Prêt-à-Portea at The Berkeley Hotel

From Harper’s Bazaar to The Telegraph to Vogue and beyond, everyone is raving about the fashionista tea hosted by the Berkeley Hotel in London’s upscale Knightsbridge area. Oftentimes when I hear an excessive amount of praise, particularly by the media, I become hesitant. This hesitance vanished when I began reading bits and pieces of the menu.  Shoe cookies inspired by Alexander McQueen, cakes inspired by one of Moschino’s most recent collections, Dolce & Gabbana inspired panacotta….it really is just as amazing as it sounds.  The best part?  You can keep asking for more!  Want to know how much of a glutton I am?  I went through several rounds and asked for a fresh set to go.  How cute is the display?  Even the menus and take away boxes are fantastic.

I somehow attempted to justify my gorge eating by walking everywhere.  Honestly, it probably didn’t cancel out, but it was well worth it.

The Carmel Room’s staff is incredibly accommodating and courteous, and the ambiance gives off both a tradition elegance and modern funk.  It was an incredible experience, and I deem it a must-do for anyone living or traveling to the city.  One thing I should caution you on is the price.  It is not cheap, so if you fast beforehand, you can get your money’s worth. 🙂

One aspect of the high tea at the Berkley is the changing of the menu with the fashion seasons.  It keeps things fresh, fun, and fabulous for the locals, and the thought and detail that goes into each piece is pretty incredible.  I often find that cakes that are too pretty taste rather disgusting. This is definitely not the case here.  My two favorites from the array were the Moschino and Jimmy Choo inspired cakes.

Having also made plans to marvel at the Alexander McQueen Exhibit at the V&A (more to come on that in a future post), it was amazing to see McQueen’s infamous “Armadillo” shoe come to life in shortbread form.

Ernestine Ulmer summarized my thoughts best when he said, “Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.”

30 thoughts on “Prêt-à-Portea at The Berkeley Hotel”

  6. sonamnaiducreative says:
    Reply

    OMG. I was just thinking today… ” I wonder if this fabulous lady visited Pret-A-Portea for high tea.. because if she did; I am so excited for her and of course I cannot wait to see the pics” AND here you are blogging about it! THIS IS JUST SO EXCITING! First off … whatever you are dressed in is gorgeous; cobalt blue is definitely your color and you start wearing more of it! Secondly, McQueen’s fabulous ‘Armadillo’ shoe in a shortbread cookie?!?! Now, I have seen it ALL! Haha clearly I am just way too excited at this very moment but I am mesmerized by your remarable pictures and I’m sure you had the most amazing time! Thank you so much for sharing.

    Xo. http://www.sonamnaiducreative.com

    Liked by 1 person

    • admirablylegal says:
      Reply

      Yup yup, I could not leave London without visiting this fabulous place. WHEN you go to London, you absolutely have to go!!! Seriously, I’m so nuts about it, I’d fly over there and meet you haha. 😉

      Thank you so so much! I’m kind of obsessed with blues and greens, and cobalt is one of my favorites. My top is actually a Juicy trench from like 3 years ago. That day I had so many random comments as I walked the streets asking what my favorite color was. Too much blue? Never!

      I LOVED the McQueen shoe. They were so pretty, I hesitated to eat them…but I did manage to go through like 3 rounds. #fatass.

      I can’t wait to see what they come up with next season!!!

      Thanks for stopping by, love!!

      Like

  13. kathryningrid says:
    Reply

    I don’t often like things that are too extravagantly cute and twee, but this assemblage looks and sounds much more impressive and its whimsical sense of humor makes it more worthwhile! I’d do it. If I ever get the chance to be back in [Sigh!] London again. And have the money for the tea. 😀 I thoroughly enjoyed the vicarious visit, at least!! Thanks!
    Cheers,
    Kathryn
    PS—Can’t wait to hear about the McQueen/V&A exhibition. What an amazing designer, and in one of my favorite London spots. Fabulous.

    Liked by 1 person

    • admirablylegal says:
      Reply

      I’m so glad you enjoyed my post! The price is rather outrageous, I must say, but it was definitely a unique experience.

      The McQueen visit is coming up soon! It was completely unlike anything I have ever seen before. There is just something incredible about the V&A, and they really scored with this exhibit.

      Like

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