Last week a little news bite popped up in our inbox, generally, if it has any mention of afternoon tea in the subject line you can be guaranteed our attention. Being shameless, self confessed sugar fiends the sighting of a new afternoon tea in town led to a swift booking for the weekend. If you are a regular reader you will know we don’t often drag any mini reviewers along, however as this was The Dylan we made an exception. Our mini critic’s last similar outing had been to Tankardstown house which is quite a different offering.

Tucked away in Eastmoreland Place (around the corner from legendary Dublin bar Searsons) The Dylan offers up many unexpected surprises, not least in its uber chic and contemporary decor with plush and luxurious seating and every inch of the place oozing sophisticated glamour. Not exactly a kids playground but definitely an adults one. That said the staff could not have been anymore friendly and accommodating to our little plus one.

Unlike a lot of Afternoon Tea settings the Dylan’s is a very relaxed affair, you are encouraged to sample a glass of bubbly (or two), sit back and while away a few hours of pure indulgence. This we liked a lot, no stuffy formality, just a fun environment where you can slouch into the comfy seating. The little critic could not partake in the bubbles, so she opted for a freshly pressed apple juice instead presented in a very Dylan fashion. There is a choice between house brewed coffee or a selection of speciality teas from Java Republic, a wild berry and organic black tea ticked the box for us and are topped up as regularly as you want. We had arrived to test out their latest Afternoon tea offer, kicking off the festive season from now until Christmas you can sample their “Naughty or Nice” menu (€40) which plays on if you have been bad or good , with small bites of oreo bon bons resembling coals and Cocoa Atelier white chocolate truffles for for the little angels in us.

The Afternoon Tea itself is served in the Library room and as anyone who has visited the Dylan on previous occasions will know no area in this hotel is anything less than impeccable.  Two towers of treats arrived, all freshly prepared by the team, one thing you need to be when you dine here is hungry as they may look like small portions but as is often the case looks can be deceiving! Beginning with the bottom tier we tucked into some slivers of Smoked Salmon on brown bread with pickled red onion and capers, topped with a beautiful creamy chive crème fraiche. The obligatory egg mayonnaise made an appearance but it was the Turkey and Cranberry sandwiches with the welcome addition ofsome chestnut that really had that Christmas flavour. A final taste of Beetroot and Goatscheese ended our savoury affair on delicious note, every Afternoon tea should include this little marriage made in heaven.

We left the scones to last and delved straight into the naughty with our Oreo bon bons, best coal ever tasted according to our mini reviewer. The Chocolate Yule Log will bring back many happy memories for most; especially for marzipan hating kids like ourselves, rich chocolate butter cream with a velvety chocolate mousse filling and seasonal little edible snowflakes. Finishing off our naughty treats were two decadent Black Forest Gateaux puddings, with a generous dash of sherry, not one for the kids although it may have counteracted the sugar rush.

The “nice” tier was almost as debauched as the naughty one; two pretty White Chocolate Truffles were demolished in record time, with us moving swiftly on to our festive classic of Christmas Pudding , a welcome touch of some brandy snap cream sat atop. No Christmas themed menu would be complete without a quintessential Trifle; jelly, fresh fruit, custard and cream, simple and true to its original.

Before we ventured on to our scones and clotted cream a much needed top up of tea was required, along with a slight loosening of the belt. What stood out the most for us in the Dylan was the service, food can be a fantastic but it is people who bring it to life and leave a lasting memory of a great afternoon. Lazy Sundays are all about chilling out and indulging a little, for us this was a fun afternoon doing something a little different, with no fuss or pomp, just the kind of “naughty” day out we love.

Dylan hotel’s “Naughty or Nice” Afternoon Tea is available from Friday, 28th November until January, 6th January and costs €40pp.

This is a Naughty Taste we highly recommend.

Dylan Hotel
Eastmoreland Place
Dublin 4
T: +353 1 6603000
E: justask@dylan.ie
www.dylan.ie