Tea & Cake with Tora

At the first sign of the sun peeking it's little face out to say hi last weekend, Tora and I, true Brits that we are, leapt at the chance of going for some tea and cake somewhere (ANYWHERE!) outside. Well, not anywhere - we went back to Hotel du Vin, which was just lovely.

We'd not had an afternoon tea at Hotel du Vin before, but if it was even half as good as the Sunday lunch I'd had before (click here for post), I was going to be one happy bunny! The staff were really nice when we got there - usually you have to book for the afternoon tea in advance, but they quickly checked with the kitchens to see if it was going to be possible anyway (it was), and set up a table for us outside. Where we gleefully and stubbornly shivered over our pots of tea, looking up at the sun from our sheltered perches, and waited for the cake to come.

The fun you can have pouring and drinking tea! The sandwiches and cakes arrived, and further happiness ensued... the scones were still warm, the profiterole-eclair had the richest of chocolatey toppings and freshest cream centre, and the Madeleines were crisp and buttery... mmm...

After fresh pots of tea, lots of chatting, Tora introducing me to Instagram (you can follow me here), a spot of shopping, and admiring Brighton in the sunshine, we decided... that we should probably get another cuppa to warm up.

We happened across Bertie's of Brighton, nestled in the heart of the North Laines. It looked so cool inside! Top hats randomly hanging from the walls, chandeliers, and art deco style mirrors adorning the walls. We settled in with our coffees and nattered 'til the sun went down. 

What a nice day! If you'd like a similar one, bookings and enquiries for afternoon tea at Hotel du Vin can be made here, and Bertie's can be found at 15 Bond Street, BN1 1RD.