A Very Important Date

The Sanderson Hotel - Oxford Street. From £48

Not long ago I mentioned my love for Afternoon Tea and those feelings have most certainly been re-confirmed recently.

Not that I ever doubted they had left.

My best friend and I have missed eachother's birthdays in the last year as she has been gallivanting all around the globe - leaving me behind in dreary England - and she will soon be heading off on another adventure. In a double celebration, come farewell, we decided to treat ourselves to an afternoon filled with tea, mini sandwiches and cakes for days. This was all with a wonderful, magical twist. It was Alice in Wonderland themed.

The Sanderson Hotel has been hosting this affair for a little while now and my lovely friend Gemma first introduced it to me a couple of years ago. I don't know why it took me so long to pay a visit.

It comprised of all the usual offerings of an afternoon tea - pretty china, a selection of teas and the (obligatory) option of having Champagne *raises hand*. There was so much detail it really felt like we had fallen down the rabbit hole.

We both chose the 'Queen of Hearts' tea followed by a second (and possibly a third) round of the miniature Croque Monsieur. Well if they're going to offer! We were in fried bread and melted cheese heaven. These photographs really don't do all the details justice. The staff were incredibly welcoming and did a good job in encouraging us to have a second round of, well, everything.

The final round of treats consisted of marshmallow toad-stalls, mini banana cake and a delicious mango smoothie in an adorable glass bottle with a 'Drink Me' on it. You don't need to tell me twice.

This is the perfect place for a celebration, ideal for Mother's Day coming up. I know my mum would love the sweet details, especially being able to see and smell the tea before choosing as she is a bit of a tea connoisseur.

Top Tip 
If you have the choice, definitely try and get a table in the pretty courtyard outside - It has a much better atmosphere than inside which looked a little dark and dingy. With the outdoor heaters you'll never know it's mid February and -2 degrees!

The Drift Bar | Review

For me, going out in 'the city' on a Friday night is a pretty novel experience. I only work in London on the occasional Friday so it's nice to make the most of being in that neck of the woods. When my colleagues Gemma and Clare suggested we venture to a nice restaurant for dinner and drinks as a belated birthday do for me I couldn't wait.

After a few ideas were thrown around by Gemma we decided on The Drift Bar in Heron Tower - A quirky bar and restaurant not far from Liverpool Street. I would definitely recommend booking a table in advance as it was jam packed with young city workers looking for a cocktail to ease themselves into the weekend.

After ordering a bottle of Prosecco, it was a special occasion afterall, we set about the difficult task of ordering mains. I say difficult but I'm a big fan of the burger, wherever I go I can never stray away from either a chicken or beef burger and it seems this day was no exception. I had initially set my sights on the Club Sandwhich because that's oh so different. But alas no I went for the classic beef burger and I'm sad to say I was disappointed. It was a bit greasy and soggy and the brioche bun collapsed in my hands. Thank heavens this wasn't a first date scenario.

Three out of four of us decided on a sandwich/ burger and for being so adventurous(!) we accompanied our order with a trio of delicious fries. These weren't just any fries, oh no, they were as fancy as they come. Roman Fries with parmesan, truffle and rosemary, Cowboy Fries with honey, chili and garlic and Katsu Fries with Japanese curry sauce. I soon shotgunned the Roman Fries and kept them close by during the soggy burger fiasco. They were truly delicious and I'd quite like these with every burger I ever have.

The atmosphere was brilliant although I definitely found myself shouting at points. The general buzz of the place made it the perfect place for cocktails which is exactly what we did next. I do enjoy a dessert and my guilty pleasure of Creme Brulee was on the menu but the Love Potion cocktail served in a sweet little jug was a pretty good alternative so I soon got over the lack of pud.

I would definitely recommend The Drift Bar for evening drinks and for food during the quieter periods so you can make conversation with the person across the table from you.

Top Tip - Avoid the burger and go for one of the other mains, someone should be adventurous!

Please excuse the quality of these photos, my iPhone was not a good substitute for my usual digital camera!