When you think of the Cat and Fiddle you might think of late nights throwing back pints of Guinness, or maybe their Sunday roasts. Now you can also enjoy a civilized afternoon tea with three tiers of traditional treats. We were recently invited to try out the experience in their relatively new location. The Fiddle’s baked goods are as good as any bakery. The orange-glazed scones are proper British scones, not the cake-like pastries Americans call scones. Naturally, it was accompanied by clotted cream and their own homemade cinnamon orange marmalade, making it technically a “cream tea.”
Also stellar is the traditional Tottenham Cake, a classic sponge cake topped with pink icing. But what really blew me away was the shortbread, which was tender and buttery, but strong enough to be cut out with a whimsical cookie cutter without crumbling. As you might expect, the sausage roll, wrapped in flaky pastry, was also absolute perfection. The tea was rounded out by a trio of little crustless tea sandwiches — curried egg salad, minted cucumber with marscapone, and their tender roast beefwith a jalapeno jelly and grilled onions.
And what is tea without a hot cuppa? Served piping hot, PG Tips black English tea is the perfect accompaniment, but if you prefer you can order Earl Grey, Chamomile, or Peppermint. Hell, order a Guinness if you feel like it. Afternoon tea is offered Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 4 pm. and costs $38 per person.
This place is one of my favorite restaurants in LA. The steak and kidney pie is to die for.