Review: The Palm Court at The Plaza

When most people think of afternoon tea, they think of The Plaza. Iconic and a well-known tradition, the afternoon tea is served in The Palm Court. 

SETTING:
The Palm Court is a grand space and it's just for afternoon tea during the hours from 2PM - 5PM. Love that. For a little extra privacy, ask for one of the high-backed blue velvet chairs along the sides of the room. The room can seem a little too big and not so cozy, especially when you can see the lobby traffic around you.

SERVICE:
Very good. Our server was friendly and made sure that we were enjoying our tea service. Everything was done with a smile. I didn't find the host the nicest, however. He was all business.

TEA & TEA SELECTION:
Very good. They had a nice selection of teas on the menu with a 2-3 teas per type. All loose-leaf, as it should be. I got the Gyokuro green tea from Japan, which had lovely pear notes. 

My friend and I both ordered "The New Yorker" which is their traditional afternoon tea. Above, the three-tiered tray for two.

SAVORIES:
We each had five finger sandwiches and I appreciated the pretty presentation. Fairly good sandwiches made with care. No cold or stale bread on these. The cucumber sandwiches were made in advance; the cucumbers were starting to get a little slippery, so I ate only a couple of bites on those.

SCONES:
Freshly baked and warm, the scones were served with double Devonshire cream, preserves, and lemon curd on the side. Good size and two each. They were good.

SWEETS: 
A good variety of sweets from mini fruit tarts to mini financiers. All very good, although I was stuffed by the time I was halfway done with this course.

OVERALL:
If you've never been, I say go. 

Note: I first went without making a reservation on a Sunday, and to my dismay, they were completely booked. Reservations are highly recommended and call, instead of trying to book online since they'll have more time slots available.

INFO: The Palm Court at The Plaza | Fifth Avenue at Central Park South | New York, NY 10019 | 888.850.0909
AFTERNOON TEA HOURS: Daily from 2PM - 5PM 
COST: The New Yorker $50 | Menu

Review: Russian Tea Room

The last time I was at the Russian Tea Room was when I was a senior in high school, so it's been many years since I've been back. The last time, it was for dinner and this time, for afternoon tea with Abby, of The City Sweet Tooth. (The link takes you to her post on the afternoon tea we had.)

SETTING:
Punches of vibrant greens and reds lets you know you're not just in any restaurant. The dining room is grand and decadent. Since it's a restaurant, you'll see a mix of people getting late lunches or just a quick bite to eat during the afternoon tea hours. We were seated in one of the roomy side banquettes and it was pretty comfortable.

SERVICE:
Service was very good, although I wouldn't say the friendliest. The servers wear uniforms, which is a nice touch. 

If you make reservations online, you can get in on their special offer of complimentary glasses of Champagne with afternoon tea. As soon as we sat down and given our menus, our glasses of Champagne were brought over. 

TEA & TEA SELECTION:
A very limited selection of just six teas. Wish it was double that. I got the Formosa Oolong, which was nice and delicate.

SAVORIES:
The first course of savories are brought out first in a three-tiered trays. We each had our own. Eight savories in all, starting off at the top with a tasting of two caviars on blinis. Each sandwich was made with fresh bread and they were all tasty. I liked each and every one.

SCONES:
After we finished the tea sandwiches, the trays were taken away and replaced with another one with scones at the bottom and sweets on top. Three scones each were a bit much especially since we were already getting full from the sandwiches. Scones were a good size and slightly warm to the touch.

SWEETS:   
The sweets were a bit of a disappointment since every other course was so good. Sweets were just two cupcakes and two truffles each. I wanted more of a variety and in smaller portions. The cupcakes were just ok (I only had a quarter of one) and the truffles were good, but nothing fantastic. 

OVERALL: 
The tea service started off great, but fizzled by the time the sweets arrived. It's worth going at least once though! Oh, if you're looking for a Gluten-Free or Vegetarian Afternoon Tea, this place offers that along with a Children's Tea.

LOCATION: Russian Tea Room | 150 West 57th Street | New York, NY 10019 | 212.581.7100
AFTERNOON TEA HOURS:  Daily from 2PM - 4:30PM
COST: Afternoon Tea $50 | Menu

Review: The Gotham Lounge at The Peninsula

On a rainy Sunday, I met up with a friend for afternoon tea. Went to The Plaza Hotel only to find out they were fully booked and we were turned away. A quick walk over to the Four Seasons and found out they no longer have afternoon tea service. Finally, we went to The Peninsula and thankfully, the third time was the charm. 

SETTING:
Afternoon tea is served in the hotel lounge so the room is not just for tea. The tables are spaced far enough apart so you don't feel like you're joining in on the next table's conversation. The lounge has a very business casual feel to it, perhaps a little too corporate. It didn't feel special.

SERVICE:
Great, except for one misstep. When the tiered tray was brought over, the server didn't stop to tell us what was being served. I like it when they go over what's on each plate on the tray. 

