It’s your chance to get an exclusive glimpse inside one of London’s most iconic buildings.
Post-work Friday drinks are a time-honoured London tradition – but we’re always looking for ways to make those sessions just a little more special. Luckily, we’ve found just the event. The Houses of Parliament are opening up their doors on Friday evenings this summer, inviting you in for an exclusive guided tour and three course dinner in the House of Lords. So, for your chance to lord it over your friends, it’s the only place to be.
To honour the 200th birthdays of both Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the Houses of Parliament have launched the ‘Royalty and Splendour Tour and Dinner’. Taking place on June 28th, July 12th, and July 19th, this unmissable experience will give you a unique (and highly delicious) peek inside the corridors of power.
Your suave soiree begins with a guided tour of your splendid digs for the evening. Over the course of an hour, you’ll follow in the footsteps of the Queen herself, as you’re ushered along the processional route Her Majesty walks at the State Opening of Parliament. Featuring sights such as the Queen’s Robing Room, Royal Gallery, Prince’s Chamber, and the breathtaking Lord’s Chamber itself, it’s an unforgettable pre-dinner treat. (It’ll also put your own office to shame, unfortunately, but the experience is definitely worth the envy.)
So, that’s the Royalty part of the tour done and dusted – the Splendour, meanwhile, arrives in the form of a top-notch dinner. Victorian-inspired menus are complemented with a range of fabulous ingredients from around the United Kingdom, to create a quintessentially British dining experience. Oh, and each course is inspired by a different royal residence – so you’ll literally be dining like royalty!
The dinner takes place in the Barry Room, an elegant space that’s only fitting for esteemed visitors such as yourselves. Once you’ve been welcomed with a gin or non-alcoholic cocktail, it’s time to join the feast. First up is a Cream of Wye asparagus soup, complemented by a Kentish lettuce salad and Bristol blue cheese puffs – evoking the happy married life of Victoria and Albert at Buckingham Palace.
Next up is a main course inspired by Balmoral Castle, the royal “paradise in the Highlands”. Cotswold White chicken & glazed Wiltshire ham hock timbale shows off the very best of British produce, particularly when served with Kentish peas, Sussex roasted cucumber, and a mushroom sauce (a vegetarian option of beetroot and mushroom Wellington is also available). Finally, Osborne House is the inspiration for a right royal dessert: mirror glazed chocolate mousse, topped with Choux au Craquelin, summer berries, and a refreshing quenelle of lemon curd ice cream.
It’s the full star treatment, especially with the House of Lords’ Executive Chef on hand to talk about the menu’s creation, and answer any questions you may have. There’s no finer way to see the Houses of Parliament (short of being elected an MP or being made a Lord, of course), so why not treat yourself to a one-of-a-kind Friday night?
Tickets to the Royalty and Splendour Tour and Dinner cost £95, which includes a guided tour, a pre-dinner cocktail, and the three-course dinner. You can book them online here, or by calling 020 7219 4114. Dietary requirements can be catered for if requested upon booking, and the final menu may be subject to change.