LAGUNA BAR’S G & TEA | FOOD REVIEW
Laguna Bar, Park Plaza, Cardiff. 029 2011 1103 / www.lagunakitchenandbar.com
I’m not really a ‘lady who lunches’. I don’t take afternoons off for cream teas, I don’t meet up with my gaggle of girlfriends to gossip over scones and I would much rather a full blown meal to classic finger sandwiches. I am, however, pretty partial to a gin, so when I was told that Laguna bar was joining up with Hendrick’s Gin for a ‘G & Tea’-themed afternoon tea I was sold.
For £21.95 per person you are served a three-tier platter of all the things you’d expect (cucumber sandwiches, macaroons, scones) and an elegant teapot full of a Hendrick’s Elderflower Collins – a gin cocktail containing elderflower and maraschino liqueur, lemon juice and soda. A very generous serving of a refreshing and tasty drink, it was a subtle combination in which the sharp lemon flavour was counteracted by the bitter edge of the elderflower – it tasted a bit like homemade lemonade, with a bit of a naughty side.
The food was equally well done. We started at the bottom with the finger sandwiches (local smoked salmon, cucumber with dill and cream cheese, egg mayonnaise with cress and home roasted ham) – none of them were anything mindblowing, but well balanced and tasty, with not a crust in sight.
We went on to test the scones with the traditional twist-test (a decent scone should fall into two parts easily when twisted): they passed, and were served with classic jam and clotted cream.
We finished with the top layer of sweet treats which included Shrek-coloured macaroons (which exhibited the perfect ratio of sweet and chewy), chocolate opera gateau (beautifully layered but overpowered with a coffee flavour that wasn’t to my taste) and an absolutely delectable strawberry tart filled with champagne pastry cream (which I would certainly order again).
My favourite piece of food, however, was a lime jelly topped with mint and cucumber Chantilly cream. Not only did it look like something out of a laboratory, the flavoursome jelly was deliciously balanced with the minted cream – which my partner described as ‘mojito cream’.
We left very satisfied by the selection of food that was served to us, and pretty jolly after several teacups full of that delicious cocktail. If you’re looking for an elegant way to spend your afternoon, but want a kick to your meal, Laguna’s G & Tea has the perfect mix.
words HEATHER ARNOLD