Dining with Oscar Wilde at Hotel Café Royal

To celebrate the arrival of Oscar Wilde’s much loved play, The Importance of Being Earnest, at the Harold Pinter theatre on 27 June, Hotel Café Royal has created an exclusive afternoon tea to be held in the iconic Oscar Wilde Bar. Executive Chef Andrew Turner and Executive Pastry Chef Andrew Blas, have taken inspiration from the play’s characters and the history to create a unique and playful menu which will be available from 16 June.

Priced at £42 or £55 with a glass of Veuve Cliquot, and featuring a selection of tea sandwiches, pastries, scones and cakes as well as additional ‘savoury terminus’ dishes, guests will be treated to an array of flavours, with some unexpected surprises along the way. Turner has paid homage to the famous cucumber sandwich episode with the inclusion of Original ‘cucumber’ sandwiches; a savoury version of the classic 15th century bun with caraway and icing sugar, filled with pickled cucumber. The selection of tea sandwiches will also include Everyman’s smoked wild boar, crackling, pickled apple and English mustard bun; Cured venison and pear chutney sandwich with red onion marriage and Gold puff goat’s cheese and wine jelly engagement.

Blas continues the theme with a range of amusingly titled pastries including Chocolate box ‘n’ ring; Lady Bracknell lollipop and Dandy raspberry regent. Guests will also be treated to traditional scones with clotted cream and a choice of preserves. The menu is then finished off by a selection of Hotel Café Royal’s famous house-made cakes such as Lemon drizzle, Piccadilly Bunsbury and Traditional fruit cake.

Guests will also have the choice of an additional ‘Savoury Terminus’, including quintessentially British dishes such as scrambled egg and fresh truffle ‘Royal’(£22); smoked London Cure salmon and cream cheese (£14) and Anchovy on toast and Gentleman’s relish (£14).

All this will be served in the breathtaking Oscar Wilde Bar (formerly the iconic Grill Room) which has been stunningly restored to its authentic Louis XVI detailing. The room oozes grandeur and sophistication, offering the perfect place to host the most glamorous afternoon tea in London.


The Importance of being Ernest Afternoon tea
£ 42/£55 with a glass of Veuve Cliquot

Selection of tea sandwiches
Everyman’s Smoked wild boar, crackling, pickled apple and English mustard bun
Gold puff goat’s cheese and wine jelly engagement
Cured venison and pear chutney sandwich with red onion marriage
London cure smoked salmon, quail’s egg and cress Prism
Original “Cucumber” sandwiches

Amuse Bouche
Low Sidecar

Pastries
Chocolate box “n” ring
Lady Bracknell lollipop
Made in heaven Opera
Cherry Lane Absinthe Green fairy
Dandy Raspberry Regent

Scones
Traditional tea marinated golden raisin, apricot and plain scones
Clotted cream and London honey
Strawberry and gold preserve

Cakes
Lemon Drizzle cake (GF)
Piccadilly Bunsbury
Hazelnut tin
Traditional Fruit cake

Savoury Terminus
Scrambled egg and fresh truffle “Royal” £ 22
Lightly jellied Miso eels £ 16
Smoked London Cure Salmon and cream cheese £ 14
Anchovy on toast and Gentleman’s relish £ 14
Toasted aged Stilton and onion Union cake £ 12