Time for Tea: Taking Afternoon Tea at Opus One

I am a sucker for a good afternoon tea. Indeed, the mere promise of cream cakes, dainty finger sandwiches and steaming pots of Earl Grey tea has me cancelling everything in my diary, throwing on my best dress and running to the nearest tea shop with all due haste. Which may be the reason why my old gym keeps emailing me to 'helpfully' remind me of all the reasons why I should renew my membership with them.

So when the lovely people at Manchester's Opus One asked me if I'd like to test drive their Mother's Day menu, I couldn't say Yes fast enough. And, because I'm a nice daughter, I also decided to take the lovely Mum Cay with me, who decided to celebrate the fact that her eldest daughter was taking her out for some slap-up grub by buying a new frock and getting her eyebrows and nails done. Bless.

Opus One is situated in the site of the old Manchester Free Trade Hall. For those who know their punk history - yes, it is that Free Trade Hall where the Sex Pistols played that legendary gig in 1976 which inspired a whole host of Northern musicians, such as Joy Division, The Buzzcocks and The Fall. But that's all by the by - mainly because I somehow doubt that it had such splendid wallpaper back then as it is now. Indeed, stepping into Opus One is a bit like what I imagine stepping into a chinese opium den must be like - all moody red lighting, black beaded curtains and opulent wallpaper in mind-bending shades of paisley, which I would imagine would give you a bit of a headache if you stared at it for too long after a few too many cocktails.

But enough about decor, let's get to the good stuff - what about the cakes? Well, I'm pleased to report that they really are something. Choux pastry and vanilla speckled chantilly cream has been artfully moulded into the shape of swans, so beautiful it almost feels like a sin to devour them between dainty sips of Earl Grey. White Chocolate and Pistachio fudge cake is rich and gooey and slides down your throat in an almost sinful manner. The pastry of the Mandarin and Creme Patissier tart is as delicate as glass, and shatters into a million delectable crumbs at the merest touch of a fork. But for me, the definite highlight is the truly outstanding Sachertorte. An Austrian delicacy, this is two chocolate sponges which have been wedged together with a blob of apricot jam before being smothered in dark chocolate. I am not ashamed to say that I practically groaned with delight after taking a bite of this piece of lascivious loveliness, and only ceased in my vocal exhortations of delight after Mum Cay poured champagne down my throat to shut me up.

All this, and I haven't even gotten to the scones yet! Because yes, there were also scones - flavoured with apples and raisins, fresh out of the oven so they were still warm to the touch, and presented with fresh cream and dainty little pots of jam. Each one was soft and almost ethereally light - perfectly bite sized pieces of joy. As for the sandwiches? Well, they're all very nice, but quite frankly they pale into insignificance compared to the cakes - although the cheshire cheese sandwich with homemade piccalilly was delightfully zingy, and just the thing to clear out my sinuses. The only downside is that I thought that my Chicken Caesar wrap was a bit dry -but this is only a minor gripe when compared to the fantastically high quality of the all of the other items on offer.

So, if you're a Northener looking for a highly calorific way to treat your Mum this Mother's Day, you could do a hell of a lot worse than take her to Opus One. Just be sure to wear a pair of elasticated trousers. You'll need them.

Opus One is situated on the ground floor of the Radisson Edwardian Hotel situated in Manchester's Free Trade Hall. Their Mother's Day Afternoon Tea is priced at £19 per person, or £23 with a glass of champagne.