Morgan C.
Yelp
"My Fair Lady: The Musical" is QUAKING at the amazing afternoon tea at the Vanderbilt! We had a "loverly" time attending today at a tea that would make Victorian London society proud!
Before we even sit down to discuss the fabulousness that is the tea itself, we gotta talk about the restaurant. Situated primly inside the Vanderbilt Hotel, a building that dates back to 1909 (!!!), is the Vanderbilt Grill, the full service restaurant that offers breakfast, lunch, afternoon high tea, and dinner to sophisticated guests and locals who are in the know about this unique, hidden spot. Yes, that's right! You don't have to shell out hundreds of dollars for a room to eat here. In fact, the afternoon tea packages are some of the best deals in town! The non-alcoholic package, which we ordered, is $19 per person, and includes a pot of artisanal tea for each guest, plus a delish selection of sweets and savories. For $30, you can upgrade to enjoy your choice of a mimosa, bellini, or sparkling wine along with a couple of next-level treats, like hand dipped chocolate covered strawberries! Compared to the prices at some of the fancy New York or even Providence hotel teas, this is cheap! But the quality sure isn't!
Tea is served daily from 12-3 PM either in the Conservatory Room, which has a wall of glass windows that overlook the secluded garden patio outside, or in the garden (weather permitting), where you can sip tea surrounded by a tranquil fountain and a multitude of flowering plants. Both spots are absolutely gorgeous, as is the entire hotel, and no matter where you go, be sure to have your camera ready for the Instagram-friendly surroundings!
As for the tea, even though we went with the simpler of the two package offerings, it surely didn't skimp on quality or quantity of what was presented! After sitting down, we were presented a darling wooden box filled with loose leaf teas that we could choose from for our personal teapot. I went with the fruity Mountain Berry tea, but all of them looked tempting. The teas are from the Tealeaves brand, and being the tea geek that I am, I've already investigated their website for future purchases! I loved how the tea was brought to the table piping hot and steeped to the correct amount. Nothing can ruin a tea party more than leaving your tea leaves or bag in the pot for too long and having a bitter or sour cup of tea. Not so at the Vanderbilt - my tea was perfect, with the bold flavors of strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries in each comforting sip.
The culinary offerings were a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach! Snacky things were presented beautifully on a three-tiered tray, each layer more tantalizing than the last! Even though the sweet and savory treats were mostly petit-four size, I found them to be filling and fresh. The scones were light and fluffy, served with double cream (the heavenly intersection of butter and whipped cream - thanks, Brits!) and house made raspberry jam that had pleasing notes of citrus to jazz up the spread. Layer two brought more sweetness in the form of fudgy chocolate cake, mini oatmeal raisin cookies, and lemon-strawberry tarts, which were a welcome refreshment on a hot August afternoon. Finally, the savory layer (which was my favorite) featured cucumber, cream cheese, and smoked salmon tea sandwiches and the best lobster salad tartlets I've EVER had. I don't even like lobster salad, and here I was, shoveling them in like there was no tomorrow. It was very pre-Higgins Eliza Doolittle, but I don't care!
I can't believe I've lived on the island for this long and have never attended high tea at the Vanderbilt. It's a super fun, affordable, and adorable way to spend a special afternoon with friends (or just yourself!), and you shouldn't miss it if you're in Newport!