On my birthday, my family treated me to 'Afternoon Tea by the Sea' at the Hycliff hotel, a grand old building part of the Marriott franchise overlooking Bournemouth pier and surrounding coastline. We all dressed up for the occasion and despite the weather being a little on the grey side, we excitedly took in the views as we entered the hotel.
As a hotel guest you are entitled to free parking in the hotel car park by registering your registration number at reception. Afternoon tea was located in the high grill bar on the ground floor of the hotel, with panoramic views of bournemouth beach and the crashing waves.
The afternoon tea menu consisted of the standard high tea components, complete with a selection of assorted finger sandwiches, a combination of plain and fruit scones with clotted cream and jam and a small variety of cakes and puddings. Options of Pimm's, champagne and other hot drinks were also available on request.
We opted for one tier of scones, cakes and sandwiches which would usually be recommended for two people, but judging by the size of other people's portions, we thought better of it! In my experience, afternoon tea is always much more food than you think, and the sweet definitely outweighs the savoury!
After the food and drinks arrived though, we did order another couple of fresh scones, just to be on the safe side!
The lounge area of the bar was well decorated with lavish decor and ornate furnishings with a modern twist. As part of a chain, I did think the interior did lack a bit of character, but it felt welcoming nonetheless. Service was okay, however a large party arrived just after we did which perhaps explained why the waitress tending to us was a little preoccupied at times. We were relaxed so this didn't effect us too much.
Now, I hate to give a bad review but the sandwiches were nothing special, which is surprising but I guess at £16 per person, not at the top end of the spectrum as far as afternoon tea goes. The scones were delicious, especially the plain scones, as they were freshly made and still warm from the oven.
After ploughing my way through the huge scone and several sandwiches, I was already short of room for cake, so allowed myself a breather, calling dibs on my preferred choice - it was my birthday after all! The cake choices were Vanilla, Blackberry and Apple 'Crumble', White Chocolate and Lemon Verbena Cones, Dark Chocolate and Coffee Gateaux Opera, and Lemon, Bloom Gin and Thyme Drizzle cake. The gateaux opera cake was by far my favourite. I'm not usually a coffee lover, but the cake only had a small hint of coffee and was pure indulgence. Thank goodness it was only a miniature! The blackberry and apple crumble was a hit with my parents, it was light and probably the better choice on an already full stomach. We asked for the remaining cakes to be boxed up to take home with us, so nothing went to waste.
Overall, it was a very pleasant afternoon. The scones definitely won it for me, and the lovely views over the sea. I think if I went back for afternoon tea at Hycliff Marriott, I'd order a plate of scones and a large pot of tea. The cake selection was good, but not great, so worth noting if you're after lavish patisserie style cakes. I can only imagine the coastline views on a sunny summers day must be to die for, so maybe even worth visiting for a glass of bubbles and watch the world go by!
Where is your favourite place to go for afternoon tea?
Kate xo
Now, I hate to give a bad review but the sandwiches were nothing special, which is surprising but I guess at £16 per person, not at the top end of the spectrum as far as afternoon tea goes. The scones were delicious, especially the plain scones, as they were freshly made and still warm from the oven.
After ploughing my way through the huge scone and several sandwiches, I was already short of room for cake, so allowed myself a breather, calling dibs on my preferred choice - it was my birthday after all! The cake choices were Vanilla, Blackberry and Apple 'Crumble', White Chocolate and Lemon Verbena Cones, Dark Chocolate and Coffee Gateaux Opera, and Lemon, Bloom Gin and Thyme Drizzle cake. The gateaux opera cake was by far my favourite. I'm not usually a coffee lover, but the cake only had a small hint of coffee and was pure indulgence. Thank goodness it was only a miniature! The blackberry and apple crumble was a hit with my parents, it was light and probably the better choice on an already full stomach. We asked for the remaining cakes to be boxed up to take home with us, so nothing went to waste.
Overall, it was a very pleasant afternoon. The scones definitely won it for me, and the lovely views over the sea. I think if I went back for afternoon tea at Hycliff Marriott, I'd order a plate of scones and a large pot of tea. The cake selection was good, but not great, so worth noting if you're after lavish patisserie style cakes. I can only imagine the coastline views on a sunny summers day must be to die for, so maybe even worth visiting for a glass of bubbles and watch the world go by!
Where is your favourite place to go for afternoon tea?
Kate xo
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