We can promise you've never had afternoon tea like this before. If you thrive when prioritising a healthy lifestyle and wholesome diet, there's no need to miss out on a quintessentially English treat like afternoon tea. Well, not when booking with the healthy COMO Shambhala Kitchen at The Halkin, anyway.
Inspired by the word 'peace' in Sanskrit, the COMO group uses its Shambhala philosophy to bring wellbeing and balance to many of its experiences across the wider portfolio and in this instance, have re-interpreted a classic afternoon tea with field-to-table and enzyme-rich ingredients.
Served every afternoon from 2pm until 6pm, this is perfect for those who take a holistic approach to wellness, especially as each booking is gifted a £20 voucher to spend at COMO Shambhala Urban Escape, a spa, wellness and fitness centre, at their sister hotel COMO Metropolitan London.
Developed by Chef Melchor Baltasar, the savoury course starts with a chilled almond and green grape gazpacho, inspired by COMO Castello Del Nero in Tuscany, followed by a courgette rösti with smoked salmon, dill and lemon-scented cottage cheese, taken from the menu at the COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali.
Next, you can enjoy a green garden salad with ginger miso dressing, followed by a flaxseed cracker ‘club’ with avocado crush, dried tomatoes and sprouts. Finally, the first section of the menu is topped off by tuna tartare with avocado, radish and a Japanese inspired-Champagne dressing.
While you won't find any scones knocking about, there is a large selection of meticulously-created sweet dishes, starting with watermelon and pomegranate jelly served with with hibiscus flower sorbet, alongside the cryptically-named sphere of coconut textures, which is inspired by COMO Cocoa Island in the Maldives. Next, guests can enjoy courgette, walnut and apple cake with lemon-scented yoghurt, alongside strawberry illusion, vanilla and cashew tart with rose apple and cacao mousse with fresh raspberries and pistachios.