Afternoon Tea: Alice in Wonderland Style

As the weather slowly started to feel crisp and turn to Autumn, a warm cup of tea felt like a great way to spend an afternoon. I'd heard of an Alice in Wonderland themed afternoon tea at the Sanderson Hotel in Fitzrovia. I mentioned it to my friend Jenn and she was just as excited as me. We grabbed a reservation and prepared ourselves to 'go down the rabbit hole.'

Look at us in our trenches. We've embraced the London weather.

Photo bomb from the wait staff!

Everything about the table created a whimsical atmosphere from the dishes to the tea pots.

Cutlery was wrapped in a riddle. Mine read: 'At night they come without being fetched. By day they are gone without being stolen. What are they?'

Answer: the Stars of course!

The teas were exotic mixes of sweet flavors. I went with the lovely strawberries and cream. It smelled and tasted heavenly.

Our sugar even came in jewelry boxes! I had that exact one when I was little. It played the little song and everything.

The tray of savory and sweet treats finally arrived. It was a sight to see.

My favorite part, the 'drink me' potion that was a mix of coconut cream, passionfruit and mango puree. It really made the experience. I loved this afternoon tea. Definitely worth a trip there.

It was dark by the time we left. Yes, London gets dark early now. I'm adjusting!

Meatopia!

I have a new London post for you! Back in September, a friend had an extra ticket to Meatopia, which is exactly what is sounds like: meat galore. I happily said yes and headed over to the East side of London with an empty stomach.

When you arrive you buy 'meat bucks' to trade in at each table to get a dish. I collected a handful and we set off to explore.

The venue, the Tobacco Docks, was beautiful. Partly covered and part open air, it was the perfect place for bbqs and meat smokers.

We started off with Comte burgers from Tommi's Burgers in London. The chef gave us vouchers for a free meal at his restaurant. I can't wait to cash in.

We then headed down to Sailor Jerry's bar for a cocktail and popped into the photo booth.

This taco was amazing: a BBQ whole slow cooked goat taco from Smokehouse. I loved dish so much.

This dish was from the famous Duck & Waffle "Hara Bhara Lamb Cutlets." Really hard to eat but good. You just had to pick it up by the bone and take a bite.

Randomly, Sarah got handed a black truffle. We all oohed and ahhed.

After several samples, we all took a meat break and headed to the bar for 'pickle back' shots. I found out I'm not a fan.

There were some dessert tables as well. The Crisy Club had a 'Dead Elvis' option.  It was a banana jam, peanut butter and candied bacon rice krispy. Brilliant.

And last but not least, the BEST dish of the day. The Chef was Beau Myers from Almost Famous. Sadly they don't have a London restaurant. The line wrapped around the corner. Apparently everyone else knew this was the place to eat at as well.

The sliders were called the 'Famous Breakfast Club Burger.' It was a luscious burger with spicy jack cheese, bourbon brined pork collars and topped with a maple glaze and honey nut 'beerios.'

That's my, "Oh my God that's a good burger' face. I am not ashamed that I got back in line and had a second one. It was worth the wait!

Here's the chef himself. I told him he needs to open a shop in London, asap!

After a fun day at the fest we headed over to the always fun Borough Market to toast off the weekend with a cider. I can't wait to do it again next year!