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Gird your loins, Devil Wears Prada Afternoon Tea has arrived at The Coral Room, just round the corner from the Dominion Theatre, London. For those wanting to extend their Runway experience or just find another way to rejoice in the cult, fashion film, read on for our review.
The Coral Room
The Coral Room, part of the Bloomsbury Hotel, is a vibrant saloon bar, with its coral interior evokes an era of country house parties like one may have expected at Holkham Hall. The luxurious interior forces guests to pause from their busy London lives and appreciate its own beauty. It’s therefore an ideal space for this additional Devil Wears Prada Afternoon Tea menu.
Devil Wears Prada Afternoon Tea
Created exclusively for the West End show, the Devil Wears Prada Afternoon Tea is priced at £48 per person (or £65 with a glass of Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne). This includes the three components typically expected: sandwiches, which come as a first service, followed by cakes and scones together.
To start the sandwiches are:
- Nate’s Grilled Cheese – The ultimate comfort food, and the first bite we took – we could have eaten a whole plate of these alone, though it would have been even more authentic if these were actually toasted sandwiches.
- Truffled Egg Mayonnaise on Pain de Mie – luxurious, but we would have loved more truffle flavour to come through, full immersion rather than a subtle hint.
- Smoked Salmon Rillette Sub Roll – a rich and indulgent choice. No eye rolling at this sandwich.
The other sandwiches included are a Roast Turkey & Cranberry on Onion Bread and a Cucumber and Crème Fraîche Campillous i.e. your cucumber sandwich.
Once sandwiches have been demolished, the table is cleared and tiered cake stand arrives with the patisseries and scones (with clotted cream and jam). Of the patisseries, our favourites were:
- No Foam Skimmed Latte with an Extra Shot – a hazelnut Opera Cake with coffee and caramel. A perfectly balanced sweet treat.
- It’s Not Just Blue, It’s Cerulean – with a nod to the iconic cerulean scene, this Greek yoghurt mousse with blueberry is beautifully crafted and perfectly presented – definitely Miranda approved.
- A Single Cube of Cheese – a cube of vanilla New York Cheesecake. ThE presentation does closely resemble a single cube of cheese. And we suggest this is enjoyed in its entirety, after everything else in the afternoon tea, not when you feel you’re about to faint.
A selection of three themed cocktails are available in addition this. We opted for the:
- Runway Royale (£22), which is a blend of Mijenta Tequila Reposado, Galliano Vanilla Liqueur, and Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve – think of a twist on a French 75. Investing in a cocktail at this price point, you may feel like you’ve “sold your soul for a pair of Jimmy Choos”, but for those wanting to elevate their afternoon tea this is the option.
- Cerulean (£19), which is made from a mix of Silent Pool Gin, Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto, and Butterfly Pea Tea – anything but basic, the cerulean blue of this cocktail vibrantly stands out against a backdrop of metallic surfaces and coral walls of the dining room. A curious cocktail choice for those wanting to explore an unfamiliar flavour profile.
Our cocktails did arrive at a glacial pace (about 15 minutes wait, with no obvious queue of orders at the bar), but we did get an apology and everything else throughout the service arrived promptly, including out tea/coffee choices – so there was no wondering if there was some reason our coffee wasn’t here.
Service
We were greeted and reservation confirmed, then taken to our table, and handed over to the waiter who was looking after us. Smartly dressed, on the ball about the menu, and adding a little Devil Wears Prada humour into the conversation, we can confirm that service was not an Oh God. Get away from her, she’s useless. And unattractive moment, nor did we need to say “Go!” at any point.
Overall thoughts
Although relatively pricey (with cocktails), the cost does match the value of the food and service. From the moment guests enter The Coral Room (with the big, red Prada shoe) through the service they will be left with the Everybody wants to be us feeling.
The Coral Room is located at 16-22 Great Russell St, London, WC1B 3NN.
For more information and to book, visit thecoralroom.co.uk
That’s all.
