REVIEW: NEW CHILDREN'S AFTERNOON TEA, OBLIX AT THE SHARD

AG
Aug 15
3 min read

We Experience the Height of Luxury with Woodland Treats 32 Floors Above London

Our children experience the height of luxury on the 32nd floor of The Shard, with the playful new kid’s afternoon tea at Oblix.

Arriving via a theatrical, flame-lit passage and into the sun-drenched restaurant, our kids make a beeline for the endless glass windows, where the glittering Thames snakes through the Playmobil landscape beneath us like mercury; the sun dances off the sky scrapers and tiny Double-Deckers and speedboats zip about the urban maze like PacMan characters.

The elegant interior echoes the colours of the panorama outside, with cosy, earthy tones from the leather, wood and walls and a deep blue bar, beneath a festoon of sunset florals hanging from the ceiling.

It’s a tough act to draw eyes away from the view, but the afternoon tea delivers.

Creamy hot chocolates arrive for the children in impossibly sweet toadstool mugs, and a perfectly chilled flute of Piper Heidsieck champagne arrives for me.

Spotty toadstool plates arrive with the children’s finger sandwiches - cucumber and cream cheese, chicken, and ham and cheese.

My adult savouries are a delight - the mushroom, truffle and ricotta gougère is a moreish stand out, alongside a creamy prawn roll with avocado and celery; smoked salmon, seaweed and cucumber fingers; free range egg mayonnaise buns, and coronation chicken, mango chutney and coriander sarnies.

There are excited squeals from the children, when the wonderfully attentive waiter brings two, spotty red toadstools, brimming with a colourful woodland scene of ladybirds, bunnies and butterflies.

“Everything is edible” he explains, as the children gleefully cram green moss (cake) into their faces; or bite into chocolate garden pots, topped with edible butterflies and filled with fruits and creams.

The strawberry ladybird is too cute to eat, but that doesn’t stop my son from inhaling, saying through mouthfuls “it’s like a magic Jaffa Cake.” And there is brief, happy silence as they chomp through their chocolate and praline bunnies.

Meanwhile, the cakes and pastries on my top tier are so pretty, I don’t know whether to wear them or eat them.

Monsieur was really spoiling us with the signature Oblix Hazelnut Rocher. These are accompanied by tropical chocolate mousse and salted caramel; coconut, mango and passionfruit sponge; citrus meringue gum tart, and warm honey Madeline.

The assortment of steaming, fresh scones (cranberry and plain) are served with clotted cream and zingy apricot and orange preserve.

For a wonderfully theatrical end to the experience, I separately order the Born a Star cocktail - with two mocktail versions for the children.

The waiters appear at the table with three giant, glowing red Shard sculptures.

A glass door is opened for a cloud of dramatic passion fruit infused smoke to pour out, revealing our beautiful passion fruit, vanilla and blood orange cocktails, with the welcome addition of Ciroc vodka and Champagne in my tipple.

It’s a magical experience with dazzling views for big and little kids, which will take some time to come down from.

Oblix at The Shard, 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9RY. Available daily from Thursday to Sunday,12pm to 4pm. Children’s tea from £39 per person. Adult’s afternoon tea from £59 to £65 per person. Reservations can be made online or by calling their team at 020 7268 6700