Treat yourself to limited-edition Easter feasts – from indulgent afternoon tea to a cheeky chocolate squirrel
What to eat in Knightsbridge over the Easter holidays
There’s a lot to love about Easter. The days are warmer and brighter, a long bank holiday weekend looms and – suddenly – the shops are filled with cheerful pastel-coloured sweet treats and chocolate galore. With its high-end restaurants and shops, and flanked by leafy Hyde Park, Easter in Knightsbridge is a memorable experience. Here’s our pick of the best limited-edition treats in SW1 to make the season egg-stra special.
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London has a host of Easter surprises this year, starting with a seasonal edition of its award-winning afternoon tea. Served in its elegant tearoom, The Rosebery, the Easter twist comes with a Hyde Park-inspired chocolate bunny creation available to take home when booking afternoon tea in advance, plus a complimentary glass of Rosé Ruinart champagne if you book via this link over the Easter weekend (4-6 April). There will also be a selection of Easter-themed treats available to buy from their Mandarin Cake Shop, including an Easter egg and hot cross buns.
Even maverick chef Heston Blumenthal is getting in on the action at his eponymous Dinner by restaurant, with the addition of the historic Eggs in Verjuice dish to the à la carte menu – inspired by a recipe dating back to circa 1730. Only available over the Easter weekend, the dish comprises a delicately speckled shell that reveals coconut panna cotta and a bright citrus “yolk”, when cracked. Instagram Stories at the ready.
Make time to head downstairs to elegant Japanese restaurant and cocktail bar The Aubrey, where you can enjoy a complimentary cocktail when partaking of the Classic or Premium Izakaya, or Set Brunch menu. And, throughout the Easter weekend, The Aubrey will be serving an Easter version of its theatrical Death by Chocolate; a decadent dessert that’s doused in flames before your very eyes.
French pastry chef extraordinaire Cédric Grolet has also been getting crafty with chocolate this Easter. This year’s limited-edition treats at Cédric Grolet at The Berkeley (available from 16 March-7 April) include adorable squirrel and hazelnut figurines (priced at £65 and £45 respectively), made from either milk or dark chocolate with hazelnut praline and fleur de sel.
The five-star Bvlgari Hotel has gone for a traditional Italian Colomba classic Easter cake; comprising light fluffy dough that takes around 60 hours to finesse, with crunchy candied orange peel and an almond praline glaze. There’s also a luxurious Italian influence in the hotel’s Easter Egg offering, which balances raspberry, toasted Sicilian almonds and delicate caramelised almond notes that bring depth and texture. Both are priced at £75 and £90 for the smaller and larger sizes respectively.
Indeed, while chocolate may be a multi-million-pound industry at this time of year, springtime is also when one has permission to indulge in seasonal bread and pastries. Get a waft of some freshly baked goodies at Harrods’ Roastery & Bake Hall on the Ground Floor. The new Easter range includes spiced hot cross buns and the all-new Patisserie Petals in enticing flavours such as raspberry and lemon, milk chocolate and hazelnut, and muscovado caramel. Divine.
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