Feeling in need of something relaxing, revitalising and luxurious after the maelstrom of Christmas and New Year? I’d seriously recommend booking a facial at One Aldwych. I went along to try the new Oskia range of products and spent 75 minutes being totally cossetted. Not before I’d used the spa facilities and enjoyed a wonderful half hour of swimming and floating about in the stunning pool at One Aldwych though. The pool comes complete with a virtual reality sea-life screen and underwater music. You can lounge about by the side of the pool or de-tox a bit in the sauna and steam room. It’s all quite exclusive and really luxurious.
I have to admit, I try my best to avoid drinking cocktails. Exquisite though they are, I struggle to just have one, especially when the weather is hot. But, Bloom Gin is a perfect drink for Summer, with slightly sweet, floral notes and the concept of a set of cocktails to reflected the floral botanicals was just too hard to turn down.
Each cocktail aims to reflect the delicate botanical notes of honeysuckle, chamomile and pomelo, while the contemporary elegance of the Lobby Bar at One Aldwych reflects the concept with a fabulous installation by Mark Siredzuk of foxtail lilies, almond twigs, lavender and chamomile flowers.
There are four cocktails on offer and between the two of us we managed to try all of them.
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January 18, 2015 - Sunny London Just how delicious is the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Afternoon Tea at One Aldwych Hotel in London? Well… Hold your breath. Make a wish. Count to three… Come with me… and you’ll be in a world of imagination. When I walked in to One Aldwych Hotel, I had no idea what to expect. I have seen both Chocolate Factory movies years ago. However, I didn’t realise how popular Roald Doahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is in England, until I moved here last year. In America, the films Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory are cult classics, but they don’t really receive much more attention than that. Mr. Sunny, however, spent many childhood Christmas days watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I hear it’s a traditional Christmas Day movie for kids to watch in the UK. Sadly, Mr. Sunny had to work the day of my afternoon tea, so I invited my mother in law to join me. Prior to going, I asked Mr. Sunny to tell me about his favourite scene. His response, ‘When that gum chewing American girl eats too much, turns blue and rolls away.’ Hmmmm. I made sure to leave my gum at home the day I took my golden ticket to my London chocolate factory. My mother in law and I began the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Afternoon Tea with very adult drinks. She chose the glass of Lallier Grand Reserve Champagne. I was eager to have the Charlie Cocktail. This berry fun drink whisked in front of me like a smoking cauldron of temptation. Just how I would imagine it would be served in a magical chocolate factory. We giggled at our ‘Fizzy Lifting Drinks’ in our imaginary Bubble Room. The actual setting of this spectacular event is the One Aldwych Hotel Lobby Bar. It’s airy, modern and colorful.
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After waiting for over a month, I finally tried out the Afternoon Tea Inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, at One Aldwych.
Making our way down the stairs, we were then shown to our cosy little table at the far end, the back of our menus with a different picture of the different characters from the classic tale - mine had the Teevee Family, whilst he got the more gluttonous Gloop Family.
We both ordered the Cocktail Charlie, made with Dalmore whisky mixed with Luxardo Cherry Sangue Morlacco, chocolate bitters, grapefruit juice and cherry syrup. And then topped with champagne - because everything tastes better with champagne...
These came served in transparent glass teapots, a bright pink liquid bubbling away with a magical cloud of vapour above it. Fancy.
They also had a selection of award-winning loose leaf teas and infusions from Covent Garden's Tea Palace, from which we both went for the Jewelled Apple - a black tea with wild strawberry leaves, caramel and real apple pieces.
The first dish to arrive was a plate of sandwiches and savoury bites. I really liked the smoked salmon sandwich, but my favourite amongst them was most probably the roast beef with grain mustard mayonnaise. The bread was a really dark brown, that it did look like some sort of chocolate cake/bread! His favourite was the leek and stilton quiche tart, which was rich and creamy with a crisp pastry case.
I smiled with excitement as the array of sweet treats were laid before us.
We started off with the scones whilst they were still nice and warm, followed by the petite cocoa bean financiers (coated in gold glitter dust!). There were also a couple of blueberry brioche that I did find a bit dry.
We picked away on our sticks of candy floss, which brought back some sweet childhood memories of eating candy floss at funfairs. Eton mess is always a favourite crowd-pleasing dessert, which was light and sweet. We were quite full towards the end, but just about managed to scoop up the final mouthfuls of creamy vanilla cheesecake, took a few nibbles of the chocolate egg, and washed it all down with the chocolate caramel milk.
