Royal Afternoon Tea! The Castle Hotel, Windsor

Britain is has been awash with festivities for Her Majesty The Queen's Platinum Jubilee and the Coronation of His Majesty the King in the past few years. The Castle Hotel, located opposite Windsor Castle is the ideal place to enjoy a quintessentially royal pastime of Afternoon tea in the heart of the Pomp & Circumstance!

The hotel is full of nods to it's Royal neighbors, and I loved the quirky additions of corgis, crowns and other items amongst the modern fauna decor of the Leaf Restaurant. Along the front of the hotel, you can  easily feel part of the action of the bustling town & watch the festivities comfortably whilst savouring your afternoon tea in opulence.

Warmly welcomed by staff, we took our seats in the beautiful dining room and it even felt like we were joined by royalty with the artwork! As it was a celebration we decided to start our Afternoon Tea with a glass of sparkling wine from Windsor Great Park before our tea choices.

The loose leaf teas and infusions are provided by Royal Warrant Holder, Darvilles of Windsor who have been supplier to the Palace since 1860. I went for a classic Earl Grey, but there is a plentiful selection to try from including Jasmine, Sencha and a refreshing Strawberry & kiwi infusion to suit all tastes.

I was wowed when the glorious cake stand filled with delectable treats was presented to us. The cake stand itself is a stunning three storey crown!!

We visited for the Jubilee, and the sandwich course had a mixture of classics and Jubilee themed elements. Allergens are considered, as always it's best to info them at time of booking and before the platter was served we were given the opportunity to request any swaps. The classics included two sandwich fingers; a cucumber and hummus on white bread and a free range egg mayo & cress on malted bread.

My favourites were the updated Afternoon tea classics! A Severn & Wye smoked salmon pinwheel with chive cream cheese was served on rye bread with the elegant addition of caviar. The savoury elements were finished with a Jubilee Coronation chicken in a vibrant red wrap.

Scones followed, and you can select from a plain or fruit baked scone each. I went for a fruit scone, which was still warm when I came to enjoy it. You only get 1 scone each, but they are substantial in size and more than enough with berry jam and Cornish clotted cream. We won't get into the argument of which one goes first!

As with all afternoon teas the final course were the beautiful patisseries! Jubilant macaroon sandwiches were a great small start, followed by a light & fluffy royal cupcake with white chocolate Union Jack! The highlight was the extremely delicate Her Majesty's high tea chocolate cup filled with a lemon posset. I have no idea how the chefs are able to get the chocolate tea cup shell as thin as they did without it breaking!! It was wonderfully rich & beautifully balanced by the sharpness of the posset!

To wrap up the afternoon tea experience I was lucky enough to try their 'Platinum' cocktail fit for a Monarch! The elegant cocktail features Tanqueray gin, mastiha liqueur, lemon, sugar, menthe-pastille  and egg white for a foam top. The cocktail was beautifully refreshing and had light sweetness and herbal notes from the mastiha! Luckily the cocktail is a summer special, with a discount, making it a great additional purchase for your day.

There is a Children's afternoon tea version available as well. This includes finger sandwiches, mini fruit scone with cream & jam and chocolate brownie, sweet treats and fruit kebabs. Served up with a hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows to spoil the children for the day as well!

I had such a fabulous time celebrating with a delicious Royal Afternoon Tea at the Castle Hotel that I came away feeling like I had really been a princess for the day!

Cost: £30 per adult & £17.50 per child, advance booking required. Served daily from midday - 5pm.

Time: approximately 1-2 hours.

Nearest Train Station: Windsor & Eton Central or Windsor & Eton Riverside. (Approx. 1 hour from London Waterloo).

Website: The Castle Hotel

Date: May 2022