Fit for Royal Tea - The Afternoon Tea at Hotel Café Royal's Sumptuous Oscar Wilde Bar

Words & Photography by Felicity Spector and Luiz Hara

Everything about the High Society afternoon tea at the Hotel Café Royal screams opulence. First, the room. The Oscar Wilde Bar took four years to restore to its former glory, a rococo extravaganza of gold and mirrors and cherub painted ceilings. It now looks exactly the same as the room where Wilde once lunched, except I've a feeling he didn't fare nearly as well as we did.

To drink, there was Veuve Cliquot champagne and a choice of 21 different teas, some of them exclusive blends made just for the hotel. We tried one of them - Celestine - a subtle, light black tea with a hint of vanilla, and a very refreshing triple mint tisane.

Our maître d' was eager to explain the menu. There was a lot to get through - three pages of my notebook covered in scribble. It all sounded incredible: not a white bread sandwich in sight - the chefs have clearly let their creativity take charge.

An amuse bouche arrived, a 'Low Sidecar Muffin', along with a lovely story about Victorian muffin sellers who used to ply their trade in Regent Street outside. The modern day version came adorned with a generous swirl of truffle cream cheese and a pipette containing apple juice which you could squirt inside. Light and moist, it got things off to a great start.

Then came a vast tiered stand of savoury sandwiches and pastries: a brioche roll with prawn cocktail, and a beautifully crisp gougere filled with goats cheese and the slight sweetness of wine jelly.

There was a roundel of chorizo Wellington, a sort of next level sausage roll, a bun topped with crackling and stuffed with wild boar salami. Next, a toasted bagel piled with silky smooth smoked salmon and horseradish mayo, and my favourite, a beetroot bread sandwich with cream cheese and a sliver of cucumber, topped with caviar.

We were already getting slightly full, but more was to come. Much, much more.

A palate cleanser, a tiny glass of plum and lychee iced tea was tart and refreshing. It came with a mousse like disc of chocolate and hazelnut marshmallow, the first time I've seen chocolate and hazelnut described as a palate cleanser. But why not? It was delicious.
The beaming maître d, who by this stage was beginning to seem like an old, beloved friend, ferried over another vast tier of cakes and pastries, with not one, but two baskets of warm scones. There were dishes of strawberry jam and clotted cream and a tiny bowl of lemon curd. And another three pages of description in my notebook.

I tried a raisin scone, loaded with jam and cream. It was warm. It was melt in the mouth. "Buttery, isn't it!" said our waiter, as more pots of tea arrived. He wasn't wrong.

We tackled the cake stand. A mini flower pot contained a fabulous mix of apple purée and pistachio paste, crowned with a buttery crumble. There was a neat cube of banana opera cake layered with passion fruit cream. Choux buns cradled a hidden filling of lemon curd. There were vivid green macarons, spiked with absinthe, herby and sticky.

I tried a disc of shortbread topped with apple purée, blackcurrant crème and the thinnest chocolate glaze. It was....I searched for a word....buttery. By this point we could barely move, but the feast wasn't over yet. On the counter were three whole cakes which you could order by the slice. Our friendly maître d was desperate for us to try them. "The lemon drizzle is gluten free!" I went over for a look, unable to resist a piece of the hazelnut cake, beautifully light and moist with just enough hazelnut frosting and the crunch of caramelised nuts. And, of course, so very, very buttery.

Four hours after the tea began, I was ensconced in a vast leather chair in the hotel lobby, clutching a takeaway box of the scones we hadn't quite been able to finish, fretting about the rain. A concierge leapt into action, lending me not only a hotel umbrella "oh, bring it back whenever you're in the area..." but also going the extra mile, finding some waterproof covers to protect my new shoes.

The afternoon tea at Hotel Cafe Royal isn't cheap - £42 per person, or £55 with a glass of champagne. But it's opulent. It's inventive. And the staff are all prepared to go above and beyond, to make sure you have the best possible time.

Momo Memories...

