-ceiling windows while the waiter brought us a glass of rather good champagne. A cute cake stand stacked with sweet and savoury morsels then arrived. Brown bread discs of smoked salmon and cream cheese, fingers of ham salad and egg sandwiches and a cheese and chive tortilla wrap were devoured in no time and were simply pleasant, although I felt they were slightly unadventurous for an afternoon tea experience in a grand hotel.

Following the savouries were scones with clotted cream and jam, mini strawberry tarts, slices of fruit bread and wedges of Victoria sponge. The scones had good texture and were delightful with a good smear of the rich cream and sweet jam, but the airy sponge had a suspicious ‘bought-in’ flavour, which was disappointing. While slightly soggy on the underside, the strawberry tarts were still flavourful and the fruit cake was rich and moist just as it should be. A pot of Earl Grey (tea bags, not loose) accompanied the food.

While the afternoon tea was indeed pleasant enough, the only thing that really took my breath away was the stunning views across the city. For £14.95 per person (£10 extra for a class of champagne) I might have expected something a bit more special - especially from the likes of the Hilton. But they do say you eat with your eyes and the panorama was certainly an amazing feast.

Afternoon tea is served daily in Cloud 23 from 12pm-4pm.

The Hilton, 303 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 4LQ
T: 0161 870 1670
W: www.hilton.co.uk/manchesterdeansgate