Have never been to a high tea
I wonder what to expect. Some are expensive (relativly)…like $40.
I saw a few photos of the high tea at the Westgate Hotel here in San Diego and there are linen tablecloths and fine English bone china.I would be almost afraid to go without at least a sportcoat to avoid a stare.
Is there a dress code? Can you sample items as much as you want or are there some limits?
- Wear whatever you feel comfortable in, unless there’s a specific dress code (very, very rare for tea events). If it’s a treat for yourself, I’d definitely dress up, though, make it a thing.
- Depending on the place you go, there is either a set menu, where you are served a limited assortment at the table, or there is a buffet-style situation going on. The latter is much rarer.
- Tea events are very rarely good value for money in my opinion. It’s luxury consumption, and it’s always best to shop around so you feel you get a good experience. The best afternoon tea I’ve had in my life was at Mount Nelson in Cape Town. It was roughly $20 for the most amazing spread of cakes and sandwiches you could possibly imagine, and a wonderful selection of teas. Not to mention the hotel itself, and its surrounding gardens. The worst was more than twice that amount, with stale bread, sour cream and random horrors – I won’t tell you where, though, because they were very decent about the whole thing and compensated us well for our bad experience.
- You actually mean afternoon tea – it’s a very common mix-up. You can read more about the difference and some general tea etiquette at the below links.
http://coffeetea.about.com/od/historyculture/a/High-Tea-Vs-Afternoon-Tea.htm
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/HighTeaHistory.htm
Most importantly, just have fun. Afternoon tea events are staged rituals that play out on many complex levels of historicization and heritagization. Go as Mr. Darcy or wear your sweats – as long as you’re enjoying yourself. It’s all just for show, anyway.
I had no idea that there was a difference between high tea and afternoon tea. Thanks for the links Anna.
I know, it’s confusing.
Please also enjoy this very brief Wiki about Anna (!) Russell, Duchess of Bedford, supposedly the inventress of afternoon tea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Russell,_Duchess_of_Bedford
If you think she is badass, what about the fictional Lady Audley who:
“…looked very pretty and innocent, seated behind the graceful group of delicate opal china and glittering silver. Surely a pretty woman never looks prettier than when making tea. The most feminine and domestic of all occupations imparts a magic harmony to her every movement, a witchery to her every glance. The floating mists from the boiling liquid in which she infuses the soothing herbs; whose secrets are known to her alone, envelope her in a cloud of scented vapor, through which she seems a social fairy, weaving potent spells with Gunpowder and Bohea. At the tea-table she reigns omnipotent, unapproachable.”
I’m in the Los Angeles area and there’s quite a few tea houses that do afternoon tea and are much cheaper than hotels and airports.
Though, like what Anna said, they still aren’t cheap. I see a couple do Groupons, so always be on the lookout. Without a deal, easy to pay $16 to $35 a head for a pot of tea, sandwiches, and scones. With what you get, it’s not a deal, you are paying mostly for the experience. Most I’ve been to is sit down restaurant style, order off a menu.
All I’ve been to didn’t have a dress code, though the setting and staff always look very spiffy. A friend of mine goes to a tea house every month with his LARP group and there’s a dress code there – depends on the event and such.
My favorite has to be afternoon tea on a cruise ship. You get unlimited sandwiches, cakes and scones and the waiters serve you. I took lots of photos:
First trip: http://oolongowl.com/princess-cruise-afternoon-tea-oolong-owl/
Second trip, took photos every day at afternoon tea http://oolongowl.com/afternoon-tea-oolong-owls-hawaiian-cruise-part-2/
The tea at afternoon tea? Ehhhh. I found the tea houses do better tea than the cruise (higher quality). Sadly, every time I go, someone orders a green and it’s oversteeped/too hot water bitter. With that said, stick with black teas just in case.
Oh, I should add, too, that I’ve only been to something like… I think 4 or 5 afternoon tea things in North America, so the bulk of my experience is from Europe and Asia.
Awkward Soul – very good point regarding the tea. In the US I’ve never seen that good a selection, and just like you said, the steeping knowledge is often very lacking. (Again, in my small experience.) In Japan/Hong Kong/Vietnam, &c, on the other hand, I was never served a tea that wasn’t perfectly curated in every way.
Europe is obviously hit-and-miss, haha.
Has anyone had afternoon tea at f and m?
Yes! Only once though, in October 2011 when my family was visiting. Somehow I had never heard of F&M before this (they’re a pretty big name, even if I knew next to nothing about tea at this point). It was a very nice experience, though not very vegan-friendly, which is one reason I haven’t done it again.
Really? That’s a shame – I’ve gone with vegans a couple of times, and if I remember correctly, they serve a full vegan tea.
What did you take issue with?
Ah, that’s good to know! I unexpectedly ended up being free that day, and I just went along with what my family had planned. I guess if I were able to contact them in advance they would have been able to accommodate me. I’ll have to find an excuse to try again :)
Oh, okay – yes, in my experience, as long as you book in advance and let them know about your preferences, they’re completely accommodating and very nice. =)
For when you do try again, I found this: http://www.tohappyvegans.com/wordpress/tea-for-three/
Also, love this:
" Afternoon tea, also known as ‘low tea,’ is what most people think of when they hear ‘high tea.’ It involves things like manners, lace and dainty foods."
I plan on incorporating London into my honeymoon, and want to go there so badly!
You absolutely should. Make sure to make a reservation, they get pretty busy. Also wear your lace.
If you plan on going to London then don’t over look this place. I’m going in a few weeks time, looks amazing! It’s an authentic traditional Chinese tea house. Was voted the best Chinese tea house in London last year. :)
http://www.teanamu.com/teahouse/
Has pics and review here:
http://t-lovers.com/2013/11/21/teanamu-an-unusual-tea-house-in-london/
When in doubt, ask the staff! I work for a luxury hotel group and they are known for their afternoon teas, especially over in Asia. While I don’t work in the F&B department, I get questions all the time about dress code, reservations, etc. Depending on the city (U.S.), the price will vary from $35-55+. I’m planning a trip to NYC and we are including one “fancy” afternoon tea. Most of the hotels are charging $55. From what I’ve noticed, they will list the dress code on their site. Most are smart casual, business casual, dressy/elegant casual, etc. If you’re on the west coast, the dress code seems to be more casual.
Anyway, the experience is what you’re paying for, so it’s always fun to go with a friend and chat for a few hours. The menu is going to vary from place to place. Typically there may be 2-3 menus, from traditional tea, royal tea, and there may be a “sweets-only” course for a lower cost. If you decide to add champagne or a selected cocktail, then it’s an additional cost. At my hotel, tea is popular, but not that popular, so we only serve Fri/Sat and we do a sweets/savories buffet with a chocolate fountain. It’s not traditional tea but people seem to enjoy it.
Also, it seems to me that a lot of afternoon teas are held in lobby lounges, so they may be staffed by employees who are more accustomed to drink orders and not all the nuances of tea.
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