When gin and afternoon tea are in the same sentence, you already know I’m interested.
When gin and afternoon tea are put in the same title, then I’m there!
The Connaught Hotel had been offering its Gin Afternoon Tea for a while, and it had been firmly sitting on my list of things to try. So, when I gifted a friend a voucher for her birthday, I had a sneaky feeling she’d end up dragging her gin-loving friend along with her. And thankfully, she did.
With an extensive gin list and a dedicated gin bar, I had high hopes for The Connaught, and my god, did they not disappoint. From the moment we arrived, the staff were incredibly welcoming, and the restaurant was beautifully decorated, making it feel like a lovely little treat rather than just another afternoon tea.
The Gin
This is where The Connaught really stood out for me. When we arrived, we were given a menu with a list of gins to choose from and were invited to sit wherever we liked within the restaurant. Now, I’ve been to a few Gin Afternoon Teas before and I’m usually given one gin option, often a house gin or something specifically created for the venue.
Not here! We had around 15–20 different gins to choose from, with each one already paired with a mixer. For someone who loves trying different gins, this was right up my street.
I went for Lumbers Bartholomew Berkshire Dry Gin with Fever-Tree Light Tonic. The flavours were incredible and it was easily one of the best gins I’d tried in a while. Sadly, the distillery is now closed, so it’s unlikely I’ll get the chance to enjoy this particular gin again, which makes discovering it here even more special.
Vicki went for Whitley Neill Peach with Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic. This one was delicious too — fruity, summery and incredibly easy to sip while settling into an afternoon of cake and gossip.
The Afternoon Tea
The Afternoon Tea arrived on a traditional three-tier stand, with each tier bringing something different to the table.
The bottom tier was the savoury selection, with finger sandwiches including Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese, Ham & Tomato and Egg Mayo. Sadly, being the fussiest person when it comes to sandwich fillings, I didn’t touch mine, but Vicki happily stepped in and can confirm they were very nice!
The middle tier is the queen of the tiers in my eyes: the scones. We each had one plain and one fruit scone, served warm with homemade strawberry jam and clotted cream. They had that lovely crispy outside with a soft, fluffy middle, and honestly, warm scones with clotted cream and jam are always going to win me over.
Then we reached the top tier, where my sweet tooth was very happy indeed. There were macarons, Black Forest Gateaux, Victoria Sponge, Lemon Sponge and Chantilly Cream. There was plenty to choose from, but my favourite had to be the Lemon Sponge. Light, zesty and just the sort of little sweet treat I want alongside a gin.
Would I Recommend It? Absolutely. The Gin Afternoon Tea at The Connaught Hotel would make a lovely birthday gift, a special occasion treat or, quite frankly, an excuse to get together with a friend and drink gin in the afternoon.
The fact that you get to choose your own gin from such a good selection makes this stand out from a lot of other Gin Afternoon Teas I’ve tried. Add in warm scones, cakes and a beautifully decorated restaurant and you’ve got a pretty lovely afternoon.
And let’s be honest, if someone wants to buy me another Gin Afternoon Tea voucher, I certainly won’t be complaining!
Price: ££ / Where: 30 West Hill Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 5PH / Phone: 01202 298020 / Website: www.theconnaught.co.uk/
