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

Black Tea Jelly

So, I have a slight obsession with Curry-Ya, and on a recent visit, I got the coffee jelly and couldn't believe how good it was. I wanted to create my own version using black tea and here is the final result after many failed attempts. My version is mini—of course—and one cup makes four mini cups. A perfect snack or a light dessert.

BLACK TEA JELLY
Makes 1 cup 

INGREDIENTS
1 cup + 2 tablespoons of water
2 teaspoons of black tea (I used Thé du Hammam, a black tea from Le Palais des Thés.)  
1 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon condensed milk
1 1/2 tablespoon half & half

DIRECTIONS
1. Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons of water. Heat 1 cup of water and steep tea for 5 minutes.
2. Strain tea. Add in the gelatin and sugar. Stir until gelatin and sugar completely dissolves.
3. Pour tea mixture into four mini cups. Chill in the refrigerator until set, about 30 minutes to an hour.
4. Combine half & half and condensed milk. Pour a layer of milk on top of each jelly. Enjoy! 

//Props used: Bitty Bite mini cups and demi spoons from Crate and Barrel.//

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Früute Tarts

These mini tarts are adorable! I would love to try each and every one—twice—but unfortunately these tarts from Früute don't travel outside Los Angeles. They also bake mini delectable looking cookies, which they do ship. A selection of their cookies and tarts would be perfect for the sweets course for an afternoon tea party. 

Photo Credit: From Linked Source

Tea at Three: The Des Concubines & Almond Brioche

TEA: The Des Concubines [Le Palais des Thés]
SWEETS: Almond Brioche [Bouchon Bakery]

A lovely combination. From Le Palais des Thés, The Des Concubines is a blend of black and green tea with fruity notes. Rose petals and fruit pieces can be found in the tea. That's paired with a nice slab of brioche covered with toasted almonds and powdered sugar ($3.50) from Bouchon Bakery.