A Little Rock ‘n’ Roll

A quintessentially British hotel since 1892 The Gore London is the epitome of authentic elegance.

Built as a serviced residence for visitors to London’s Great Exhibition, under the patronage of Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, it welcomed guests who wanted to stay in the heart of “the most fashionable area of the city”, that is to say in the houses at 189 and 190 Queen’s Gate, which form The Gore today.

In 1968, the Rolling Stones picked the hotel for the launch party of their Beggars Banquet album, and to this day The Gore’s Bar 190 still pays homage to the event, and so it seemed only fitting when event planners La Fête partnered with The Gore to bring guests an afternoon tea with a difference – The Rock ‘n’ Roll Afternoon Tea, drawing inspiration from legendary artists including The Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses, Queen and David Bowie among others.

This unique afternoon tea is aesthetically fabulous, the attention to detail is amazing and we couldn’t wait to see if the tastes were just as delightful.

Served in the restaurant (190 Queen’s Gate), we were seated in a cosy corner surrounded by Regal colours of blues, reds and gold, dark wooden furniture and a chandelier that sparkled more than the crown jewels!

Savoury and sweet arrive together, a rainbow of colours served on a glass platter, dotted with vinyl record discs, guitar spoons and a mini drum kit taking centre stage – creativity is definitely in abundance here.

Starting with the savoury delights all appropriately named ‘The Woodstock’(a mini chipolata hot dog), ‘The ‘Popping’ Stones’ (Paprika popcorn) and ‘Queens of Noise’ (a smoked salmon sandwich & chilli and avocado sandwich), an amazing selection so thoughtfully put together in presentation and taste.

The sweet selection was just as impressive with an array of delicately designed treats that included ‘Goodbye Ziggy’ (a divine chocolate ganache cake), ‘The Lizard King’ (a mango and chocolate mousse that was a zesty mouth-watering treat and definitely my favourite), ‘Whisky A Go Go’ (mini madeleine with whiskey ganache and chocolate heart, served on a guitar shaped spoon), ‘Sweet ‘Choux’ O’ Mine’(Choux pastry filled with raspberry cream and topped with a chocolate guitar, another genius treat).

Finally, the scones, but of course these aren’t ordinary scones they’re titled ‘Under Pressure’ referring to Queen and David Bowie’s iconic pairing on the 1981 hit song and what a delicious pairing it was, scones, jam and cream.

Not only is the Rock ‘n’ Roll afternoon tea a real feast for your taste buds, it’s also a feast for your eyes, creative and vibrant and so definitely worth tasting.