Afternoon tea has long been a celebratory staple, but now you can head to Revolución de Cuba in Norwich for a Cuban twist on the British institution. Tania Lawrence checked out the brand new offering along with tapas
Once we arrived at Revolución de Cuba excitedly for our afternoon tea, we followed our host outside to a group of three small cabanas. These were situated around a shared outdoor seating area adorned with large plants along with the wooden tables, barrels and chairs.
For my outing, myself and seven other guests, were given the Workshop cabana. We entered what looked like a converted shed and oh Dios mio! The interior was amazing. A long and colourfully decorated table sat in the centre with chairs all around, outfitted with vibrant plant print cushions.
The space had a wonderful outdoors-meets-vintage theme. Hanging mason jar lanterns, an old radio and vintage art works, beautifully presented amongst fairy lights, lush greenery and eye-catching knick-knacks. Latin music filled the room, loud enough to attempt dance to but not so loud we had to shout to hear each other.
When we were all seated, we enjoyed cocktails: Raspberry Coladas and Navy Fruit Punch. These were served in large tea pots and accompanied with ice filled cups (a nod to afternoon tea), and garnished with pineapple and raspberries.
Personally I preferred the Colada, a great raspberry twist on a Pina Colada. The Fruit Punch had a citrusy sweet kick, a tasty concoction of grapefruit soda with rum, banana liqueur, passionfruit and pineapple.
We ordered two large plates heaped with spicy nachos and creamy guacamole, then two large dishes of vegetable skewers and vegetarian paella - both were delicious.
Then the main event, tapas! Pork skewers, Gambas Pil Pil or prawns in garlic and chilli sauce, patatas bravas, Latin style meatballs, Cajun cream mushrooms, a board of crusty bread with cheese and mixed vegetables and halloumi. All arrived in massive bowls with small dishes for us to chow on at our leisure. And we did.
The food was exquisite all had that touch of Cuban style spice. The garlic aioli came in handy at times to help cool some of the heat (for those, like me, with a low spice tolerance).
We were all happy at the amount of food on offer and that all dietary needs were catered for. I was not left wanting for anything as there were plenty of plant based dishes with great flavours and decent portion sizes.
We sampled the range of drinks including Strawberry Daiquiri, gin and tonic, Mojito and, my favourite, the decadent Espresso Rumtini. If you’re a fan of rum then this is one to try. We also had some chocolate covered espresso beans to nibble.
For those choosing not to drink you can also have the classic cup of tea which comes accompanied with its own mini bottle of milk and small chocolate brownie.
After a satisfying loosening of our belts, it was time for dessert.
Presented in the typical afternoon tea style, two stands were placed in the centre the table. One filled with crispy churros and three pots of dipping sauce; chocolate, strawberry and caramel. The second stand had chocolate brownies on the top tier and vegan chocolate and raspberry slices on the bottom tier. Both cakes were melt-in-the-mouth moist and rich in flavour, with the latter enhanced with a hint of lemon in the cake.
In the middle tier were strawberries and a small pot of sugar, which to our surprise were told were to be taken with our strawberry tequila shots which arrived soon after. Not usually much of a fan of tequila shots but the strawberry flavour was actually very nice and a perfect way to finish up the evening.
From our arrival to our stumbling exit with our full bellies, the staff were welcoming, helpful, patient and understanding. We were never left waiting or confused, they talked through all the food and drinks on offer and were keen to hear feedback.
The Revolución de Cuba tapas afternoon tea gets two thumbs up from me. Me gusta!
The afternoon tea is priced at £28.95 per person (£32.95 on Saturdays)