TEA & TEA SELECTION:
Small but varied tea selection. I got the Earl Grey Supreme, which was very good. Perfect for a rainy day.

Three-tiered tray for two.

SAVORIES:
Five finger sandwiches each. All made with fresh bread. The sandwiches were all very good, with nice touches of caviar. I really liked the egg salad and the smoked salmon sandwiches. Nice presentation and tasty!

SCONES:
Odd, we were given three scones for the two of us. I've always gotten even numbers of scones so I was a little surprised. Not sure if they forgot to give us another one or if that's how it's served. With the scones came the clotted cream, lemon curd and strawberry preserves. Scones weren't warm, but the size was good. 

SWEETS:
The pastries were adorable but they were a miss with me. The cakes were too dense and it didn't taste freshly baked. I ate only a couple of bites of each one.

OVERALL:
The afternoon tea here is $55 per person, which is the same cost as the tea at The Pierre, St. Regis, and the Ritz-Carlton but The Peninsula isn't on the same level as those three. Mostly, it's due to the setting. If the lounge had a more of a elegant or posh feel, it may be worth the cost. If this was a $40 tea service, I would have been very happy, but it's definitely not worth $55. 

LOCATION: The Gotham Lounge at The Peninsula | 700 Fifth Avenue at 55th Street | New York, NY 10019 | 212.956.2888
AFTERNOON TEA HOURS: Daily from 2:30PM - 5:00PM
COST: Traditional Afternoon Tea $55 | Menu

Afternoon Tea 101: Clotted Cream and Devonshire Cream

A proper afternoon tea isn't complete without scones served with cream (either clotted or Devonshire) and jam. What's the difference between the two creams? Devonshire is clotted cream made specifically in Devon, England.

Clotted cream is traditionally made by heating fresh cow's milk, then setting and cooling it for hours in a shallow pan followed by a reheating. During the reheating process, the top layer forms 'clots' which gets skimmed off to create clotted cream. This thick cream has at least 55% butterfat.

Now, if you're in Devon, you'll most likely spread the cream first on a scone, then the jam. BUT, if you're in Cornwall, the reverse with jam first, then the cream. See how to eat a scone properly.

// By the way, how adorable is that illustration? Uh, VERY. I ran across Lana's site and reached out to her for this collaboration and I love how it turned out. Check out her work and her Etsy shop to see her fantastic illustrations, all with a touch of whimsy. If you're looking for pretty custom work (wedding invites, greeting cards, etc.) go to Lana. I'm so tempted to get some custom correspondence cards. //

Illustration: Lana's Shop for Oh, How Civilized. 

Review: Two E Bar/Lounge at The Pierre

The Pierre used to be my favorite place for tea for many years, then they went ahead and moved afternoon tea out of the Rotunda, a gorgeous space in the hotel used just for afternoon tea. Everything was white glove service, down to the servers pouring the tea for you. They would keep the teapots at a nearby smaller serving table and would magically appear to pour your tea just before you saw the bottom of the teacup.

They no longer serve tea in the Rotunda -- now it's served in the Two E Bar/Lounge. 

SETTING:
The Rotunda was THE BEST place for afternoon tea. I was upset that they had moved it to The Two E Bar/Lounge, which is a space not exclusive to afternoon tea, unlike The Rotunda. The setting is a lot more casual, but it does feel grand and the decor is art deco.The tables are nicely spaced apart and it never gets packed in there, so that gives it an intimate feel.

SERVICE:
Service is great. I was looking for a refill of hot water and just as I was going to ask, the server already had the hot water carafe in hand, heading over to our table. 

TEA & TEA SELECTION:
There's a small tea selection with just two kinds of green tea. I went with the Lung Ching green tea, which got a little bitter too quickly. More hot water helped dilute the bitterness.

Afternoon tea three-tiered tray for two. One thing to note right away, EVERYTHING is miniature, which, of course made me swoon.

SAVORIES:
Carefully thought-out mini savorites and sandwiches filled the top tray. Everything was fresh and damn tasty. No stale bread here. A good variety and just the right amount of savories.

SCONES:
Perfectly sized and made the same day, the scones were very good. Served with Devonshire cream, lemon curd, and raspberry jam, the scones were enjoyable, flavorful, and moist.

SWEETS:
A fantastic selection of sweets. A lot of them and all none more than two-bites. The marshmallow meringue  was especially good. Oh, and the tarts were also a highlight. They were super fresh and delicious.

OVERALL:
The food and presentation on the three-tiered tray is one of the best in Manhattan. Definitely in my top 5 places in New York for afternoon tea.

LOCATION: Two E Bar/Lounge at The Pierre | 2 East 61^st Street at Fifth Avenue | New York, NY 10065 | 212.838.8000
AFTERNOON TEA HOURS: Daily from 3PM - 5PM
COST: Traditional Tea Service $55 | Menu