In Knightsbridge, London, The Berkeley hotel has paid tribute to the queen of cake, Marie Antoinette, with an exclusive menu focused on all things cake and cocktail. The new menu, ‘Cakes & Cocktails fit for a Queen’ coincides with the V&A exhibition ‘Marie Antionette Style' in South Kensington.
‘Cakes & Cocktails fit for a Queen’ at The Berkeley
The menu is more than confectionary. The hotel partnered with shoe designer Manolo Blahnik, who designed the original pieces for Sofia Coppola’s 2006 biopic, Marie Antoinette. The limited edition menu will be hosted in The Berkeley Bar’s ‘Snug’ area. The pink-hued walls offer a dainty backdrop, covered in a mural of female faces with an array of expressions, by New York-based artist TM Davy.
The menu is decadent, and inspired by the last queen of France. Marcello Cauda, The Berkeley’s bar manager, worked closely with Blahnik to create a concoction that includes the designer’s favourite flavours. Highlights include a take on Blahnik’s favourite drink, a martini. The aptly named ‘Manolo’s Martini’ is made with Grey Goose vodka, bergamot, beeswax, and orange blossom, honouring Marie Antoinette’s daily ritual of bathing in orange blossom scented water.
‘La Reine Privée’ is a sweeter drink made with toffee vodka, pisco, apricot, white chocolate, orange, almond and ‘croissant air’, while ‘The Versailles Spritz’ with Grey Goose vodka, Provence rosé, Lillet Blanc, berry cordial, jasmine and coconut is a refreshing choice. ‘La Dauphine’s Garden’, which is also available as a mocktail, is a fusion of Bombay gin infused with rose, St Germain elderflower, violet, butterfly pea flower, and champagne. The menu is then paired with a selection of seasonal cakes and desserts.
‘The Berkeley is a beacon of luxury in London, and I am delighted to celebrate our partnership with this exquisite collection of cakes and cocktails inspired by Marie Antoinette,’ says Blahnik. ‘It is a delicious way to bring her spirit of elegance, indulgence and creativity to life.’
Cakes & Cocktails fit for a Queen’ at The Berkeley with Manolo Blahnik is available from Friday 19th September 2025. Reservations can be made at the-berkeley.co.uk
-
‘Sleep is a fragile thing – we need to treat it as a precious commodity': Heatherwick on reclaiming bedtime from our phonesHeatherwick Studio and Tala debut 'Wake', a bedside light for a calmer start and end to the day
-
Pioneering author Jean Rhys was hard to define. In London, artists give it a try'Postures: Jean Rhys in the Modern World' at Michael Werner gallery sees artists from Kara Walker, Celia Paul, Hurvin Anderson, and Francis Picabia bring Rhys to life in a curation by Hilton Als
-
A Spanish house designed to ‘provide not just shelter, but a tangible, physical experience’A Spanish house outside Tarragona creates a tangible framework for the everyday life of a couple working flexibly in the digital world
-
The artistry of Japanese wineFine wine from Japan may not yet register highly on the radars of most oenophiles, but for those who know, it's a hugely rewarding and rich tapestry of flavour. Drinks expert, Neil Ridley visits London's Luna Omakase for the launch of a new dedicated Japanese wine pairing menu
-
From The Fat Badger to The Bull, how Public House is redefining the British pubInside the design-driven food group putting provenance, craft and community back at the heart of pub culture
-
Guests dined on Bangladeshi-inspired cuisine at the Serpentine Summer Party 2025The party marked the 25th anniversary of the Serpentine Architecture Pavilion – and celebrated this year’s design by Bangladeshi architect Marina Tabassum and her Dhaka-based firm
-
Rémy Martin and Anish Kapoor: art meets cognac in LondonThe cognac house and the artist unveiled a limited-edition XO decanter and a new sculpture in London at a recent event at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
-
Mark your calendars for Mount Street Neighbourhood Summer Festival, a feast for the sensesThe event, 12-14 June 2025, showcases the mix of food, art and community in the heart of London’s Mayfair. Here's what to expect, from afternoon tea to aperitivo, film screenings to biodynamic flowers
-
Healthy chocolate? Eat it at Makers, London’s new Lebanese chocolatierLocated in Chelsea, Makers is a new ‘healthy chocolate’ shop offering treats free of refined sugar, seed oils, wheat and dairy – and it tastes delicious
-
Sketch transforms into an English garden in celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th birthdayThe 11th edition of ‘Sketch in Bloom’ nods to the most notable works of Jane Austen with budding floral installations and a quintessentially English afternoon tea
-
At the Regent Street Sensorium, architectural jelly sculptures are designed to ignite the sensesDelve into the history of London’s Regent Street through a jellyscape, a fragrance cloud and more – plus, for the event’s final week, two new immersive workshops (ends 27 April)
