Afternoon tea at the Lace Market Hotel

In the heart of Nottingham’s historic Lace Market you’ll find the gorgeous Lace Market Hotel, an iconic boutique hotel which reopened after major refurbishment under new management in 2015. In addition to its comfortable and stylish rooms, the hotel also has a traditional pub, restaurant and cocktail bar onsite, and is renowned for its traditional afternoon teas – ideal for a special occasion or any time you’re looking for a treat. We recently visited with some colleagues to try the afternoon tea for ourselves, after hearing so many great things about it, and we certainly weren’t disappointed. Merchant’s Restaurant at the Lace Market Hotel is a beautiful space, with large windows overlooking the grounds of historic church St Mary’s, stylish light fittings, wooden floors and statement art. It was the ideal setting for a special afternoon tea, and the service was fantastic, as the waitress explained the menu to us and agreed to work out the sandwich fillings for our party so that everyone had something they were able to enjoy. The savoury sandwiches were freshly prepared and full of classic flavours such as cream cheese and cucumber, egg and cress, and smoked salmon with dill crème fraiche. After enjoying these it was time for the fruit and plain scones. The scones were huge, and beautifully warm, fresh from the oven, served with strawberry & champagne jam and proper clotted cream. I could easily have stopped there, as the scones were absolutely perfect, but the rest of the sweet treats on our three-tier stand were calling me. Mini Victoria sponge cakes, black cherry macaroons and triple chocolate mousse were on the menu. The standout was the triple chocolate mousse, layers of white, milk and dark chocolate – beautifully rich, and just the right size, served in dainty glasses which we all scraped clean. If you’re looking to treat someone special or for a relaxed and fun afternoon with friends, the Lace Market Hotel afternoon tea is a real treat. It’s available daily between 12pm and 5pm, and bottles of bubbles are also available if you want to upgrade. It’s great value at 14.50 per person, which of course also includes your selection of coffee or tea. Find out more and book your visit at www.lacemarkethotel.co.uk