Afternoon Tea is one of my favorite types of experiences, but I didn't get to do it throughout the entire pandemic until recently. My friend and I participated in the "Vanderbilt" Tea Service, which included a pot of tea each, 4 tea sandwiches, purple cabbage slaw, scones, and mini desserts. The cost of this was $58, which is standard pricing.
The interior décor was absolutely lovely, with elegant place settings, colorful chairs, pretty paintings, and cute trinkets all over the comfortable, cozy room.
There were a wonderful variety of teas, and I chose Decadence, which was a rich blend of Earl Grey, rose petals, strawberry pieces, cocoa nibs, and damiana leaf. This was tasty and fragrant, however I think I preferred my friend's Scottish Toffee Pu-Erh. It was a delicate, sweet mix, and delightfully creamy.
For the mini sandwiches, we had 7 to choose from. I decided to order the Truffle Chicken and Parsley Salad, Bacon with Mascarpone Tart, Triple Cream Brie & Fig Preserves, and the Special of the Day, which consisted of plantains and lime. My favorite was the Truffle Chicken. The chicken was tender and well seasoned, with strong truffle taste. I also enjoyed the Bacon Tart, which came in a light, crispy tart shell. The Mascarpone was oh so velvety smooth, and the bits of crunchy bacon were fried to perfection. The Brie and Fig sandwich was also pretty good, though I would have liked more fig flavor. The plantain sandwich wasn't quite what I was expecting and I wasn't a fan of it. The plantains were mashed and had a weird taste to it. I also couldn't really detect the lime, which came with it.
A purple cabbage slaw accompanied the sandwiches, and it was decent. It was nicely pickled with a satisfying crunch, though I am not big on coleslaw in general, so I didn't have much of it.
The scones came with clotted cream, lemon curd, and raspberry preserves jam. They were round and very appetizing looking, however, were a bit disappointing. While the scones were moist, crumbly, and buttery, I found them to be too dry. The clotted cream and accompaniments made it better tasting. I mean, how can you go wrong with fresh clotted cream and fruity spreads?
Desserts included an adorable tiny cup of pudding with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles on top, chocolate covered strawberries, mini cake with vanilla frosting and rainbow sprinkles on it, and finally, French macarons. Chocolate covered strawberries are one of my favorite treats and they were delicious... Juicy with deep, dark chocolate. The pudding was great as well with vanilla-y, butterscotch notes. The mini cake was a mouthwatering bite. I didn't care for the macaron, because I thought it was chocolate and matcha, but turned out to be mint and I didn't like the combination.
Service was good for the most part. Our waitress was friendly, kind and on top of it. There was a 75-minute limit for this tea service, and it is strictly enforced, so we were quite rushed in the end, but in the most polite way possible. Overall, it was a pleasant time and I am glad I was able to try the Afternoon Tea here. read more