10 London ritzy treats on Mother’s Day

I know that sometimes she was somehow snappish, sometimes moody and often too tired to join you in all your childhood’s extraordinary adventures as you were growing up. You vividly remember her scary look every time she caught you jumping on her bed or your unhappiness when she was cutting on that strawberry ice-cream during the long weeks of fever and sore throat…Later on, she didn’t allow you (the exploring, almost omnipotent and eager teenager), to stay a little longer out partying with friends. She also got you grounded for days for a random rather poor math test result. Oh, Salinger was right, mothers are all slightly insane…

Yet, if there is one person today who deserves to be completely surprised and spoilt rotten on Mother’s Day, then it must be the one who skipped a few good years of decent rest during her journey of lumpish motherhood. It must be the one who rocked you to sleep while worrying over tomorrow’s school days, lunches, winter boots, entertaining family holidays and vitamin D intakes. The one and only restless mind in the house creating mental shopping lists at 3am. Because raising children was a beautiful dream she had accomplished, yet she needed hundreds of litres of strong coffee to stay on top of things. Because you were not easy.

So here it is…Your chance to make it up for all your mischievous challenges along the way; your chance to give a little in return for the measureless comfort of her warm arms, those very arms which have been teaching you countless out-of-bounds life lessons…

1. Afternoon tea at The Langham

One of my top darling hidden corners of mad London; the place where time stops, where flower decorations overwhelm with pulchritude and colour and piano notes work as a staggering therapy for your mood…As an inordinate lover of beauty, I find myself looking for excuses to return here over and over again and retell its story to all my guests…This is the birthplace of the Afternoon Tea tradition itself, Palm Court has been serving tea to the cream of London society since the Victorian era. Your mum will most definitely enjoy going through a selection of so many gorgeous tea blends, cakes that first will go on your social media platforms as they will be too pretty to be eaten first, quirky pastries, and oh my God, the scones, pure bliss!! This will be the most sumptuous afternoon tea you will find in London, created by the one and only Cherish Finden (the Global Chef Award winner 2015 and UK Pastry Chef of the Year 2012).

 Photo source: The Palm Court

2. Brunching at Nama in Notting Hill

There is nothing else in London like Nama in Notting Hill. Every dish is a piece of art, the colours, the techniques, the staff…Raw talent. They like to think of themselves of something of a raw food nirvana and I must say, your mum may be pretty impressed with the healthiest choice you just made choosing a healthy brunch or scrumptious dinner at Nama’s. Or, why not going the extra mile and beyond dining opt for a raw food fun course with one of their amazing raw vegan chefs, while learning about raw food cleanses, juice cleanses, and pretty much anything raw food lifestyle related (I admit it, I am a bit of a Nama Instagram stalker, so much cool stuff on their Insta profile to motivate and inspire me, but shhh). And don’t forget, ‘whether you eat a 100% raw food diet, a high proportion of raw food, or just a little bit here and there, it can have amazing health benefits’ (Nama).

Photo source: Nama Foods

3.  ‘Countryside-city’ break at The Quince Tree at Clifton Nurseries

I have been here so many times and everytime I think I’m yet eager for one more experience. If you’re craving too for a bit of countryside feel but you’re being stuck in the city, look no further. The Quince Tree Café is set in the multi-award winning Clifton Nurseries – London’s oldest garden centre and ‘surely one of the most tranquil spots in the capital’. Located in the fashionable Maida Vale area, you and your mum may enjoy a selection of savoury treats and finest teas and coffees, along with daily specials created in their own kitchens. Regardless, having brunch here is a must.

Photo source The Quince Tree 

4. A royal treat at the Kensington Palace Orangery

If you’re a true foodie and in search of a truly British experience, this is the place that will tick all your boxes. It is the only royal palace in London where you can enjoy a traditional afternoon tea. Imposing colonnades, vaulted ceilings and a spacious terrace make it a lovely place to stop for a royal treat.

Photo source: Kensington Palace Orangery

5. Cocktails at The Ritz

There is little to top the glamour of the Rivoli Bar. Art Deco in its design, patterned mirrors and an under-lit bar, The Rivoli will offer you a cocktail experience you’ll always remember. If your mum is one for the cocktails, she will easily and fully indulge in this beauteously exclusive treat. She will thank you for your high-class choice and I’m sure, return with her girlfriends soon.

Photo source: The Ritz London

6. The timeless gift of photography

If not really a foodie, yet looking to make this day a memorable treat, why not offer the timeless gift of photography? Maybe a mother and (now a grown up) offspring session is exactly what she could appreciate and fully cherish. Anna Pawleta, by far one of my favourite London photographers, could cheer up her photo albums you’ll get to enjoy even more in the next few decades…

Photo credit: Anna Pawleta Photography

7. Swimming on top of the world. Spa at The Berkeley’s

Spa break on a rooftop swimming pool…in London, not Athens! Gosh, say no more…Found on the 7th floor of a 5* luxury hotel, beyond the hotel’s secret garden, The Berkeley is home to one of London’s rare rooftop pools. Don’t worry if any scary clouds threaten your experience on Mother’s day, the pool sits beneath a sliding retractable roof. I need to visit them with my mum!

Photo source: Telegraph

8. Dinner at Roux at the Landau

I could not take this plush London corner off my Mother’s Day treat list. Not now when father and son Albert and Michel Roux Jr are working together for the first time in over 20 years in a new collaboration at The Langham, London. Free dinner on me if your mum will not be gorgeously overwhelmed by the lavish creativity of the Roux dishes!

  Photo source: Roux at The Landau

9. Theatre with a friend. The Matthew Perry treat

If you haven’t seen it already, now it’s the best opportunity to take your loved mum to a brilliant show: The End of Longing. This could be a winner, I mean, who doesn’t like Matthew Perry? And yes, you will see a lot of him…The ‘Friends’ superstar is now leading the cast in the World Premiere of his playwriting debut at the Playhouse Theatre from 2 February – 14 May 2016. Just in time for Mother’s Day.

Photo source: The End of Longing

10. High fashion with Alexander McQueen at the V&A Museum

If there is still enough time for you and your mum to spend together (after a ritzy afternoon tea and theatre treat), the V&A Museum’s much-awaited Alexander McQueen’s Savage Beauty exhibition opens just the day before Mother’s Day. Celebrating the extraordinary creative talent of one of the most innovative designers of recent times, the exhibition is the first and largest retrospective of McQueen’s work to be presented in Europe. From £17.50, pre-booking recommended, 14 March-2 August at Victoria & Albert Museum

 Photo source: Vogue

So, cool mums and bumps, share your Mother’s Day classy ideas and spread the love this March…

Aly