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A Mad Hatter Tea Party
It was a dear treat having Heather W in town this past week and going on several delightful adventures with her including a Mad Hatter Tea Party at the Sanderson Hotel off Oxford Street.

When we arrived our coats were whisked away and we were seated at a table for two in a long row of tables. (Has anyone ever noticed how narrow the gap is between tables?) Our table had whimsical settings – mine was of a zebra with a ball and Heather’s was of a trapeze artist.
The Tea Options at Sanderson Hotel: B
Our waitress brought out samples of the four special blends – including “Strawberries & Cream” (Heather’s choice) and “Apple Pie” (my choice — which was delightful for a cup or two but was a bit too bitter so I requested to change it up for a traditional English Breakfast tea).
The Whimsical Atmosphere at The Sanderson Hotel: A+
Several fun touches at the table included the sugar cubes being in a working musical jewellery box similar to what we both had as little girls. Also the napkins were wrapped with a riddle and the menu was pasted into a book – ours was Our Mutual Friend. The antiquarian book collector in me almost passed out seeing that the menu was pasted into the book.
Soon the food arrived and my attention was instantly captivated.
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Top tier – ‘Strawberries & Cream’ marshmallow mushrooms & carrot meringue in a bed of pea shoots. |
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Middle tier – the delicacies included Victoria sponge cake (shaped as a clock), melting mango cheesecake, and a match green tea and white chocolate mousse served in a chocolate tea cup. |
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The bottom tier had rolled sandwiches, savoury and sweet scones, quiches and “drink me” potions |
Verdict on the Food at A Mad Hatter Tea: B+
- The savoury scones were delightful; I even received a couple extra in a takeaway bag.
- The sandwiches were on the dry side… Disappointing. 🙁
Check out these adorable “Drink Me” treats –
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The “Drink Me” potion was a definite highlight – delicious & fun!![]() |
Those straws were tiny!![]() |
And then it was time to dig into the cakes. Yummy!
The chocolate teacup mousse was light and tasty — definitely to be eaten at the same time as the chocolate teacup blending the two flavours.
The Victorian sponge cake was perfectly moist and adorable with the clock facade.
I am no marshmallow fan but aren’t they adorable?
We also had a melting mango cheesecake. Not having read the menu that clearly, it was a fun surprise when cutting into the cheesecake.
And in case you had more room in that tummy of yours (we certainly didn’t) there are carrot meringues.
One thing we didn’t find out about until we were paying the bill was that there was a jelly trolley with various types of jellies for your scones. Here is just one of the jelly moulds we spotted on our way out.

What a charming and delightful couple of hours we spent at the Sanderson Hotel.
The tea is first-rate, steep in the price but worthwhile for a special occasion or when having an out of town visitor, and the outdoor heaters meant we were completely comfortable on the patio sipping at our teas.
I'm glad to see they're still offering the Mad Hatter's Tea, I went for it a couple of years ago 🙂 great photos, I didn't take quite as many so it's lovely to be able to see yours!
Lucy x