Prêt-a-Portea at The Berkeley is the place to go to for an elegant, fashion-inspired afternoon tea in London.
Located in the Collins Room of the Berkeley, Prêt-à-Portea is such a treat, serving up tasty canapés, savouries, finger sandwiches, divine sweet pastries & loose leaf teas.
You can also order a glass of Champagne for added luxury. There are 3 types of Champagne to pick from as part of their set menu.
The couture cakes are inspired by top fashion designers, from Gucci to Stella Mc Cartney, to Ganni and more.
These cakes change with each season’s selected fashion collection.
The pastry genius behind Prêt-à-Portea is Mourad Khiat.
Feast your eyes on this made-to-share red velvet mascarpone mousse, finished with a chocolate truffle riding hat. This is Prêt-à-Portea’s seasonal centrepiece, straight from Gucci’s 100th anniversary collection.
Here’s the matching Gucci outfit 
This is a Valentino Haute Couture 2021 cape. See how it’s been interpreted as an afternoon tea cake.
Here it is, the dramatic fuchsia cape reinterpreted as a pomegranate mousse and fig compote, set on a chocolate sablé and topped with a chocolate frill. They sit alongside delicately spiced and intricately iced biscuits of Iris Apfel, featured with her iconic red lipstick and oversized glasses.
On the bottom tier of the cake stand is:
A Pink Lady apple pavlova that’s a nod to Giambattista Valli,
A hazelnut dacquoise with salted caramel, encased with Valrhona chocolate mousse with a passion fruit crème diplomate and a chocolate shard inspired by Ganni.
Here’s the Giambattista Valli outfit.
This is the Ganni look.
The middle tier of the cake stand features
A velvety mandarin cheesecake with orange confit on chocolate sable topped with a Dulcey cream and oversized chocolate hat, inspired by Balenciaga.
A cinnamon chocolate blondie encased with Ivoire chocolate, finished with desiccated coconut, inspired by fendi’s iT bag.
Here’s the Balenciaga outfit,
and the Fendi bag.
This gorgeous psychedelic disco jumpsuit in shades of glittery navy and turquoise is by Stella Mc Cartney. See the cake inspired by this outfit below.
Here it is. A cassis mousse with blackcurrant jelly and a zigzag of Joconde sponge.
There’s an amazing tea menu to select from. Our favourite was the Phoenix Honey Orchid tea, a rich tea with the aromas of roasted nuts, fruit, flowers and honey.
Prêt-à-Portea has become our family’s annual favourite afternoon tea to visit around the festive season. They do run the afternoon tea all year, so do check it out. It’s definitely a treat not to be missed.
Happy 2022 everyone.
( All photos are by Geraldine Tan, editor of Little Big Bell)