The Park at the Mandarin Oriental – so long and thanks for the desserts!

For a group booking it will be hard to beat this location,  for either the glamour of the venue or the value for money.

When I went to The Park, it was with a group of 12  people, and we were choosing from an early evening set menu that included unlimited wine with the first two courses.

The food and the service were of the high standard you would expect from the Mandarin Oriental, but what really surprised us was the range of options.  How many places do you know that do a set menu where 12 people can all have different desserts?.

On the down side, you do have the Mandarin bar next door, so anything you save on the food will most likely get spent on the fabulous cocktails.

You will however need to get in quick, before The Park disappears in the planned refurbishment to fit in Heston Blumenthals new London venture : see Foliage replacement – the Gossip.

Marks out of 10

Food 7.5

Service 7.5

Ambience 7

Where to indulge in Coffee, Tea and Cakes

Unless you are in an area that specialises in Tea Shops, its often hard to find good venues to relax with a coffee or tea and eat cake. Why go to the big chains like Starbucks, when you have alternatives.

London

If you really want to go up market and have Afternoon Tea somewhere grand, like The Athenaeum or  The Berkeley, then great, but if you are looking for something cheaper, then here are a few options.

Patisserie Valerie

New York

Actually the Starbucks I have been to in New York are a lot better than London. I had an amazing piece of Cognac and Pumpkin cheese cake in one on the Upper East Side, but for something more unique try:-

Paris

Pretty much the home of the pâtisserie, so you are spoilt for choice, however for an inexpensive option, try:-

or for a not so inexpensive option, visit Ladurée.

Off topic, but also worth mentioning is The Chocolate Consultancy – Parisian Chocolatiers Map showing  locations of some really good Chocolatiers in Paris.

 

 

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