A Winter Walk with Bon Prix

Life: my birthday afternoon tea at Creams

Whilst I sit figuring out just how fast the weeks go by, I'm also still swooning over my second afternoon tea experience last Saturday. You may have seen me mention on my previous Sky Lounge post that I was heading off for another belly full (literally) as a birthday treat and that I would follow up with my comparison. Well - as lovely as the bloggers' day out was, the beautiful Creams complex beat it by a mile.

Hidden away in The Core shopping centre (the one place that nobody really goes) stands a stunning tearoom that certainly brightens up the entire presence and makes a place with just a Burger King and a Subway less dull, more glamourised and certainly shows up the ordinary. Creams' ethos of sophistication offers a high class experience of 'British luxury' and the touch of elegance shone through instantly as soon as we walked into the stunning setting. Guided to our reserved table in front of big windows, I couldn't help admire the crystal chandeliers, piano playing soothing music, classy decor and my beloved marble tables. But the only thing on my mind was the appetising food I caught a glimpse of at the continuously filled tables as I strolled past. I was hungry - and ready to order!

Reading the menu at our own leisure, my mum, grandma and I opted for the traditional British afternoon tea, whilst my (complicated and photo hating) brother took a step into the different side of things and chose the Eastern Afternoon Tea to tuck into gracefully without making a mess in this exquisite (the clumsiness of myself in partciular would be quick to ruin the tidy layout). 

Our delightful British Afternoon Tea presented on a three tier platter consisted of a selection of sandwiches, scones served with clotted cream and a small jar of jam, and an incredibly generous and mouth watering choice of cakes (perfect for those with a sweet tooth). The sandwiches - salmon, tuna, chicken, egg mayo, and cheese were all dished out on cute little circles of malted bread. The scones - still warm and freshly baked, embedded with sultanas, were without a doubt the best I've ever tasted. They were the perfect consistency and melted in the mouth within one bite. The desserts - vanilla and chocolate cupcakes, a caramel/fudge cheescake tart, and several flavours of the ever so famous Instagram-worthy macarons were ah-mazing. Once again, I was full to the point I couldn't move but my expectations were highly matched and met indeed. As you can see, I enjoyed every bit!

The Eastern Afternoon Tea was made up of a 'naanwich' comprising of a choice of chicken, tandoori, kebabs or falafel & halloumi, a samosa with salad and garnish, and another whole load of cakes to finish off the meal. My brother ventured for a lamb kebab with help from the ever so wonderful staff and seemed to devour it all - even turning red (you could almost see the steam) as he took a bite into the spicy samosa. Allowing a range of afternoon tea options was something I particularly loved - offering a diverse and unique selection fit to meet the needs of everyone and to indulge in with ease.

As we polished off every last bit of our divine three course, the tune of the piano suddenly changed to the familiar happy birthday melody. Although my birthday wasn't until the next day, this was a strange coincidence and I slowly started to realise two smiling waiters were heading my way with a complimentary cupcake and candle with a drizzle of chocolate spelled greeting. Trying to avoid all awkwardness of all eyes on me (and failing badly) I went along and thanked the gift brought to me. Only this time, I was the person with the red face. 

The service we received in Creams came arm in arm with the entire lavishing vibe and immaculate surroundings; stylish, relaxed dining with superior staff whom pampered me as though I was royalty. Every individual member of staff was friendly, attentive and efficient. Everything we requested, they followed. They made us feel so welcomed, kindly gave us birthday discount, parceled up our left over cupcakes in beautiful pink boxes and even pleasantly and talkatively said goodbye with a formal handshake. It's obvious just how much hard work is put in to make it the best, specialised visit for every customer and you can see just how passionate they were to ensure this happens.

Eventually (and unfortunately) our time came to head off and complete our family day out with some shopping. Of course, I couldn't leave without being in awe of (and eventually purchasing courtesy of my darling mum and her birthday buying) a box of colourful macarons wrapped up in a personalised light green Creams bag with ribbon to secure. This meant on the way out I didn't only feel like a queen, but I was also in cake and patisserie heaven. The entrance and the enthralling pudding counter was a dream for someone who enjoys taking pretty pictures and I definitely got snap happy with the macaron towers.

