"Chocolate Afternoon Tea" with Paul A. Young at the Grosvenor House Hotel

Afternoon Tea has run a bit out of control in our city.  A couple of decades ago, just a few top hotels offered the 3-tier cake stand with scones, finger sandwiches and cakes. Now every establishment that can cut the crusts off a few sandwiches has muscled in on the ritual.  I recently came across a bicycle repair shop offering afternoon tea. Things, it seems, are getting a little silly - and mightily expensive.

One of those "few top hotels," the Grosvenor House  on Park Lane, has come up with a novel and delightful way of making afternoon tea special again. Working with award-winning chocolatier, Paul A.Young, they've introduced a "Chocolate Afternoon Tea" in the Park Room.

This sounded good to me - chocolate always sounds good - but did it risk being a little cloying?

All that sugar! I hadn't reckoned with Paul A. Young's wonderfully dark, subtle and original chocolates and pastries. Even before I got to them, the smooth Madagascan cocoa nib tea was marking this afternoon tea as being different. Most leaf teas wind up brewing too long and turning bitter while tea-drinkers eat and talk. 
"More hot water please" has been the cry for at least a century in grand hotels throughout the world.  But to little avail. Once the bitterness has set in there's not much you can do - which is a metaphor for life too come to think of it.


The Madagascan cocoa nib tea needs no milk, has been brewed to perfection, stays just that way while you tuck into....well just what do you tuck into at a "Chocolate Afternoon Tea"?

Not too much chocolate for starters.  Just the right amount. Stand-outs on our cake stand were Paul A.Young's Earl Grey Tea Chocolate Tart with Salted Lemon Truffle and an Orange, English Honey and Geranium Ganache.

But the utterly wonderful, ludicrously indulgent moment came when the warm, crusty, fluffy scones were served with clotted cream and Young's award-winning sea salted caramel. Blimey! I mean really, I haven't allowed myself to venture near this sort of pure ambrosia in years.  After 3 scones, (yes 3) I was convinced that I would have to pay for this much sweet pleasure. An hour later, I would try for redemption by walking for 3 hours around Mayfair  and the West End. Anyone who knows Mayfair, will guess that that nearly got me into an entirely other sort of trouble....

Back to the tea. The scones and that marriage of salted caramel and clotted cream were the highlight. And yes, they do serve some good finger sandwiches including a cucumber and Venezuelan chocolate offering as well as the more classic smoked salmon, egg mayonnaise and cress etc. But let's be honest, these are really just a formality to get us to the chocolate,caramel, cream etc.

This Chocolate Afternoon Tea is served in the serene and lovely Park Room across from Hyde Park, and is priced at £39.50 per person or £49.50 if you add a glass of champagne. I did. It relieved the guilt just a bit.