A few weeks back all my daughters were home in Cardiff for the same weekend and so we’d planned a double birthday celebration girls’day out.

We started off with a few cocktail teapots in Revolucion de Cuba and then mosied on over to The Park Plaza feeling just the nice side of squiffy. We were booked in for their Champagne Afternoon Tea and I’m really glad we sorted it out in advance as it’s clearly a popular venue and so quite full. A glass of Mercier was brought over to our table with the tea menu by a really smiley and friendly waiter (whose name I’ve forgotten even though I promised myself I wouldn’t) and so our Tea-Fest began.I don’t know about you, but I always go for the scones first as if they’re nice and warm when they bring them over, then it seems daft to start with the sandwiches. Eating just-baked scones fresh out of the oven is a real treat so why let them go cold?!

I think this time is the first time I’ve actually not eaten everything as there seemed to be an awful lot of delish pastries and sarnies to get through. The Welsh Cakes we all agreed were probably the best we’ve ever tasted anywhere. We took our time and tried our best to clear the tiered plates of fancies but in the end we reluctantly gave up. Our lovely waiter packaged up a few of the cakes and we took them home for Mr. C instead. Win-Win!

If you book in for the Park Plaza Cardiff Christmas Afternoon Tea  you’ll get the usual range of delicious miniature pastries but with mince pies too, a selection of festive finger sandwiches and the scones are appropriately Christmas spiced cinnamon scone The Festive Afternoon Tea is only £15.00 per person and if you really want to treat yourself (and why not?) you can add on a chilled glass of Mercier for a Champagne Afternoon Tea for £21.00

Our next foray into the world of afternoon tea will be December 20th  when we’ll be going to the bijou and very lovely Pettigrew Tea Rooms next to Cardiff Castle  for our Wedding Anniversary Festive Tea. I can’t wait and am so looking forward to it, as last time we went there on a spontaneous visit, I loved it to bits. You can’t have champagne there but the ambience and olde-worlde meets new-worlde charm more than makes up for it. The sarnies are cut a little less delicately than Park Plaza and the slices of cake are huge, but hey, a change is as good as a rest!

So if you’re looking for champagne afternoon tea in Cardiff then the Park Plaza is definitely the place to go but if it’s just the usual tradional afternoon tea then you can’t beat the Pettigrew Tea Rooms.