In search of another iconic London experience, I had Afternoon Tea at the Ritz Hotel in London. There's some debate as to the difference between "High Tea" and "Afternoon Tea." Some say that "High Tea" requires hot food, others say that "Afternoon Tea" ends at 5pm and "High Tea" begins at 5pm. Since I had tea at 5:30pm, but there was no hot food, I'll stick with Afternoon Tea; also, that's what the Ritz calls it.
Tea is served in the Palm Court, which is a Louis XVI-style dining area that alternately looks beautiful or tacky, depending on how closely you look. Gentlemen are required to wear a jacket and tie, and I couldn't help but notice at the coat check that there were ties available there should the gentleman have forgotten his. They were all nicer than the tie I was wearing. The waiters (all men) are dressed in red waistcoats and tails, although the obviously clip-on bowties are a bit of a setback. I got the sense that most of the people in the room were tourists, given the number of photos being taken and the variety of languages being spoken. I did not take pictures, but here's a link to the Ritz website
http://www.theritzlondon.com/tea/types-en.html
Once seated, your platter consists of:
- Ham Sandwich with Grain Mustard Mayonnaise
- Cheddar Cheese Sandwich with Chutney on Onion Bread
- Cucumber Sandwich with Cream Cheese, Dill, and Chives on Caraway Seed Bread
- Chicken Breast Sandwich with Horseradish Cream
- Scottish Smoked Salmon with Lemon Butter on Rye Bread
- Egg Mayonnaise Sandwich with Chopped Shallots and Watercress
- Tea Pastries and Cakes (chocolate cake, strawberry meringue cookie, lemon custard tart, and something that looked like carrot cake that I didn't bother with)
There are about 20 teas to choose from, served in the most proper way, meaning:
- Loose tea right in the pot with the hot water
- A strainer that sits astride your teacup, so that as you pour the tea the leaves in the pot don't get in your cup (at least, the larger ones don't)
- An extra pot of hot water, so that if the tea in the pot gets too strong for you, you can dilute it
- Milk and sugar on the side. I am starting to appreciate a bit of milk in my tea, something I never did before.
I chose Lapsang Suchong, a Chinese tea that is smoked over pine (smoked like the way meat is smoked, not the way tobacco is smoked), which makes it taste strangely like a peaty Scotch.
After you finish your finger sandwiches (or, eaten as much of them as you can), they bring The Best Scones You've Ever Had, with jam and clotted cream. The only thing you need to know about clotted cream is that, regardless of the creamy texture, the fat content is so high that in the US it is classified by the FDA as butter.
Then they bring a lemon custard parfait.
Then they offer you additional desserts from a cart. I deferred.
The Ritz website says that bookings may need to be made 12
weeks in advance. Maybe so at Christmas time, but I booked five days in advance. That said, every table was occupied.
Overall, it was a very nice way to spend an hour and a half on a damp chilly Sunday evening, even if it meant missing the Giants-Falcons game.
Tower Bridge!
Where's the Queen?
Friends, meerkats, countrymen!
Me at the V&A!
What a big memorial!
"And did those paws in ancient times..."
Fun on a Boris Bike!
I like riding on the top of the bus!
Picadilly Circus. Big deal.
National Gallery.
This is where Will and Kate were married!
Me at Big Ben!
Trafalgar Square
Buckingham Palace, again. Still no Queen,
