It's SUCH a British thing, isn't it? Sitting there, sipping tea, nibbling on scones and having a cheerio-pip-pip ol' time. I wish there was an Afternoon Tea National Holiday, how amazing would that be?
A day dedicated to scone and mini-cake eating. You can get on that, can't you? I sure can.
This day was made a hundred times brighter (despite bloomin' Storm Doris) as we had reservations to have said Afternoon Tea at Six, which is the restaurant in the Baltic in Newcastle.
The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art is on the River Tyne and is home to lots of ever-changing art exhibitions and workshops. Since opening in 2002, it's had over 6 million visitors venture through their floors of art, which for a town in the North East - is pretty incredible.
Six is, as you probably have guessed, is on the sixth floor of the Baltic overlooking the river and surrounding city and boy, is it stunning. With ceiling to floor windows and a sophisticated atmosphere, it was super relaxing being seated at the windows watching the drops of the rain.
Greeted by smiling staff, we were given the menu to have a ponder over and see what delights we would be facing that afternoon. Carli opted for a classic, good old Yorkshire tea whilst I opted for a Peppermint because I've always had a soft spot for a minty tea since my days as a Tea Lady.
Our Afternoon Tea was brought out on it's stand and my eyes went super googly-eyed immediately. So many treats for us to devour! One of my favorite things about having an Afternoon Tea is just how relaxing it is. There's no rush and you can eat as slow as you like without any pressure of a next course, and that's exactly what we did.
Now, I'm a little bit picky when it comes to sandwiches (always have been) but the staff were super accommodating to my tastes, so major kudos for that. I was a little bit awkward and asked for plain meat sandwiches (i.e. no egg or sauces) and they were just as tasty as I'd imagined. They didn't make me feel like I was being a pain, which always makes me nervous to ask!
There was also a quiche included in the afternoon tea alongside the three finger sandwiches, which I felt was such a cute and different touch. I love it when the classic is shaken up a bit.
Gosh. I love scones. As long as they are absolutely lathered in clotted cream and jam, I am sold. Although I would rather have a plain scone (GOD I'M SO AWKWARD), this one was a little party in my mouth. Can I just please sip tea and eat scones all day? Please? Somebody make that happen. Professional Afternoon Tea Reviewer?
Because of my nut intolerance, I had to skip on one of the desserts but the rest were purely delightful. I went in for the little meringue first, which was delicious and then the fruity, jelly, mousse-y thing. But my favourite, my FAVOURITE, was the salted caramel brownie. NOM.
If they'd done a giant one of these as a dessert, I woulda ordered it in a flash.
We sat there with protruding bellies and sleepy eyes. Gosh, Afternoon Tea really does knock it out of you doesn't it? I'm sure we'd have preferred a cheeky hour nap rather than a painful hour train ride home, but nevertheless!
We had such a wonderful time at Six and I would go back in a heartbeat for lunch or dinner sometime. It's the perfect location to take a friend, a parent or a significant other. Calming and charming at the same time.
What is your favorite part of an Afternoon Tea?
Megan. xo
*All these goodies were provided by The Baltic, opinions are still my own. Please read my disclaimer here for further information*