Alexander Waterworth deserves an award for his marvellous creation at Dalloway Terrace. He has form in delivering stunning, classically British interiors having designed private member’s club, Annabel’s and Q on the Roof. The space is in a nondescript area at the back of the Dominion theatre and has no rights to be connected with words like charming and magical; but that is exactly what Alexander has delivered. Surrounded by soothing foliage and enchanting fairy lights, the terrace also has fully retractable roof, windbreakers, indoor heating and even blankets. You don’t need to worry about the British summer not delivering, because Dalloway Terrace will deliver.
With white marble tables and cosy couches, this is one terrace you would happily spend your whole afternoon or evening, wining and dining with your close friends. Even high-society woman like Mrs Dalloway, the classic character created by Virginia Woolf would be proud to frequent this establishment.
It is a sign of the skills of pastry chef Mariatu Kargbo that every single creation on their afternoon tea menu was a delight from start to finish. You probably wouldn’t expect anything less for someone who has worked at the Dorchester, the Lanesborough and the Berkeley.
The sandwiches were some of the freshest I’ve tried in many an afternoon tea recently and had great variation in using a mixture of classic bread, brioche and guiness bread. The salmon rillettes were a particular stand-out, although the smoked corn-fed chicken in brioche would have been even better as a warm offering. The promised homemade mini Spring lamb pie from the website was missing from the tea set.
The scones have the right mixture of crustiness on the outside and a light and soft texture on the inside and was matched with the very best in Devonshire clotted cream & homemade preserves.
The sweets are the pièce de résistance of the experience. When you try the Alphonso mango & passion fruit dome, you will appreciate that kind of texture is only ever achieved in 5 star hotel dining institutions. It has the perfect combination of creaminess, gelatinous composition and refreshing fruitiness from the mango and passionfruit. The earl grey mousse was similarly heavenly, whilst the chocolate brownie and cheesecake were petite enough in size for you to enjoy without worrying about your waistline.
They would happily refill any items you particularly enjoyed from the tea set. My advice would be to opt for the lemon verbena tea, which is a pure herb with a mellow lemon flavour and importantly has great digestive qualities.
To finish, I ordered an espresso maca from their Juicery. With espresso, maca powder, Medjool dates, almond milk and almond butter, it was a great way to end the visit if you don’t want a straight coffee course. Maca helps to deal with hormone balance, not that it is something you will need after a relaxing, joyous afternoon tea experience at the superb Dalloway Terrace.
baldwin@townfish.com