An Afternoon All About Tea

There's a reason that Afternoon Tea, a British tradition from the mid 1800's, is still a popular outing. From the deliciously fresh sandwiches (without the crust!), the seemingly never ending hot tea, to the delicately mismatched place settings, Afternoon Tea sparks your inner Audrey Hepburn and actually can suffice as a full meal.

My sister, who was visiting me in New York City from Boston, has always enjoyed Afternoon Tea. So, she, my boyfriend, and I made a reservation at Lady Mendl's Tea Salon, just south of Gramercy Park.

Lady Mendl's Tea Salon

The place is discreet. With hardly any signage, I've walked past it for years and never noticed the entrance. We approached the staircase leading up to the thick wooden doors to find ourselves facing a heavy bronze door knocker and a small tea cup plaque indicating we were in the right place.

Upon arriving, our coats were taken into coat check and we were seated in the middle of the parlor room of a gorgeous Georgian brownstone, built in 1834. We were surrounded by dark wooden walls, contrasting the light gold detailing, framed mirrors, painted ceramics, and a busy carpet above the old, wide-planked floors.

The Tea:

After being greeted by our lovely waiter, we picked our own tea to have throughout the meal. I chose English Breakfast. And we each had our own tea cups and tea kettles, (all mismatched designs).

Then, one by one, our five-course meal arrived with plenty of time to savor each bite.

1. First, was the seasonal soup or salad. We all ordered the butternut squash and pumpkin seed soup, which came in a tall glass that we slurped down. It was delicious and perfect for the cold fall day.

2. Then, came the tea sandwiches, which vary based on the day and season. They were all very different - some sweet, some tangy, but all packed with flavor. While there wasn't an even amount of each type of sandwich for our party of 3, we all had our favorites.

3. Traditional scones. These were some of the fluffiest scones, and they were done right by being served warm. I tried devonshire clotted cream for the first time, which tasted like very sweet butter, and of course added the fruit preserves as well.

4. Crepes: Aka dessert part 1. There must have been at least 12 layers of the thinnest crepes, with an even thinner layer of vanilla cream in between, which all just melted in my mouth.

5. Petit Fours: Aka cookies, aka dessert part 2. I'm not the biggest fan of sweet cookies, but the macaroons really fit the setting. And the chocolate strawberries were fantastic.

Five courses and LOTS of tea later, I felt very satisfied but not overstuffed. At $65 per person, (with tip & tax, it was about $80), I would definitely come back again. The ambiance, the service, and the food were terrific, and it would make an excellent Mother's Day treat or girls' night out. I'm excited to explore the many other Afternoon Tea spots New York has to offer.