Bloomin’ marvellous: a magical afternoon tea at London’s Kona restaurant

By Behiye Hassan | 19 June 2023 | Food & Drink

Kona, the award-winning restaurant, is one of the latest London destinations to offer an afternoon tea experience… with a whimsical, literary twist

In recent years there’s been a boom in hotels and restaurants embracing the centuries-old tradition of afternoon tea that began when the 7^th Duchess of Bedford fancied a little something to keep her going between lunch and dinner. And today it seems like the world and its wife are all regularly partaking of some afternoon tiffin.

With so many teas to choose from, however, the real challenge is to elevate the experience – which, after all, is essentially finger sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, miniature cakes and tea (lots of tea), all served on whisper-fine crockery, often with a piano tinkling in the background.

Our fancy was tickled when we were invited to The Secret Garden Afternoon Tea, hosted by Kona, the award-winning restaurant within the five-star Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences. Just a scone’s throw from Buckingham Palace, and with a concept inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden, we knew luxury would be assured.

Spoilt for choice

The courtyard at St James’ Court was festooned with gorgeous floral displays, dotted with butterflies, and a stunning flower wall stretching from floor to ceiling. These decorative touches continued inside with red flowers adorning every windowsill, along with copies of The Secret Garden for you to thumb through.

More delights were to come: the china crockery in pastel colours and gold rim – and the paper butterfly that fluttered out of the menu and into your lap when you opened it.

There were three exclusive teas to choose from: Lady Lavender – a full-bodied and fragrant black tea from the Earl Grey family; Dozy Girl, described as an ‘English garden in a cup’ and Summer of love – a fruity green tea (our personal favourite). And for those looking to upgrade their experience, The Secret Garden Gin Distillery has partnered with Kona to deliver three nature-inspired flavoured gins – Lemon Verbena, Apothecary Rose and Lavender and Echinacea.

The first course was utterly enchanting: presented with a wooden box that had ‘Everything is made out of magic’ inscribed on the lid, we were tasked with finding the key to unlock the box. Ours was hidden under the sugar tongs – but it’s different for every customer. And inside the box, a chocolate key nestled within a layer of biscuit ‘soil’ and edible flowers.

Attention to detail

Then it was time for sandwiches and pastries, presented on a gold cake stand with leaf detailing. We were spoilt for choice, with a menu of fresh garden herb roast chicken complemented with a gorgeous lemon mayo; free range egg and garden peas; cucumber, beetroot and basil on tomato bread and – our absolute favourite – oak smoked salmon with avocado and dill cream cheese on scrumptious spinach bread.

If the pastries and cakes looked too good to eat, we bravely persevered: an edible rose with glistening dew drops was gorgeously light and combined tangy raspberry and refreshing lychee perfectly. A mango and lime sponge cake had incredible attention to detail, decorated with edible chocolate butterflies, plus a chocolatey delight in the form of an edible pot with flowers ‘growing’ from it. The most unusual offering was the zesty citrus cream cheese tart with basil – just as delicious as the rest.

It wouldn’t be afternoon tea without the scones. These were presented under a ‘garden mist’ covered domem; when the dome is lifted the mist clears to reveal warm berry scones with clotted cream, mixed jam and honey to drizzle on top.

Leaving this magical garden world to tread the city pavements once more wasn’t easy, but we couldn’t have taken another bite. A tiny niggle? Some more savoury options would have been extra lovely. But for an afternoon tea with a difference, Kona doesn’t disappoint: delicious, inventive – and with a little touch of magic.