No you’re not dreaming, I’m having yet another afternoon tea! I feel like I’ve eaten my weight in cakes and finger sandwiches over the past couple of months but luckily – I’ll never get tired of this quintessentially British past time. Especially when they’re as good as this one and it looks stunning from the moment you walk through that floral decorated door.
No. Fifty Cheyne, just a short stroll from my home was known for years as Cheyne Walk Brasserie. Living so close, I’ve for some reason never visited but in this new, pretty blue fronted guise – I think that’s all about to change. Looking after the kitchens is Iain Smith (Social Eating House) who has created an evolving menu using the finest British ingredients centred around a calescent open grill on the ground floor.
Upstairs is where we dined and where we enjoyed our afternoon tea. As you climb to the top of the stairs, there’s a bar which wouldn’t seem out of place onboard the Orient Express. This ruby-red Cocktail Bar sees bar manager Max Berrington at the helm and it will no doubt become my new favourite drinking hole, because what we tried from it was delicious.
After you’ve enjoyed that sumptuous cocktail bar, head next door to the just as lovely Drawing Room. It feels like a lounge from some of my favourite hotels and really is a home away from home, with picturesque views overlooking Cheyne Gardens and the River Thames. Pop-up here for evening drinks or as we did Afternoon Tea – served from Tuesday to Sunday, between 2pm and 5pm.
To start, we sipped on some refreshing Malawi Lemon Verbena tea (which arrived with some chocolate truffles) and an “Earl of Champagne” cocktail which was so good, we had two of. The price of the afternoon tea here is a steal (especially for the location) priced at £25 per person or £35 with the Champagne cocktail.
As for the afternoon tea, it comes served traditionally over three tiers and presentation wise it looked absolutely beautiful. A mixture of nine delicacies, all very generous when it comes to portion sizes.
The sandwiches are served open and were sometimes perhaps a little fiddly, but the toppings were fantastic and so got little complaints from me. Pickled cucumber and chive cream cheese. Sweet & juicy Heritage tomato with basil. But my favourite still, cured salmon with lemon crème fraîche and avocado. The latter was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented.
Even the scones I struggled to find fault in. Big, plump, fluffy, flaky. They had all of the classic makings of a good scone and more. The clotted cream was lovely and thick and the strawberry jam was a delight without being too sweet.
As for the cakes, I loved the selection which was on offer. Ranging from rich and decadent brownie bites topped with fresh berries to delicate and light mini lemon meringue tartlets. I also really enjoyed the filled bowls which made for a slightly lighter offering, such as the Summer fruit salad which came in a thick fruit syrup and a creamy strawberries ’n’ cream eton mess.
In case you hadn’t already guessed, I absolutely loved this afternoon tea and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something special or even just something delicious. The room it’s served in feels like the most comfortable setting one could hope for, the cocktails they serve are incredibly competent and service is as pristine as the afternoon tea. Would we come back to No. Fifty Cheyne? Yes!
NB: My meal was complimentary. All views are as always, my own. My views are not influenced by anyone other than my own palate and slightly poor eyesight.
