Text by Katherine Ellis • Photography Courtesy of Hotel Café Royal
For more than 150 years, one step into Hotel Café Royal, as the name suggests, has made visitors feel like royalty. The likes of Princess Diana, Winston Churchill, Elizabeth Taylor, Oscar Wilde, and David Bowie have frequented the esteemed hotel, making its reputation as dazzling as its guests. Located on Regent Street within steps of London’s most iconic landmarks and popular neighborhoods, old-world charm meets modern sophistication in one luxurious and dynamic space. A four-year, £200,000,000 renovation in 2012 transformed the five-star property into a memorable destination, with glamour seemingly around every corner. To no surprise, afternoon tea is a significant part of the hotel’s elegant English character.
Teatime at Hotel Café Royal is under the management, care, and passion of its resident tea sommelier, Luigi Vergura. Born an “Italian coffee drinker,” Luigi landed in Australia in 2008 to explore the vast worlds of coffee and wine. After moving from Sydney to London, the enthusiastic gentleman began to explore other sectors of the beverage industry. “Beginning my career as an assistant wine sommelier, I have grown and carried my love for wine pairing and hot beverages across two distinct Michelin-starred restaurants, where I served high-quality loose-leaf tea alongside artistic coffees for the first time,” Luigi explains. “Tea and coffee are two aspects that are frequently undervalued in the Michelin-starred dining context.” Following stints at the Intercontinental Park Lane and other various high-end restaurants and luxury hotels, Luigi’s deep-seated love and curiosity for fine teas only continued to grow. The tea enthusiast then began working as the restaurant manager of The Grill Room at Hotel Café Royal, where he could effectively share his affinity for loose-leaf teas with others.
Luigi divulges that his philosophy for pairing tea and food together is made up of three elements: knowledge, proactive listening, and trust. “I make it a point to discover my guests’ usual beverage preferences and customize their experience based on their openness to trying new flavours,” Luigi notes. “I start by preparing single-estate and unflavoured teas alongside the savoury dishes, then move up in body and complexity with blends or scented teas to pair with the sweets. One of my favourite pairings of all is a Smoky Lapsang Souchong paired with a citrus-based dessert.” Through experience, talent, and a kind listening ear, Luigi has perfected the art of meticulously pairing each afternoon-tea course with appropriate and rave-worthy infusions.
When visiting the grand hotel for the tradition that we know and love, be prepared to be amazed by the gilded opulence of the remarkable setting for teatime. The tea salon, otherwise known as The Grill Room, is a mesmerizing jewelry box filled with glistening gold leaf, intricately artistic ceilings, mirrored walls, and lush red furnishings. It’s a space that exudes timeless elegance and glamour, and beckons for one to don fancy frocks and ornate chapeaux to properly fit in. It’s a room that is more stunning than any iPhone camera can capture. Words and images can only describe so much—afternoon tea here is exquisite, to say it simply.
To aid in crafting a magical ambiance for tea goers, lovely live music, played by accomplished pianist Arnold Khanu, cascades throughout the room. “An aspect frequently underestimated in creating the right atmosphere, yet one I find most vital, is the music,” Luigi states. “Arnold has been playing in The Grill Room for the last decade, since the afternoon-tea era started at Hotel Café Royal. During this time, he told me that he has learned to listen to what the room needs to resonate with.”
For £75 per person, with reservations highly recommended, tea afficionados can experience the lavishness of taking tea at Hotel Café Royal. The service is segmented into two distinct stages, savories and sweets, prioritizing the freshness of the ingredients and the warmth of the scones. The tea menu changes seasonally, with special menus curated for certain holidays. A delicious amusebouche is served as a starter followed by four traditional tea sandwiches accompanied by the first selection of teas. As the last drops of the initial beverage are savored and the tea pairing for the second course arrives, so does the incredible aroma of warm scones and sumptuous sweets. If Luigi had to choose a favorite food from the phenomenal offerings, scones would take the cake, so to speak.
“The scones are sentimental for me, as I will never forget the first time I tried them here in London back in 2012,” Luigi recalls. “I could not stop eating them for a whole month! Scones are deceptively simple, yet challenging to perfect, and are certainly the ‘icing on the cake’ of an outstanding afternoon tea experience.” Guests are advised to begin with the warm scones and then progress to the fanciful pastries, the true stars of the meal. The desserts are thoughtfully arranged by richness, complexity, sweetness, and spice levels.
To accompany the superb fare, teas procured from Camellia’s Tea House, a local tea purveyor in London, are available. When asked what teas patrons prefer, Luigi remarks, “Our guests frequently choose Darjeeling tea, enjoying both the spring and summer harvests. Other favourites include the White Apricot and Yuzu Oolong, but the Milk Oolong from Taiwan reigns supreme. Its unique butterscotch and vanilla flavours, coupled with vegetal undertones, consistently enchant our guests.”
Whether you are drawn to the immaculate architecture and stunning interiors the hotel boasts, find it exciting to visit the same haunts as famous dignitaries and celebrities, and/or are enticed by the marvelous afternoon-tea possibilities afforded at this splendid locale anchored by a multitalented tea sommelier, the opportunities for an unforgettable and classically English experience at Hotel Café Royal are seemingly limitless.
Hotel Café Royal’s afternoon tea service is available daily from 12:00 to 5:30 p.m. Visit hotelcaferoyal.com for more information.
