Words by Anya Zervudachi
What better way to spend a Thursday afternoon, than with a good friend enjoying tea for two at one of my all time favourite restaurants.
Terre a Terre is situated in the historic Brighton lanes, just a stone’s throw from the beach, the perfect place to visit on a spring afternoon when the beach is still that little bit too breezy to thoroughly be enjoyable.
I have always felt Terre a Terre is a real Brighton treasure; it has certainly never failed to surprise guests with just how extraordinary and exciting vegetarian cuisine can be. I often take friends from out of town here as I feel it really is a great representation of Brighton’s fabulous restaurant scene. And now I have another excuse to visit, with the launch of their new spectacular afternoon tea menu.
We were greeted warmly by a member of staff as we entered and shown to a beautifully laid table in the window to enjoy the afternoon sunshine.
On inspecting the menu, both my guest and I had made up our minds almost instantly. The Terre a Tier Tea is a three tiered selection of savoury, scones and sweets served with your choice of tea of coffee and sounded absolutely delicious.
Considering Thursday afternoon as good a time as any, to enjoy an afternoon cocktail, we decided to treat ourselves to one of the new Teatails Terre a Terre has on offer. I opted for a Lady Grey Gin Martini, a mixture of Organic gin, earl grey tea and organic orange liquer. The Martini was tart, tangy and delicious as a drink to sip slowly and enjoy with your food. My guest went for the Wild Berry and Mint Tea Caipirinha which combined Wild berry tea, Cachaca, mint, honey, and lime served long over ice, which was very refreshing and easy to drink.
As our cake stand arrived both my guest and I were blown away by how outstandingly beautiful the three tiers looked. Each individual item was immaculately presented, with the overall effect being absolutely stunning.
We tucked into the savoury tier first, sampling the buttered baby English muffin with pickled Jerusalem artichokes, fried shallots with Poire William and raisin relish. Followed by steamed rice buns stuffed with Szechuan marinated halloumi, with kimchi Chinese cabbage, lapsang souchong pickled watermelon & cucumber, a miso chilli sauce and spring onion garnish. To finish our first off our savoury was a toasty Sussex cheddar rarebit laced with Sheep’s Nose Cider and mustard grains crammed into hot pot spiced cornbread served with smoked yogurt and salt baked carrot which again was rich but not overpowering, a perfect afternoon treat.
Now I must admit, I had strategically skipped lunch, which I soon realised was a brilliant move, as after our savoury tier the second and third did seem a little bit of a challenge.
The sweet tier comprised of sticky almond and lemon cake served with lemon and lime curd, which was one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten, despite not having much of a sweet tooth. My guest was a huge fan of chocolate meringues with cream and berries and the chocolate truffle cake with chocolate drizzle. The Orange Polenta Cake with pistachio crumble, candied orange and pomegranates was sweet and sticky and perfect for those with wheat allergies. Finally our sweet tier was rounded of with some chewy Nobbly Nutty Nougat.
As I told myself I would be hitting the gym with extra force the following day, I decided to go all out and enjoy one of the Tea Soaked Sultana Scones served with Terre a Terre strawberry jam and clotted cream.
All in all I think this has to be my most enjoyable afternoon tea to date. Hats off to chef Sorcha Dean, who put our tea together, it was an absolute treat.
Terre à Terre has created this wonderful new Terre a Verre menu that offers anything from a small plate to a multi tiered feast and offer both Vegan and Gluten Free alternatives.
For your chance to win Terre à Tipple Tier Tea! for Two – Includes a glass of Fizz! (Prosecco,La Jara, IG) or TeaTail ( tea inspired cocktails)
Simply answer the following question for your chance to win: What does Terre a Terra call there 3 tiered selection of savoury, scones and sweets. Answers to anya@absolutemagazine.co.uk with subject Tea for Two at Terre a Terre.
T&C: Terre à Tipple Tier for two (available to enjoy from 3-6 pm daily in April or May)