The Midsummer Night’s Dream Afternoon Tea at Kona is based on, you guessed it, Shakespeare’s beloved comedy set in the land of fairies. Full of potions and spells, the afternoon tea takes guests through the five acts. Writer Sanjuna Budhani takes a bite from the Bard-inspired spread…
You enter under the archway into 51 Buckingham Gate and enter a microcosm of London history. Cottages from the Elizabethan era, evolving through the reigns of James III and Queen Victoria, were transformed into townhouses that now make up Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences, and St. James’ Court, A Taj Hotel.
Along the pathways that lead to doorways into the past, we were headed to Kona, for an afternoon with Shakespeare.
A Date with Shakespeare
The Midsummer Night’s Dream Afternoon Tea at Kona is based on, you guessed it, Shakespeare’s beloved comedy set in the land of fairies. Full of potions and spells and the ache and haze of love, the afternoon tea takes guests through the five acts.
The attention to detail is seriously impressive. Fairy, mushrooms, and wild flower motifs are in bloom throughout the corridors to the dining area. A diorama of Fairyland, set almost like a shrine, sits resplendent in vivid greens, pinks and purple.
What was even more impressive, is the story crafted behind the afternoon tea. A small potion, Puck’s Mischief, takes us into Fairyland. Made from wild berries and bitters, the small bottle it arrives in with the miniature chalice is such a quirky addition. Every effort is made to draw guests into the whimsical land.
The Curtain Rises
The first act begins, and a love potion arrives. What begins as a milky white concoction, turns purple with a secret addition added by our server (the best way I found to hold the potion chalice, is to place your fingers under the leaves, rather than the stem – just a little tip) pleasantly bittersweet, we sip on the potion as we wait for next act.
Act II, III and IV is what we would consider the traditional afternoon tea, sandwiches, scones and petit fours – but with the added Taj flair. Cucumber sandwiches with orange zested ricotta on beetroot bread, puff pastry and butternut squash hummus, roast chicken with apricot mayo, all classics reinterpreted.
The scones pass the test, easily halved with a gentle pull, soft and buttery. I went for the recommended “Elixir of Enchantment” , a light green tea that continued the forest theme and helped to cut through the richness of the cakes.
The cakes sit atop the top tier, bright and enticing; “The Blood of Pyramus and Thisbe” a perfectly formed berry tart, sweet and creamy, “The Mystical Grove” nutty and zesty, the chocolate cracking satisfactorily. The most intriguing, “The Heart of Love and Confusion” – starts as a rich chocolate ganache and then yields to tropical notes – is unexpected and potentially divisive but plays perfectly to the name.
The Wordrobe Verdict
I could write reams on the minutiae, how the chefs interpreted the comedy and translated it into an afternoon tea experience. But I don’t want to spoil it, it should be experienced.
Make it happen
Where: Kona, Suites and Residencies, 51 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AF
How: Find out more and make a booking via taj51buckinghamgate.co.uk
Words by Sanjuna Budhani, writer
