STAFF REVIEW: AFTERNOON TEA AT MALMAISON HOTEL BRIGHTON

As one can imagine, Ayla and I were overjoyed to be able to try Malmaison’s new and improved Afternoon Tea. We were lucky enough to get the chance to try the vegan version as well as the regular one, so read on for an honest review of both.

We made our way up to the bold and bright restaurant and bar area, and immediately started exploring. The restaurant itself had such a suave look to it, with rich rose gold accents and pristine leather seats. Not to mention the excellent bar, fit with a display of bottles going all the way up to the ceiling and glasses full of fresh sprigs of mint and rosemary, ready to garnish cocktails. 

As we wandered around, we could not help but be drawn to the wonderful airiness of the natural light coming in from the large glass doors leading out onto the terrace. Though it was not a particularly sunny or warm day, the doors still provided the whole restaurant area with great lighting, as is shown from our photos!

Of course, we had to get out onto the terrace to take in that fabulous view of Brighton Marina. We stood out there for a short while, taking in the vast horizon of fabulous yachts and deep blue sea, basking in the serenity of the scene. 

As my stomach gurgled, I signalled to Ayla that it was in fact time for some afternoon tea, and we made our way back inside. We made ourselves at home in a cosy booth and had a gander at the menu, mouths watering at what was to come.

At this point, a friendly member of staff came over to take our order for tea, of which there were so many. I opted for a classic earl grey, with which they offered me a lemon wedge (I was very impressed), and Ayla decided to try an adventurous raspberry and blackberry flavour. 

Our teas came in the classic Malmaison teapots with matching cups and saucer and we delighted in taking endless photos of each other pouring. 

After a short wait, the afternoon teas arrived, and boy did they look handsome! Presentation is key at Malmaison, as we gathered from the tier plate stands that were made up of rustic slate platters. Upon these platters, a plethora of treats, both savoury and sweet, provided a feast for the eyes. Then it was time to dig right in!

Malmaison states on its menu that the afternoon tea contains elements of the ‘re-imagined,’ and they stuck to their word on that. For the regular afternoon tea, you are treated to quite the feast. First up was the savoury tier and we kicked things off with a mini beef burger each, fit with a brioche bun and relish. Though it looked fantastic, taste-wise it was not quite as good as I expected, but that wasn’t to bring down the mood. Next up was the Thai sticky beef wrap with sesame, which blew us away! It was sweet, sticky and bursting with flavour and we each snapped them up within seconds. We found these savoury treats to be quite the eccentric addition to the classic afternoon tea, and welcomed it.

To follow, we dug into the mini sausage rolls, made of tasty Cumberland sausage and apple, wrapped in a deliciously glazed pastry, topped with a scattering of black and white sesame seeds. After this, we indulged in the adorable mini prawn cocktail which did not fail to disappoint.

Alongside our feasting on these scrumptious savouries, we dug into the vegan version, starting out with the houmous and grilled flatbread. This was absolutely divine, the houmous being flavoured with sweet chilli and the flatbread, nice and salty. They worked so well together and seriously kicked off the vegan afternoon tea with a bang.

Next, we took on the vegan mini burgers, consisting of a soft black bean patty, relish and salad in a sesame seed bun, and I have to say, this mini burger was as tasty as it looked (a.k.a, very). There was also a Thai sticky tofu mini wrap, which was as good as the beef wrap, the only problem being that we wanted more tofu! We rounded the vegan savouries off with a lovely mini caprese salad that came in an adorable little glass. The vegan feta was genuinely some of the best vegan cheese we’d ever tasted. 

So, that concluded the savoury tier, now onto sweet. (Yay).

The desert tier of the regular afternoon tea really was a colourful array, showcasing a splendid display of mini treats. I was immediately drawn to the raspberry ripple and white chocolate sundae, which looked utterly adorable. Served in a miniature glass, you first take in the fabulous rim dipped in melted white chocolate with pink, purple, and white hundreds and thousands sprinkled on top. Then the ornate layering of creamy, white chocolate, delicately piped into the bottom and top of the glass. The fluffy chocolate mixture sandwiched a sweet and ripe raspberry coulis that merged beautifully with each mouthful. Topped with fresh raspberries, it truly was a dream in a cup. 

After that delight, we moved onto the classic Victoria sponge, which was perfectly poised on the slate tray, with a dusting of icing sugar and a dinky little strawberry on top. The sponge itself was nice and soft and the cream and jam merged together deliciously. Following these beauties, we had an array of sweet tarts; a zesty and exciting citrus meringue one and a rich and indulgent chocolate and salted caramel one. Both made a palatable addition to the afternoon tea, with the light airiness of the citrus and the deep molasses-like quality of the chocolate and caramel, providing an exciting contrast of flavours and giving us a taste of the best of both worlds. Although, we were absolutely stuffed after this!

But we are not quitters; we continued onto the vegan desserts to see if Malmaison had outdone their regular ones.

For the vegan dessert tier, there was a stunning array of mini cakes, decorated so beautifully we almost didn’t want to ruin them. A lot of photos were taken before we finally got to nibbling away at these gorgeous little treats. First, the carrot and walnut cupcake, decorated with a buttercream frosting and chopped walnuts and edible golden glitter, which had us truly dazzled. Similarly, the chocolate and orange cupcake was also served with lashings of golden glitter, over a perfectly iced spiral of chocolate buttercream. Both cupcakes scored a 10/10 on presentation, and were lovely and moist texture-wise. The buttercream was delicious and creamy, blending perfectly with the sponge. 

Next, the raspberry and coconut slice, which is certainly for an acquired taste, but nonetheless tasty! It looked fabulous with its luscious layerings of rich chocolate sponge, creamy white and pink icing and a little raspberry planted on top, which really pulled the piece together.

And finally, onto my personal favourite, the crunchy chocolate and nut cheesecake. This was certainly the star of the show for the vegan dessert tier. Starting with a deliciously rich, dark chocolate base and a generous helping of delectable, soft and creamy chocolate and nut filling, topped with a layer of soft chocolate buttercream, this truly was the treat to beat all treats! It’s no exaggeration to say that this one was gone in a second.

As well as all of the exciting new twists that Malmaison treats its guests to, they also keep some of the timeless classics and much loved aspects of the afternoon tea. The scones, cream and jam clearly could not go amiss. For the regular afternoon tea, there is something for everyone, as you get a standard plain scone and a fruit scone. These are accompanied by a sweet strawberry jam and some velvety clotted cream, providing the perfect bite. 

The vegan alternative was a superb twist on the classic, with a perfectly soft vegan scone and a side of tasty orange marmalade and Greek yoghurt, which made for an eccentric twist on an old classic. 

So, that concludes our afternoon tea at the Malmaison, and it sure was a good one! We’d like to thank the team at Malmaison Brighton for having us once again and for top quality service and a delicious array of treats, vegan and non-vegan alike!