Overall, it was indeed a sweet and fun afternoon tea experience, and definitely one for the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fans out there.
Check out my blog for the full post with photos x
Have you always wanted to secretly be Veruca Salt or Violet Beauregarde? At the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Afternoon Tea you can truly get a taste of what it may have been like to enter Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. The afternoon tea (which I had gluten free) is truly a sugary and fun experience for adults. I have a full review and tons of pictures on my blog 'Sunny in London.' I'd highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the films or musical theatre production. The service, ambiance and food quality are excellent, and the tea is truly a creative themed afternoon tea in London. A Golden Ticket- for sure!
This is my favourite bar--the champagne cocktails are dangerously wonderful!
Nowhere is better for indulging in a bit of luxury while sipping a cocktail and chatting with friends. Relaxing and fun.
Went here on an impulse and or of curiosity with friends for an after theatre drinks... found it very inviting and cosy. Staff are very welcoming and friendly. Drinks on the other hand are on the expensive side but worth a try once especially their perfume oriented cocktails. Would recommend the London Poppy
Very well made cocktails in a hotel lobby bar. Top notch service. The bar atmosphere and decor is a little sterile though. Perhaps better for a corporate meeting rather than a night out with friends. Pricey.
Great cocktail bar! We went for the Arizona Bloom and London Poppy cocktails and they were amazing!
Nice hotel bar with a good choice of cocktails. Staff were friendly and helpful and even managed to give me a table half an hour earlier than I had booked, as I arrived early.
I came for a kir royal in the early hours of the morning. It was excellent as was the dessert that the bar was kind enough to bring me as an order from a different menu. It was on New Year's Eve last year and I was staying at their hotel, which had been closed to non-hotel guests much to my joy as it meant it was a pleasant experience with no rowdy drinkers. I love everything about this hotel and hope it will re-open soon. But for now, I will post this review and hope that you'll enjoy a trip to this bar (or stay at this hotel) as much as I did.
Came here with a group for some birthday drinks. Obviously the location is brilliant, as was the service. The bar is spacious and has good atmosphere without being too loud; it's not one of those bars where you struggle to hold a conversation. They're particularly known for their cocktails, which may be a bit pricey (although certainly no more than you might expect for a London hotel of this calibre), but the selection is broad and inventive, and all the ones we tried were absolutely excellent. The only questionable thing was the decor... I'm no art critic, but the huge piece we were sitting next to was poorly put together and felt very incongruous in such an otherwise gorgeous space. Still... It's a small complaint, and it didn't stop us having a great evening there. Would definitely recommend the place for a special occasion.
Had amazing pre dinner cocktails, our server Aldrich made great recommendations on our choices. Would come back. Relaxed but luxury atmosphere.
I have been there yesterday with my friend for a couple of drinks. Beautifull place. Service was impeccable. Both servers very friendly, wearing masks.
We ordered also small burgers which were very tasty and chips so delicious.
We will be back for sure.
Great cocktails and service with a nice chilled atmosphere!
Very nice place. and good cocktails. We had once problem with the service (very slow service at the bar ) but Noemi in the end fixed the problem! She really made our night much more pleasant
Perfect positioned for many of the theatres and also in the heart of Covent Garden. The Hotel itself was great and the staff were really helpful. Couldn't fault my stay at all! The afternoon tea looked pretty cool too!
One of my go to meeting places in London. Great drinks, service and atmosphere.
The Lobby Bar at One Aldwych is a fantastic place to sit and enjoy a cocktail or two! The staff are always friendly and the cocktails are always amazing! I would definitely recommend The Lobby Bar at One Aldwych whether you are staying in the hotel or just want to enjoy a fine drink in an amazing atmosphere!
Great place to meet up for pre dinner/theatre drinks. Cocktails are great, and table space arranged well so that you can have a private conversation without raising your voice.
Great cocktails beyond the standard offers, very attentive and friendly staff.
went to the lobby to celebrate my grandsons 21st, the staff made this a very special night for him, great cocktails, and lovely venue and staff
The superior quality of the service and the uniqueness of the cocktails, makes this London pearl my favourite location for a relaxing and elegant evening out. TOP
Absolutely impeccable. An utter delight!
Food was amazing. Gluten & Dairy free on all food on the menu. Would highly recommend. Worth the price we paid.
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