I honestly can't fault Creams and their distinctive identity and branding. They have every inch of detail carefully planned down to a tee to provide nothing but a memorable and savouring service. It's a definite 5 stars and I highly recommend for those who love the home of luxury. I had such a lovely afternoon and I can't wait to head back there sometime soon. I think it'd be the ideal place for another blogger meet up! 

Thank you to everyone at Creams for making my birthday weekend a fabulous one!

Bridie x

Life: bloggers' afternoon tea at the Sky Lounge Leeds

To end May in style, I headed off to a bloggers afternoon tea last month at the Sky Lounge situated on the 13th floor (with one hell of a view) at the DoubleTree by Hilton. Being in the company of the local bloggers, and meeting some new faces, is always my favourite place to be. Our many girly, and often food and cocktail intoxicated trips out have proven the best kind of people are those you click with instantly and it helps sharing the same interests (ie. the nod of approval for photographing everything in sight because they'll be doing the exact same).

This was my first time here and I was pleasantly surprised by the dainty location, situated on the Granary Wharf with beautiful watersides and selection of restaurants. It's become a new found love for me, discovering those quirky, quaint food hide outs which win at curing hunger just by reading the menu and admiring the setting both indoors and outdoors. So once I whizzed up to the top floor to the Sky Lounge I knew I was in for a treat.

To start off the celebratory nibbles heading our way I instead politely asked if I was able to have a hot chocolate in place of coffee or tea because being the awkward individual I am, I don't like either. But by god am I glad I made this swift decision as it was definitely the most appetizing hot chocolate I've had in a while and it was the start of something great!

As the metal stack filled with delicious treats was brought to the table of nine (and after we'd all photographed the food as eating before snapping up a few pictures based in the correct angle is like the rule of being a dedicated blogger and fellow Instagrammer!) I couldn't help but think these half segments aren't going to fill my demanding tummy... but how wrong I was! By the end of each given snack, I was absolutely stuffed and couldn't even manage the rest of my scone (if you know me, you'll know I must have been full to turn down some home baking!).

I haven't ever been to a proper afternoon tea before (I know, I'm certainly missing out) so I can't compare to any other satisfying taste-bud provider but I can honestly say I loved the range of choice within the servings at the Sky Lounge. It was what you call the traditional kind, a proper British spoonful. For the mains we were given three choice of sandwiches; Parmesan ham on a crusty bread, soft cheese and cucumber in wholemeal bread and the extremely fishy salmon and prawn sandwiches which I narrowly avoided (as hard as I try, I just can't warm to any type of fish). For the 'middle' order, there were tarts and scones, and finally the dessert kind with a choice of brownies topped with a strawberry, sponge cake and profiteroles. They even supplied us with a gluten free option for a couple of the girls. It's safe to say the desserts were what finished me off. Greed took over my natural sense and I consumed so much sugar you could almost see it swimming around hesitating whether to digest and add a few unwanted pounds to this supposed summer bod. However, they were all insanely good. In particular the cake and brownie. Albeit a little dry, you could instantly tell it was all freshly made at first bite.

Where we were sat on a put together large table, we had a first hand birds eye view of the city which was lovely and weirdly relaxing. I've never really thought of Leeds having a touristy skyline (aside from the visible train station) but it could pass as the ideal backdrop for gazing into and pretending you're in a movie until you snap out of the moment and realise where you are. 

Before we left (and after we'd chatted and giggled our way to de-bloating) we then admired the other side of the building, on an open balcony which probably isn't used to its advantage enough due to the shocking temperamental summer we have in this country. It was hard to capture the view from this corner with only a 35mm lens on hand but, beside the clouds, as an end to a wonderful day, Laura whipped out the selfie stick to capture that finalised moment and I think she did a pretty good job.

For my first afternoon tea experience, I really enjoyed it. At £15 per person I think it's an affordable price for a nice afternoon out with great basic food. The staff were friendly, helpful and patient with our indecisive minds (must be the blogger brain) and I'd definitely go back there. This weekend it's my birthday and as a planned trip to York is out of the question (once again, due to the weather ruining everything) I'm paying another afternoon tea location a visit so it will be interesting for me to check out and compare.

Thanks to Dei for organising this lovely day out!

Have you ever had afternoon tea?

Bridie x