Afternoon tea in Grand Central Hotel, Belfast

Have I mentioned that I love afternoon tea?  It feels like such a decadent way to spend the afternoon and why not?  We all deserve a bit of spoiling every now and then!

Believe me when I say, I have enjoyed more than my fair share of afternoon teas and I know what I like.  Having said, I hadn’t tried the Grand Central Hotel’s version and I was very keen to give it a go. It’s called the Jawbox Giant’s Edition Afternoon Tea and it’s themed around the fabulous Jawbox Gin (did you know that Grand Central is home to a giant bottle of Jawbox? The biggest bottle of gin in the world!)

Our tea was served in the Observatory bar, right at the top of the hotel, enjoying panoramic views of Belfast and one of my favourite spots in the city centre!

We were served a selection of delicious finger sandwiches- honey glazed ham with Ballymaloe Relish, smoked salmon with cucumber & garden herb mayo, chicken with lemon & thyme mayo and egg with shallot & watercress.   A delicious combo but I will admit that the smoked salmon was unanimously voted as the favourite!

Next up was a selection of plain & fruit scones with butter, jam & clotted cream, which raises the question- jam first or cream first?  For me, it’s jam first every time

The sweet treats from the patisserie were inspired by the flavours & botanicals of Jawbox gin- chocolate & honeycomb device, pink grapefruit & honey mousse, orange & cardamom financier, Blackberry macaron and my favourite- lemon & lime white chocolate tart.

Everything was washed down with our choice of tea or coffee. You can also add a glass of Prosecco or a Jonathan’s Twist cocktail, made with Jawbox gin (these are dangerously delicious).

For me, the setting of an afternoon tea is nearly as important as the food and the hotel didn’t disappoint. The Observatory really is a special spot, and the views are second to none!

If you like afternoon tea, I would definitely encourage you to try this one. I can honestly say that it is an absolute treat.

Make sure to visit DiscoverNorthernIreland.com to plan your next foodie experience!

#Embraceagiantspirit