I love living in Solihull but I’ve always felt the one thing it lacks is somewhere lovely to go for lunch. With the opening of Laura Ashley Tea Room in the Regency Hotel there is finally somewhere lovely to go for a special lunch. My parents often stay at The Regency. It is really easy to get to and offers great facilities so I had high hopes of the tea rooms.
I was invited to try their afternoon tea and I took some of my team from work as an end of term treat at the end of a busy year. We were made to feel so welcome and it was a really lovely atmosphere.The whole place is decorated in Laura Asley so as you can imagine it is pretty and stylish. I could live there forever, it felt so calm and tranquil. As we went during our lunch break we only had an hour. I would have loved to stay for the whole afternoon.
The tables were lovely with fresh white table cloths and elegant tableware. As someone who spends all my time with children, it was so refreshing to be somewhere so grown up and sophisticated.
I fell in love with the amazing mantlepiece. It made me want to head home and instantly start redecorating. The Willow wallpaper is really elegant and provides a charming background to the whole room.
The mantelpiece is decorated with a stunning Lovell mirror and lots of sweet candles and jars, all of which you can buy in store.
There were eight different types of tea to choose from and they came in a fun transparent tea pot.
Our meal started with an amuse-bouche served on a slate. This was a lovely way to get your taste buds ready for the meal ahead and there are different things served all the time.
When the afternoon tea arrived we couldn’t believe our eyes. It was almost too pretty to eat. Almost. The plates were piled high with sandwiches, cakes and scones. It would be worth not eating for a couple of days before you visit so you can eat every last crumb.
There were finger sandwiches with smoked salmon and dill, egg mayonnaise, chicken liver parfait, ham and mustard and cucumber and cream cheese. These tasted fresh and delicious. My personal favourite was the smoked salmon and dill.
The cakes and patisseries were a work of art. There was so many to choose from, including a rich chocolate mousse and bright pink macaroons. My favourite treat to order with tea is traditional scones, these disappoint and were as good as homemade. They were served with Devonshire clotted cream and strawberry preserve.
The traditional Afternoon Tea costs £20 per person. You can also get a prosecco or champagne afternoon tea. these would be wonderful as a present for someone (and you’d get a treat too!). This is just round the corner from where we work and I can see us making it a regular place to visit. Laura Ashley is a little oasis of calm and luxury, and definitely worth a visit if you want a treat.
Disclaimer: We were treated to afternoon tea for the purposes of this review.