Afternoon tea is one of my favourite pastimes, and it’s become such a big thing over the past few years, that more and more options seem to be popping up everywhere. I love trying new ones, especially when they are a little more creative from the norm; and Malmaison in Leeds has been on my to do list for a while.
This weekend, me my Mum and my Sister had a girly afternoon in Leeds; which obviously included afternoon tea. We opted for the Cocktail Afternoon Tea, priced at Β£27 per person. With this you get a two tiered stand of treats, and also the traditional scones, jam & clotted cream; and of course a cocktail each too. I think there’s a choice of three signature cocktails, my sister and I went for the Black Forest Martini’s, and my mum an Espresso Martini… The Black Forest Martini’s were to die for, however the Espresso Martini wasn’t the best; it’s one of my favourite cocktails, so that was a little bit of a let down – however luckily for me, my drink choice couldn’t have been nicer. It literally tasted exactly like a black forest gateaux, incredible.
Food wise, we were presented with three of each salmon & cream cheese bagels, beetroot Β & goats cheese wraps, and mini burgers (highlight). The upper tier consisted of (again, three of each); salted caramel brownies, chocolate mousse with popping candy, carrot cake, mini chocolate eclairs, and creamy berry milkshakes. The desserts are really what made the afternoon tea stand out – the whole lot tasted as good as it looked, and we were completely spoilt for choice, having to each leave with a box of our leftovers as there was way too much food – always the sign of a good afternoon tea. I think what also gave it bonus points was the fact that I really liked every single dessert on offer, which doesn’t always happen when you have a platter of them. I’d definitely return here, mainly for the originality and the fact that they deliver both taste wise and presentation wise… just please brush up on your Espresso Martini making skills, Malmaison.
I also stopped off at Carluccio’s earlier that morning to indulge in my absolute favourite, favourite, favourite treat a Bicerin or two (two, I had two). I always try and pop into Carluccios for one of these; and if you haven’t experienced one yet, you really must! You’re presented with a small jug of espresso, cream and chocolate; and you’re actually meant to just add a splash of chocolate and cream to the espresso, and mix to your taste… but no, I add the whole lot in (especially the chocolate, it’s the best bit!). Probably not the “done” way to drink it, but hey, you only live once… My mum and I also had a croissant each for breakfast – we needed to fuel our energy for shopping!
As if all that sugar and cake wasn’t enough; we also had a little retail therapy break in Angelica, where I went for a Gin & Tonic and the cupcake dessert… which I did actually share with my sister. We both agreed that this was one of the nicest desserts we had tried in Leeds – I wouldn’t hesitate to get it again, it was perfect – not too sickly sweet and lots of different flavours and textures to keep your interest; but it probably is one for sharing, it’s huge!
Sunday involved a trip to Homesense, believe it or not – my first ever visit! It seems to be all the rage at the moment, and I felt like I was missing out; so off I went for a nosey. To my delight (and my boyfriends despair) they had all the Christmassy bits out, and so I left with armfuls of incredible and unique Christmas scented candles… but more on that a bit closer to the time – I’m going to do a special festive post which includes them; but what I will say, is that if you’re a scented candle fan, you will love Homesense. We rounded the trip off with a visit to Starbucks over the road, where I indulged in a Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino; very blogger cliche but I love them so much, I’ve been having at least one a week since they came out.
Sunday afternoon was rounded nicely off with a super long family dog walk, and a stop off for hot chocolates afterwards. It’s the perfect time for walking at the moment; it’s not too cold, but there’s still a crisp chill in the air, and everywhere looks so beautiful with all the fallen leaves. Once we got back home, I cooked a Sunday Roast (Best. Meal. Ever) with my signature giant Yorkshire Pudding. A perfect weekend.
