Benjamin M.
Yelp
I love a good English style afternoon tea, and this place seemed a good one to try.
The online booking system was easy to navigate and I found a date that worked with my schedule, 11am on the last day of 2023.
It was a foggy morning, and we were the first ones in the door. The ambiance was very classy, but also calming and comfortable. The tea room itself was small, but did not feel cramped. Everything was immaculately clean (including the bathroom), and the slightly minimalist style of the tables, decorations, and china was characterized by cool whites, with silvers and blues. Very elegant but not stuffy. The person who helped us was very knowledgeable and contributed to the quiet, contemplative atmosphere.
The menu consists of all of the teas available, while the food is a set selection of traditional tea offerings. I was impressed by the selection of teas! White, black, green, oolong, pu'erh, favored, and herbal tisanes; all were on offer. I appreciated the flavor notes listed with each tea. I went with a traditional Irish breakfast. Each person could pick their own tea, my companion went with an unusual option, the name of which escapes me.
Our tea was brewed in the kitchen, and came out in teapots, nice and hot, quickly followed by the food which was served on three tiers. Both of us were very happy with our tea selections.
On the bottom tier were the savory sandwiches. Four kinds were served: cucumber and cream cheese, salmon, egg salad, ham, and toast topped with a chicken salad. All were excellent, very fresh and with great combinations of flavors. I especially liked the ham sandwich with the cheese melted on the top of the sandwich.
Next, on the middle tier, were two scones for each person. One with currants and one plain. To go along with these, there was strawberry jam, clotted cream, and citrus curd. The scones were just right. Not too sweet, or too big, they were perfect with the tea. I loved the jam and clotted cream, which was very light in texture. The curd was also delicious.
Finally on the top (we were slowing down at this point) were the sweet desserts. There were two Linzer tart cookies each, two gingerbread cupcakes and two lmint chocolate cakes. We were too full at this point to eat more than one of the Linzer cookies, so we elected to take the rest of our goodies home. The cookie was redolent of almond and raspberry jam, and was delicious. All the sweets were tasty, and I particularly liked the gingerbread cupcake.
Service was polite and attentive, with several well-timed offers to brew us more tea. Since the tea was brewed in the kitchen, sometimes the tea in the pot would cool down on the table. But they checked in enough for this not to be a big problem. We also were offered a chance to try different tea with each brewing, which I like was a nice touch, especially with how extensive their tea menu was. I stuck with my breakfast tea, however. I really enjoyed it.
This place is a gem. Great, classy atmosphere, wonderful fresh food in generous portions, huge tea selection and wonderful service; all this came together to create a wonderful winter tea. The perfect way to ring out 2023.
