A pop-up Alpine lodge with alcoholic chocolate fondue, winter warming cocktails, cheese fondue, a raclette & jagerbomb station and panoramic views of London

Après 23 at the Hilton London Metropole is the place for a unique office Christmas party, or private festive gathering. Set atop the London skyline, it is ideally located, just a short walk from Paddington and Marble Arch stations. We went along to a preview

Guests enter through an exclusive lift at the hotel’s reception and are taken up 23 floors to the summit of Metropole Mountain, where the views of the capital, including Hyde Park, The Shard, The London Eye, Westminster Cathedral and Big Ben are pretty epic.

Decked out with rustic wooden décor, white polished walls, snowflakes, antlers, Christmas trees, hanging lights, throws and an’instagramable’ vintage-style ski lift as well as a ski themed artwork, Après 23 offers two yuletide party packages.

The first is made up of a menu of sharing and mini plates and bottomless beverages for 120 minutes (£90 per person).

For £100 per person, the second package comprises of  an upgraded dining menu with  an alcoholic chocolate fondue and a premium drinks package, again with an unlimited serve for 120 minutes.

Both drink menus feature a diverse selection of bespoke beverages for guests to choose from, including mulled wine, festive bubbles, an innovative winter spiced-gin & tonic, along with quality red and white wines..

For guests choosing the premium drinks package, there’s a dedicated Jägerbomb station, and an alcoholic chocolate ganache fondue, which delivers a boozy twist on a festive favourite.

Chocolate ganache infused with a choice of liquors Served with marshmallows, panettone and berries, the fountain is Infused with a choice of liquors:

·       64% Valrhona Chocolate with Makers Mark Bourbon

·       Milk Chocolate with Baileys

·       White Chocolate with Grand Marnier

Food Menu:

The alpine menu has been curated by Executive Head Chef Russell Impiazzi, featuring festive classics for all guests to indulge in throughout the duration of the evening, including:

Alpine Sharing Platters that we happily dove into:

·       Selection of British Cold Cuts from Dingley Dell farm

·       Classic Cheese Fondue with Sourdough

·       Racelette Bar, a live station, served the traditional way with Warm Potatoes & Pickles was a gooey delight.

Mini Plates includes:

·       Crispy Lamb Croquette & Caramelized Onion

·       Seared Tuna with YuzuMayo, Tapio & Cacracker

·       Miso Roasted Salmon & Grilled Lime

·       Slow Roasted Shortrib & Smoked Chilli Glaze

Sweet Platter includes:

·       Salted Caramel & Chocolate Crème with Gingerbread

·       White Chocolate’Sphere’ with Honeycomb & Hot Chocolate Glaze

·       Spiced Apple & Cranberry Crumble with Vanilla Cream

·           Lemon & Cranberry Meringue

Drinks Menu:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            The 120 minutes drinks package includes the following options:

·       Welcome Drink – Mulled Wine and Christmas Bubbles

·       White Wine – The Pink Chardonnay  & The Pick Shiraz

·       A selection of Beer, Soft Drinks & Water

·       Winter Spiced-Gin & Tonic

The 120 minutes premium drinks package include the following options, in addition to the alcoholic chocolate fondue:

·       Welcome Drink – Homemade Mulled Wine & Christmas Bubbles

·       Red Wine – Chateau Boutisse / Adrien Marechal

·       White Wine – Sancerre La Fuzelle

·       A selection of Beer, Soft Drinks & Water

·       A premium selection of Winter Spiced-Gin & Tonics

·       A dedicated Jägerbomb Station

The pop-up Après 23 can also be booked in its entirety or smaller groups of 4 to 100 people can share the space with other parties on the following dates with more to follow:

·       Thursday 28th November

·       Wednesday 4th December

·       Saturday 7th December

·       Wednesday 11th December

·       Saturday 14th December

·       Wednesday 18th December

·       Thursday 19th December

Address: 225 Edgware Road, Paddington, London W2 1JU

https://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/united-kingdom/hilton-london-metropole-LONMETW/index.html