The newly-opened Madeleine Salon at The Grand Hotel is serving up a truly spectacular afternoon tea, including a glass of Champagne, for just £29 per person.
Served from 1pm to 5pm, Wednesday to Saturday – afternoon tea lovers can now book in and indulge in a beautiful afternoon tea experience at The Grand Hotel. Located in Birmingham City Centre, Madeleine wants to be known as a place everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re staying at the hotel, or want to drop in for cocktails with friends, it has an ‘exclusive’ feel, boasting a glamorous setting that is perfect for celebrations, special occasions, and date nights. Equally, it’s has a relaxed enough environment for parent’s with children who want a bite to eat – and for groups of friends wanting to dine like royalty. Basically at The Grand Hotel, you can experience the best of both worlds and is definitely a place to take advantage of.
The plush pink chairs are gorgeous and it was so refreshing to just sit back, relax and sip on a coffee undisturbed on a calm Thursday afternoon. It wasn’t made abundantly clear that my lattes weren’t included in the price and came at an extra charge of £3.50 each at the end. So just a note to double check if you want something other than filter coffee or a standard pot of tea. The food is accompanied by a hot drink of your choice (tea, coffee and speciality teas available.) A glass of Champagne comes as standard and non-alcoholic cocktails can also be requested.
The decor is airy. Impressive double-height windows, glittering chandeliers, and rich furnishings make it beautifully enticing. Service is speedy and the staff are chatty and attentive. It’s not pretentious in any way and staff seem genuinely happy to answer any questions. If you have any concerns about the menu, they can be answered for you, no question is too silly. Once the afternoon tea arrives, you’re drawn into the three tiers of sweet treats, and the sandwiches arrive on a separate plate. Enjoy tucking into a selection of thick finger slices including: egg & cress, cheese & onion and coronation chicken.
It’s hard not to stare longingly at the tiers that consist of beautiful cakes and fancies. The chocolate milk chocolate and praline mousse with hazelnut is by far the most indulgent item on the menu. Balancing the bitterness of the chocolate, the lemon classic tarte au citron with white chocolate, lemon glaze is a taste sensation. The strawberry choux pastry, crème patisserie with strawberry compote and craquelin is delightful, but was my least favourite of the three.
The final course of home-made petite scones are served with jam and clotted cream. They’re fruity, warm and sure to hit your sweet spot. I gave some feedback at the end suggesting the jam and cream would do well to come with individual serving spoons. We had to use our own cutlery to scoop from the same pot – and owing to the current restrictions, some people may be funny about that. It was mentioned that any feedback at this stage is welcome, and I thought the overall experience was impressive.
It was a truly satisfying (and relaxing!) visit and we didn’t once feel rushed. I will no doubt be returning for another afternoon tea with family and friends. It’s a relief to know they are super happy to hear feedback as they continue to promote food offerings over the coming months. Launching on June 24 is their other restaurant – Issac’s – a NYC brasserie located on the bottom floor.
Vegan afternoon teas – £29.00 and Children’s afternoon teas – £19.00 are also available. For occasions when you want to get together with more than six people, The Grand has some lovely private rooms, including the Horton Bar. Book your table via The Grand Hotel website.
This post is not sponsored and I paid in full for all food and drinks.
Find them: The Grand Hotel Birmingham, Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2BS