8th September - 4th November 2026. From £85 per person
Sandwiches
Coronation Chicken
Inspired by Rudyard Kipling’s Anglo-Indian adventures which shaped his stories. Roasted Suffolk Chicken, Golden Raisins, Aromatic Curry Mayonnaise, Gem Lettuce, Fragrant Bread
Cured Smoked Salmon
Inspired by W.B. Yeats and his enduring connection to Ireland’s landscapes and traditions. Cured Smoked Salmon, Horseradish Crème Fraîche, Wild Rocket, Rye Sourdough
Cacklebean Egg Mayonnaise
Inspired by vegetarian George Bernard Shaw’s belief that exceptional ingredients speak for themselves. Cacklebean Free-Range Egg Mayonnaise, Mustard Cress, Soft White Bread
English Cucumber & Elderflower
Inspired by Oscar Wilde, who immortalised the humble cucumber sandwich in The Importance of Being Earnest. English Cucumber, Elderflower-Pickled Shallots, Cultured Cream Cheese, Soft White Bread
Cured Ham, Truffle Mascarpone & Marinated Fig
Inspired by Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, and its themes of luxury, sensuality and decadence. Aged Cured Ham, Truffle Mascarpone, Marinated Fig, Toasted Brioche
Scones
The Bloomsbury Scone
Victorian Raisin Classic Scone. Traditional Strawberry Preserve & Seasonal Fig Jam. The humble scone has its own place in literary tradition. Freshly baked, it evokes the country-house rituals of afternoon tea immortalised by writers including Jane Austen and E. M. Forster, where hospitality, conversation and etiquette were central to society. Strawberry evokes the romance of the English garden, while fig offers a nod to the mythology of the classical world that inspired writers from Chaucer to Shakespeare and beyond.
Tea Tip
JING Tea Jin Xuan Milk Oolong
Silky and naturally creamy, Jin Xuan Milk Oolong brings the literary journey from page to table, its gentle sweetness complementing the chocolate, caramel and vanilla flavours while cleansing the palate.
JING Darjeeling Empyrean
With grape sweetness, notes of toasted hay and hops and hints of muscatel, this light and highly fragrant black tea brings the literary journey from page to table, its uplifting character cleansing the palate between each savoury chapter.
SWEETS
Dorian’s Gilded Mirror
Inspired by Wilde’s tale of eternal beauty, decadence and hidden truths, this mirror is crafted with a lustrous plum glaze, delicately finished with shimmering gold chocolate. Beneath its captivating surface lies a darker, indulgent heart of honey mousse, spiced plum and delicate almond sponge.
Mrs Dalloway’s Hat
A flower-adorned hat brings Virginia Woolf’s elegant London to life, inspired by Clarissa Dalloway’s flower-buying morning in the hours before her party. Fresh blooms give way to vanilla sablé, hazelnut mousse, orange marmalade and nut praline.
The Secret Letter
A wax-sealed letter in patisserie form channels the intrigue of le Carré’s espionage novels, nodding to both George Smiley’s world of tradecraft and Café Royal’s long association with the Crime Writers' Association. Break the seal to reveal layers of Earl Grey tea mousse, Pink Lady apple compote, cheesecake sablé and buttery streusel.
The Café Royal Library
Three edible books bring Wilde, Woolf and le Carré together, their very different worlds united in a final chapter of dark chocolate mousse, vanilla salted caramel, vanilla crémeux and crisp sponge.