Afternoon Tea at The Salt Room

There has been a lot of buzz surrounding The Salt Room recently. Not only has the acclaimed seafood restaurant just celebrated its second birthday and been named in the Sunday Times Top 100, they also recently launched a rather unique Afternoon Tea experience.

Yes you know, the one with the candy floss that we’ve all been lusting over on Instagram! So you can imagine I pinched myself a few times when I received an invite to pop along and try the Afternoon Tea for myself.*

Inspired by the seaside

Known for fine seafood and locally sourced ingredients, Afternoon Tea at The Salt Room was never going to be conventional.  Taking inspiration from our beautiful seaside, it’s full of quirks and twists on High Tea classics.

Bubbles and G&Tea

Afternoon Tea options are priced per person,  depending on your poison:

• JING Tea or Roasted Bean Co. Coffee – £24.95
• JING Flowering Tea – £26.95
• East London Liquor Company G&T – £29.95
• Taittinger Champagne – £34.95

Drawn in by the option of a tea infused twist on a Tom Collins, I opted for a G&Tea, whilst Brandon went for a glass of Taittinger. The G&Tea was incredibly pretty, and went down as easily as a pink lemonade on a sunny afternoon. Brandon’s champagne was perfect, and definitely too easy to drink!

Savoury

As with all Afternoon Teas, we began with a savoury tier. Unlike your traditional sandwiches however, The Salt Room offer a choice of four from the following: Crab Scotch Egg, Rockefeller Oyster, Truffled Grilled Cheese, Salmon & Squid Ink Bun, and Aged Beef Tartare & Egg Yolk Jam Sandwich. We ordered the first four and sat eyeing up everyone else’s food whilst we waited.

Rockefeller oyster

My first ever oyster, I’d been nervous and excited to try this.  The Rockefeller oyster was baked, with a lemon and parsley crumb topping, and I was surprised at how pleasant it was! See my “this is actually pretty good!” face below:

Truffled grilled cheese, crab scotch egg and salmon & squid ink

We dived in to the grilled cheese next, and it was as heavenly as I’d hoped. Soft, melty cheese with truffled honey and caramelised onions sandwiched between crispy grilled bread, I could happily have eaten several more of these.

I had to hand over the crab scotch egg to Brandon, as I don’t like eggs. But not before spearing some breaded crab to satisfy my curiosity! I was gutted too, as it tasted gorgeous, the soft and slightly salty meat working perfectly with the crumbed outer. This was Brandon’s favourite savoury treat by a mile off.

The salmon and squid ink bun was certainly impressive to look at, and nicely seasoned with peppery rocket and a citrusy dressing. However, the salmon itself lacked flavour somewhat, which was slightly disappointing overall.

Scones and sweet treats

The middle tier carried a warm miniature scone each with butter, clotted cream and strawberry and elderflower jam. I almost fell off my chair when Brandon said he’d never eaten a fruit scone before, although he’s certainly convinced now. This jam was possibly the tastiest I’ve ever had and I keep thinking back to it even now.

Now for the crowning jewels. The final tier was topped with pistachio and raspberry battenberg, rhubarb and custard macaroons, chocolate pebbles, orange and yuzu posset and, of course, the candy floss.

Our waitress, Samantha, recommended leaving the posset until last due to its sharp flavours. We followed suit and started with the battenberg. This was a favourite of mine, and the flavours complemented the marzipan brilliantly. The pistachio was more pronounced than the raspberry for me, but the fresh fruit on top injected the sharpness I was looking for.

Whilst pretty and delicate in appearance, neither of us got rhubarb and custard from the macaroon. It was light and airy as a macaroon should be, but we didn’t get on with the flavour. I also noticed they were missing the strips of rhubarb I’ve seen from other people’s recent experiences, which was a shame.

Next, the chocolate pebbles. These were wonderfully indulgent; sweet on the outside, with a dark and silky middle.

After a little breather, we picked up our candy floss and relived a childhood moment of getting it stuck to all parts of our faces. It was a quirky touch, and definitely provided some humour! Looking around the restaurant, we saw many people getting into sticky predicaments and enjoying themselves.

Finally we reached the posset, which was not only beautiful to look at, but tasted divine. Held within a delicate meringue cup, the sharp and creamy posset ended the tea perfectly. The only downside was that mine did not survive our sitting well, and the cup had fallen apart by the time I reached it.

Third place?

For a bustling restaurant, The Salt Room manages to create a tranquil and luxurious atmosphere. With its bright, wide windows running along one wall, it’s easy to get lost watching the world go by.

The unique Afternoon Tea was a very special and indulgent dining experience. With stunning food, both in presentation and taste, and perfect service from the attentive staff, I would highly recommend it as a celebratory treat or gift!

Now that I’ve savoured some of The Salt Room’s finest treats, I’m more keen than ever to get back there for dinner. Have you had a chance to visit The Salt Room yet?

Check them out on Instagram for some swoon worthy food pics.

*I was invited to try the Afternoon Tea experience, so did not pay on this occasion. However! You can be assured, as always, that my opinions are entirely honest and my own.