Afternoon Tea At Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle

I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon in the North East than catching up with a girlfriend over Afternoon Tea, can you? I was invited to review Jesmond Dene House’s Afternoon Tea offering recently and it rounded off a great weekend in my adopted home. Afternoon Tea is the perfect setting for a long overdue date with an old friend that doesn’t involve noisy bars or someone getting married – and we all know how hard it is to fit catch-ups into your average week when you’re both super busy being hardworking adults with jobs and homes and other boring responsibilities, right?

Tom and I stayed at Jesmond Dene House a few years ago when I was nominated for a North East blog award, and I fell in love with the cosy, hideaway feel of the hotel. If you’re interested in staying there, you can read my review of Jesmond Dene House Hotel for a little preview. (Please excuse the grainy pics, it was before I upgraded to a decent blogging camera and acquired some semi-decent photography skills!)

I arranged to meet my pal Vicky at Jesmond Dene House the day after a night out in Newcastle, and after hugging in the foyer we were led into the busy dining room. There were tables of people eating sunday dinner, while others were enjoying their own Afternoon Teas. Jesmond Dene House is a bit out of the way of the city centre, but the place was still heaving, which can only be testament to the restaurant’s quality.

We were seated at the same table that Tom and I bagged for breakfast when we stayed at the hotel; right in front of the window looking onto the patio area. The last of the winter’s snow blanketed the scene outside but we were super cosy inside. I cast my mind back to the breakfast feast Tom and I had during our stay and suddenly got very excited for the gastronomical afternoon ahead of me.

After a quick talk through the menu, during which I probably morphed into the heart-eyes emoji, we ordered a pot of tea each – Earl Grey for me because I’m fancy and Breakfast Tea for Vicky because she’s common (I’m joking). If you have dietary requirements, it seems that Jesmond Dene House can cater to you because the waiter made sure to check if we had any.

Once we’d hydrated, we decided to crank our Afternoon Tea up a notch and order some cocktails. They were beautifully presented and simply delicious. Since I’d been out the night before, a little hair of the dog definitely didn’t go amiss!

The Afternoon Tea stand was placed before us as we toasted to… um, ourselves? The cake stand was laden with all sorts of tasty morsels, and we commenced working our way from bottom to top.

I’m of the opinion that the savoury selection on an Afternoon Tea is just as important as the top tier treats, and Jesmond Dene House’s savouries held their weight. Impossibly fresh white bread cut into perfect finger sandwiches with traditional fillings (cheese savoury and ham, tomato & wholegrain mustard mayonnaise), and posh sage and onion sausage rolls that I could 100% eat again like, right now. There were also two decently-sized roast butternut squash & goats cheese quiches, which I wasn’t expecting to enjoy as much as I did. They were mouthwatering.

Next, three varieties of scone with fruity jam and clotted cream.

We’d both been eyeing up the top tier all afternoon, but we were almost full by the time we got there – which definitely couldn’t be said for most of the Afternoon Teas I’ve munched my way through. Is there anything worse than leaving a restaurant still hungry? Not a chance of that with Afternoon Tea at Jesmond Dene House!

The sweet treats were like little works of art. Well I say little, but they were actually generous servings.

I’ve never had a banoffee macaron and almost didn’t want to bite into such an artistic creation, but it was  soon demolished with zero remorse. I wasn’t sure about the miniature yoghurt pot as I delved in, but the taste was surprising and we both practically scraped the shot glasses clean.

I hit peak sugar high with the praline & chocolate truffle. It was hideously indulgent and looked a little like a giant, more elaborate Ferrero Rocher. Defeated, I took the lemon meringue pie home for my boyfriend in a cake box, because I couldn’t possibly eat another thing – but I handed it over to him grudgingly!

If you’re looking to treat someone or just want to spend a relaxed afternoon indulging in a delicious, elegant Afternoon Tea in the North East, I fully recommend booking Jesmond Dene House.

Afternoon Tea at Jesmond Dene House is served daily from 12.00pm – 5.00pm. The cost is £25pp.

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All photographs were taken on my Olympus Pen E-PL7.

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