Staff at Kona, at Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences, are offering an extraordinary imaginative afternoon tea full of surprises for the discerning palate.
The offering takes inspiration from The Secret Garden, a novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in 1911.
The story revolves around an unloved 10-year-old girl, born in British India to wealthy British parents who never wanted her and made an effort to ignore her.
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Sent to live with an uncle in England she soon finds a secret garden and her life improves.
This tea at Kona is a joyous thing.
The tables are immaculately laid out with white tablecloths and China crockery.
As my friend and I opened our menu, a mechanical butterfly flew out, surprising us both.
The mysterious journey we were undertaking began with a locked box to open up.
Inside hidden within a buttery, biscuitty crumble was a rich, chewy chocolate feuilletine in the shape of a key.
We had not yet been given a drink and such sweetness was thirsty work.
A glass of Apothecary Rose arrived straight from The Secret Garden Gin Distillery.
This was soon followed by a Lady lavender tea, a fragrant black tea from the Earl Grey family, which would have been deliciously light if the teabag hadn't been left to stew too long.
The sandwiches were a savoury delight.
The free-range egg and sweet pea mousse on fluffy white bread was light, while the garden herb roast chicken with creamy lemon mayonnaise was not too heavy.
The oak smoked salmon, avocado and dill cream cheese on spinach flavoured bread was silky smooth, with the avocado complimenting and enhancing the fish.
The cucumber, beetroot and basil butter on tomato bread offered a refreshing crunch.
The cakes were as visually charming as shrubs of rhododendrons and bougainvillea.
They were also a sweet explosion on the taste buds.
The raspberry ganache with a white chocolate crunch encased in a rose and lychee mousse was pure sugar, while the moist olive oil and lime cake with a mango ganache tasted like a garden in full bloom.
The tart baked with basil almond cream and topped with a mandarin citrus cream cheese was divine and a flowerpot entirely made from chocolate, chocolate mousse, brownies, crumble and white chocolate flowers were a real marvel to behold, although neither of us could finish it by then. However, there was more to come.
An early morning mist revealed mixed berry scones with a choice of elderflower oil or honey and oodles of clotted cream and mixed jam.
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A hot summer's day can really fill the senses if surrounded by the bounty of nature, and you'll leave here similarly satiated.
Afternoon tea starts at £75 per person.
Address: 51 Buckingham Gate, Westminster SW1E 6AF
Website: taj51buckinghamgate.co.uk
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