After what felt like an eternal winter, and another week of non-stop rain, we were looking for something to do as a family that was a bit of a treat and we opted for Afternoon Tea at the Duke of Richmond. We knew nothing about their afternoon tea, but after a really great Sunday lunch at the hotel a few months ago (kids eat free at Sunday lunch!), we thought it would be good, and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
The Duke of Richmond Hotel
The Duke of Richmond is a really beautiful 4* hotel, located in St Peter Port. It’s unlike any other hotel in Guernsey, thanks to its striking decor, from the black and white chequered entrance lobby to the individually designed bedrooms. The hotel refers to itself on its website as eccentric, and I think that sums it up perfectly. Despite feeling very grand when you enter the hotel, on our first visit I was surprised just how family friendly the hotel is. So much so, that my girls, who are both autistic and can be touch-and-go with eating out, always feel very comfortable there. It’s hard to believe that the hotel is dog friendly too, so the whole family can visit!
The Leopard Bar & Restaurant
The hotel’s on-site restaurant is highly regarded and has been awarded an AA One Rosette for Culinary Excellence. For afternoon tea you have the choice of sitting in the restaurant or out on the terrace (with beautiful views over St Peter Port). Due to the rather chilly weather, we opted to sit inside, and got comfy at a round table next to the window.
Afternoon Tea
I’ve always been partial to an afternoon tea (who doesn’t love finger sandwiches, scones and mini cakes?!) and it turns out it runs in the family as my girls love it too! They had their first kids afternoon tea at the OGH last year, and have talked about it repeatedly since, so they were super excited to be having it again.
We were shown to our table and the waitress immediately started chatting to my girls as she could see they were very excited and asked them what they would like to drink. They both jumped at the chance of a chocolate milkshake and once they arrived they declared them to be ”the best ever”! I opted for traditional breakfast tea, whereas my husband was very pleased to see that iced teas were on offer, and he chose a mango iced tea which he inhaled in seconds!
We ordered Deluxe Afternoon Teas for us, which cost £32.50 each (Prosecco and Champagne options available too) and the Children’s Afternoon Tea for both girls, costing £16.50 each. CLICK HERE to view the Afternoon Tea menu.
We were all expecting the food to be brought out on tiered stands, so it literally blew my girls’ minds when the food came out on miniature picnic tables. There was a terrific selection of food, including finger sandwiches, mini sausage rolls and savoury snacks, sweet treats including seasonal fruit tart (this was my favourite), coffee éclair, cake and more I didn’t catch the name of, and 2 delicious homemade scones with Guernsey butter, clotted cream and jam.
My girls have imposed rules on themselves that they must eat the sandwiches first, but as they contained Nutella, jam and cheese it certainly wasn’t a hardship, and they got through them in record time. They both ate their scone and 2 cakes and then had eyes bigger than their belly and could only take bites out of the remaining things. Unfortunately, they both ate the fruit tart, as I was sure I was going to get to steal them, no such luck!
We were given a box to take away the food we just couldn’t fit in, which was great, so we didn’t waste anything, and it’s safe to say we were all stuffed when we walked out an hour and a half after arriving.
5 stars from us!
I can be reluctant to spend a lot of money on kids food when we’re out, as one of my girls often wastes a lot of it, however, this was worth every penny as both my girls ate so much food. It certainly felt like more of an occasion than just a lunch out, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.
I highly recommend the Afternoon Tea at the Duke of Richmond for families in Guernsey, whether you’re looking for a holiday treat or, like us, for locals who are looking for something a little special.
To find out more, check out Duke of Richmond website HERE or call (0)1481 726 221 to book.
