From the beginning of November, you can experience a Carlton Tower Christmas as the Carlton Tower will be embracing the festive season in true-style from curated room packages to celebratory menus in their flagship restaurant Al Mare and The Chinoiserie. Also launching is a brand-new festive afternoon tea offering, created by the acclaimed pastry chef Jessica Prealpato, in the stunning Chinoiserie Afternoon Tea Room.
You are welcomed by a stunning Christmas tree and a floral installation in the lobby designed by McQueens Flowers. For the month of December, Christmas carols will be sung in the lobby weekly with choirs coming from local schools and accompanied by hot chocolate, mulled wine, and other seasonal treats.
A Carlton Tower Christmas – A new Tea Room
Newly launched is the Chinoiserie Tea Room, located on the ground floor next to The Chinoiserie. Expect a cosy, warm and inviting space with a blazing fire and chefs adding the final touches behind the pastry counter.
A new Festive Afternoon Tea menu, created by Jessica Prealpato, will debut in the Chinoiserie Tea Room from 17 November and will run until January. The space will be adorned with a beautiful festive floral display and will embody Jessica’s signature style, Desseralité, a mixture of the words ‘desert’ and ‘naturalité’, Jessica will preserve and enhance the entirety of the whole fruits and ingredients by adding a carefully selected layer of flavours, without compromising the key ingredient and its natural taste.
Similar to Jessica’s classic Afternoon Tea menu, ‘A Tribute To Nature’, the festive tea will continue to be inspired by the flora and botanics of the gardens of England. Starting with a palette cleanser of Mandarin sorbet, verbena oil and salted mandarin, this will be followed by the ‘Scone Experience’, a quartet of specially created scones, inspired with the flavours of Christmas. These scones include a classic version with clotted cream, a Dried Grapes scone with a Christmas condiment, a Chocolate scone with a truffle cremeux and a Chamomile scone with emulsified honeycomb.
Next up – patisserie! Be treated to Jessica’s take on a classic Kouglof as well as a Christmas pain perdu with a beer steamed meringue and créme Anglaise. To complete this culinary tea journey diners will finish with the dessert course of a centrepiece Christmas Log, an Orange and Mandarin tart with hot wine jelly, roasted apple with chestnut mousse and a classic King Galette – the traditional French dessert with a ‘favour’ to be found in every slice. Jessica’s Afternoon Tea will be accompanied by a selection of teas chosen for their natural wellness benefits and superior flavours, and you can choose to add a glass of Billecart-Salmon or Dom Perignon Champagne and even a full wine list to complete the experience.
A Carlton Tower Christmas – something to take home
For those who want more of Jessica’s masterpieces over the festive season, there will be a brand-new festive pop-up shop to purchase her treats from The Chinoiserie Tea Room. Choose from a variety of handmade creations including the Christmas Log, ‘King’ Galette des Rois, Kouglof, Stollen, Christmas Biscuits, and even a Gingerbread House Kit. Jessica’s patisserie makes for the perfect present for a foodie friend or the stunning centrepiece at any Christmas table. These treats will also be available for delivery too.
The Carlton Tower Jumeirah will also debut a King Galette des Rois, created by their resident pastry chef and former World’s Best Pastry Chef Jessica Prealpato. The Carlton Tower Jumeirah has partnered with their Knightsbridge neighbour Boodles to offer guests the chance to win a Boodles Roulette diamond pendant, worth £2800. This traditional French dessert with buttery puff pastry and a sweet almond frangipane has a signature Prealpato twist of a honey glaze and a puffed pumpkin seed and linseeds topping and will be available from December 12th to Epiphany on January 6th. The dessert is typically shared at Epiphany and celebrates the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem and their offering of gifts, therefore, each galette will have a small fève carefully baked into its layers, with one being the prized Boodles token.
Christmas Dining at Al Mare
Executive Chef Marco Calenzo has created a triumphant six course menu, great for those who want to avoid turkey and are looking for something extra special this year. The menu will be available from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day and is full of Italian flair and sophistication. The Al Mare Christmas menu is priced at £155 per person, which includes a glass of Franciacorta on arrival, with the option to add a curated wine pairing for £105 per person.
To begin there will be Duck Foie Gras Torchon, passito wine, cider apple, amaretto & ‘stravecchio’ balsamic vinegar, followed by Shichirin roasted octopus with saffron rice & rosemary salmoriglio, with a third course of Guinea Fowl tortellini, egg Stracciatella consommé and Perigord black truffle. Next, that two-year aged risotto with radicchio tardivo, Castelmagno cheese & mustard pear and Salt marsh lamb rack with bonito agebitashi and mint jus conclude the savoury courses, with a Cognac-soaked baba, chestnut, citrus salad & refreshing sorbet rounding off the meal.
New Year’s Eve 2022
Marco has been hard at work and created a luxurious seven course menu, priced at £225 per person with an option to add a wine pairing for £106, which begins with a glass of Franciacorta on arrival. Highlights from the feast include Duck Foie Gras, Smoked blue lobster tart with avocado and Imperial Caviar, Carbonara parcel agnolotti, Organic duck with satzuma, turnip, peara & sauce Bigarade and much more.
End the evening with a live band to add to the celebratory atmosphere on the run up to midnight followed by a DJ to celebrate the New Year 2023 until the early hours.
To experience a Carlton Tower Christmas, visit: jumeirah.com
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All imagery courtesy of Jumeirah Hotels.