Blythswood Square Town House offers one of those grand hotel salons where it is perfectly acceptable to lounge around for the afternoon dressed in your best outfit. The room overlooking the east side of the square was the clubhouse for The Royal Scottish Automobile Club in a previous life before finding itself as the centre point of a five star hotel.
We recently took the opportunity to recline on a sofa in our finery while enjoying their afternoon tea in a bright corner decorated in rich purple fabrics, white pillars and Oriental art.
It’s fancy without feeling too formal and staid – the friendly staff help to make the glam setting more comfortable.
In the evening well-heeled barflies sip Ketel One and tonic on high stools and trade business banter. The afternoons are the preserve of groups of friends ready for a procession of cakes and sandwiches on tiered stands.
For £28 per person you experience a bit of food as theatre. For £10.75 you can add a glass of Moët & Chandon Champagne, which we did.
The exact constituent parts of your afternoon tea varies but it is all impeccably presented and dainty.
Here’s what we had:
Smoked Scottish Salmon and Atlantic prawn wrap
Roast Scottish beef and horseradish sandwich on brown bread
Warm red pepper and Parmesan tart
Spring onion and chive cream cheese with cucumber on brioche
Mini haggis bonbon with grain mustard mayo
Cucumber sandwiches are surely not on many people’s favourites list but they are part of the whole afternoon tea ritual. The rest of the platter was subtly tasty, with the mini haggis bonbon a stand-out hit. It was delicious – we’d gladly chow down on a popcorn sized tub of these perfectly spiced morsels.
Next up the obligatory mini sultana and plain scones with clotted cream and preserves.
Then there’s the sweet stuff.
Salted caramel chocolate tart
Cranachan and Drambuie macaron
Pistachio cake
Mini Victoria sponge
Lemon meringue cone
We’d like a large slab of their Victoria sponge based on the taster portion provided. The salted caramel tart was saved till last and didn’t disappoint.
Afterwards, relax with a pot of Early Grey, Darjeeling or Assam tea. One of the best afternoon treats in the city.