Allowing us to engage in a serious flight of fancy was the Alice in Wonderland themed Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, at the Design Hotel’s Annam Café. Hosted by Sunita Choraria, Tina Malhotra and Farah Danani, the evening was certainly one we wont soon forget.
Looking like a page right out of the famous book, the familiar space was transformed beyond recognition. Creepers seemed to blossom right out of the woodwork, incandescent lights cast a sparkle over the room and ticking clocks, giant rabbits and lopsided crockery added to the optical illusion, making us wonder if we’d had one mimosa too many.
My favourite part were the lovely headpieces specially designed by ‘Little Shilpa’ that we got to pick out for ourselves, while we enjoyed the more imaginative versions on the real life mannequins who appeared almost part of the décor.
While the invitation may have been for ‘tea and some cakes’, the lavish spread by Aditi Dugar turned out to be as imaginative as the theme itself. The founder of Sage and Saffon, Aditi ensured a royal treat with an assortment of bite sized nibbles. My favourite included the Pesto-Mozarella waffle sandwiches, Kadafi brie with Cherry Chutney, and of course the clotted cream scones. High tea wouldn’t be complete without it. After we’d had our fill, and the afternoon turned to evening, a few steps outside had us wondering if the whole thing had been a dream. Here’s to our next trip down the rabbit hole!
