To A Tea | Madhatter's Tea at the Sanderson

While I may not be blogging much over the past few weeks, I have been eating well. With our parents in town, we have been hitting up some special places in London that have been on our "list" for a while.

I'm still doing the #AKsweetescape (50 days of no dessert from June 1 - July 20!), so at many of these places I'm having to suffer through people eating gorgeous desserts, but I have allowed myself to enjoy having afternoon tea with both of our moms while they were here. After all, it'd be rude not to, right? Ha!

After taking Viola to see Cinderella (again) at the theatre this week, we decided to compound the day of indulgence with an afternoon tea at the Sanderson. I called in and made us a reservation for later that afternoon, which was a bit tricky as the tea is so popular.

What makes the tea so popular? It's a Madhatter's Tea Party! The tea is themed around Alice and Wonderland with sweet treats, eats & china that play off the classic tale. As a devoted Alice fan, I was so excited to go. Here's a look at our day with all the details that you'll need to know for your own Madhatters Afternoon tea at the Sanderson.

Theres a basic menu with one option on food (though all the dietary needs can be accommodated, if requested), but you can choose to add on a glass of champagne or one of the themed signature cocktails to your tea.

The tea comes with traditional tea sandwiches (cucumber, salmon, ham & egg), sweet and savory scones, but the real treat comes with the desserts. I mean.... look at how gorgeous and clever they are.

If you go...

Order as many teas or coffees as you like, as there is no charge for swapping teas or getting coffees. They have all the classics and then a sweet lineup of teas that resemble sweet treats like apple pie, mint chocolate chip and bake well tart. Sounds odd, but they taste really nice.

Also, if you run out of sandwiches, scones or a particular item- feel free to ask for more. They were really kind about bringing us extra sandwiches and scones.

If you bring a child under 4, they can share with you. If they are over, the tea costs £30 per child. The price for the standard adult tea (meaning no champagne or cocktail) is £38.

The seating is outside in the covered courtyard, though inside tables are available if requested or needed.

This tea is very popular during the high tourist season, so you'll need to book in advance. Call 020 7300 5588 to book or email restaurant.resuk@mhgc.com to make your reservation.

Service is kind, but pretty slow... consider yourself warned.

If you go, I know you'll have a great time. It's a special treat!

Find out more of my favorite places to have tea in London in my To A Tea series:

Fortnum & Mason | The Ampersand Hotel | The Orangery at Kensington Palace

Cocomaya | The V&A | Bea's of Bloomsbury | BB Bakery Double Deck Bus Tour