Name: Momo

Where: 25, Heddon Street, London W1B 4BH, + 44 207 434 4040, http://momoresto.com/restaurant/london/momo/restaurant/

Cost: Dinner Set Menu £52 per person includes a Momo Special cocktail, a selection of 4 starters to share (meze), 1 main course and 1 dessert. From the à la carte menu, starters cost from £6 to £11 while mains vary from £17 for a vegetarian couscous to £24.50 for the fish of the day. Tagines are priced £18.50 for chicken, £21 for fish and £22.50 for lamb.

About: Opened in 1997 by Parisian-Algerian restaurateur Mourad Mazouz, Momo has, over its nearly 20 years on the London restaurant scene, become a bit of an institution for those looking for North African cuisine in the UK.

Momo was the first London restaurant to draw the attention of critics and diners alike to serious Moroccan cuisine. Today, it has sister restaurants in Paris, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Beirut.

My first taste of Moroccan cuisine was at Momo in 1999, and I remember falling in love with the cuisine there and then. I was struck by the combination of slow braised meats, dried fruits, preserved lemons, olives and myriad spices in the tagines, or over the lightest of couscous - two of my favourite foods today.

It was with some trepidation that I returned to Momo this month – would it live up to my fond memories? I should not have worried - our latest meal at Momo, 15 years after I first visited it, did not disappoint. Head-Chef Philippe Agnello is doing an excellent job, delivering North African food that is still unrivalled in London.

What We Ate: We started with a selection of 4 meze dishes all brought to our table at once. One of our favourites was the assortment of Briouats - small filo pastry parcels stuffed with cheese & mint, chicken and seafood that were crispy, flavoursome and very moreish.

The baby aubergines with labneh cheese, pesto, broad beans and lemon confit were good and beautifully presented, as were the seared scallops with aubergine chutney and yellow beetroot. Although well cooked and seasoned, I thought one scallop per person was a rather meager portion.

The pastilla of wood pigeon was delicious - chunks of sweet and spiced wood pigeon, were laced with almonds and cinnamon, wrapped in filo pastry and fried. Served with orange marmalade, Momo’s pastilla was a great example of one of Morocco’s national dishes.

And then we were onto the mains. One of Momo’s signature dishes, highly recommended by our waiter, was the “Couscous Momo”. This included a very tender and succulent lamb shank, charcoal grilled lamb skewers and merguez sausages. The selection of meats was generous and beautifully cooked but it was the accompanying couscous that transcended this dish to another level.

Possibly the best couscous I have ever tried, it was wonderfully fine and silken and being cooked in a couscousiere over steam (the proper way to do it), it was also airy and deliciously light. As tradition dictates, the couscous was served with a meltingly tender stew of vegetables cooked in a rich broth. This was a magnificent dish that warrants a return visit to Momo soon!

The chicken tagine, another classic of Moroccan cuisine, was also outstandingly good. Cumin-scented chunks of chicken breast were served in a clay tagine pot in a heady, saffron-flavoured broth with preserved lemons, olives, potatoes, onion compote and coriander.  I loved this dish and the wonderful combination of flavours, but would have loved it even more, had chicken thighs been used instead.

Dessert was a fine selection of Maghreb pastries including a rather clever pastry wrapped creme brûlée and a refreshing sorbet of mango served with Moroccan mint tea.

What We Drank: The wine list is extensive, featuring both new and old world bins. The entry level wines (vin de pays) are priced £21 (red) and £25 (white). We had the Momo Special cocktail which is included in the £52 tasting menu, made with Ketel One vodka, mint, lemon juice, sugar and soda water. It was refreshing and well-made, tasting rather like a Cuban Mojito. Cocktails are mostly £9, but some are £15 if champagne-based.

We shared a bottle of 2012 Castelmaure Corbieres 2012 (£31) from the Languedoc Roussillon region - a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault. This was a robust wine that went particularly well with the slow braised lamb shank and spiced chicken tagine.

Likes: friendly and efficient service, the best couscous I have ever tried, the chicken tagine with preserved lemons was also very good.

Dislikes: the outside terrace where guests drink and smoke does not make for a very enticing entrance, and together with the basement night club, the ambiance feels somewhat like a bar and club, which is a pity for a restaurant serving food of this caliber.

Verdict: 17 years on, Momo is still serving some of the best Moroccan food in London. Fantastic couscous and tagines, great cocktails and an extensive wine list. Recommended.