I consider myself an avid afternoon tea fan, frequenting various places 2 or 3 time a month. I had high hopes on Nyla's Room and, unfortunately, inspite of some stellar reviews here, it did not work for me and here is why:
Pros: Tea was great. Nice temperature; they use Sloane tea; free gelato to wash your palate after the afternoon tea.
Cons:
- table was not ready when we arrive inspite of having a reservation. Other than the white table cloth, there was no set up and the two staff members were hurriedly decorating the table when we announced our arrival. Not a good first impression especially for an afternoon tea.
- because it is NOT a dedicated afternoon tearoom, it does not have the quaint, authentic feel of a classic afternoon tea place. It is actually a gelato place and a divider was placed in the corner of the restaurant with minor decor designating it for afternoon tea
- There is no fancy tea box to choose your tea from. Instead, various tea leaves were placed in a see-through, plastic spice container readily available in dollar store; stickers where handwritten showing names of tea.
- Savouries were plain and simple; it lacks creativity. Scones are average; desserts were purchased elsewhere (not made onsite) as confirmed by one of the servers.
I think the place is trying to be everything (ie: gelato place; coffee place; dessert place and then Afternoon Tea was added). To serve Afternoon Tea requires creativity, proper ambience and decor. While it is not necessary to have experienced servers, it is important to have "some sort of" knowledge about serving afternoon tea.
I will not recommend this place. On another note, downtown Oakville is great to walk around! Lots of great stores offering one of a kind items. I invite Nyla's Room to maximize the value of its location. read more