Very nice afternoon tea

[emmie]

My mother's birthday is coming up, and I wanted to arrange an nice afternoon high tea for about 7-10 people. I want this to be a traditional tea which will linger a bit. My mother moved here from England about 10 years ago, and is still a bit picky about her tea, and the last time I had high tea with her was a year ago at the Dorchester in London. I've heard the Bristol Lounge is good, but have never been. Is that the most comparable to the Dorchester in London? Price is not a factor.....

[phelana]

My Mom and I have too done Browns and the Dorchester. The Ritz in BOS is stuffy and so so..the Intrigue Cafe was memorable. Let us know your choice.

[sophie fox]

I wasn't impressed by tea at the Park Plaza. They were having a slow day, and I thought I'd NEVER get waited upon, and then NEVER served. Tea was fully an hour. Not what I'd intended! Yes, the tea itself was very nice, but the food was blah.

On the other hand, tea at the Bristol was fabulous - delicious menu and warm, friendly service, huge poofy sofas from which it is very difficult to extricate yourself "I think I'll just have another kir royale, and a nap..."

[michela]

My husband is English and we enjoy seeking out tea

The Bristol is by far our favorite.

Interestingly the MFA used to offer tea (last year) which nice to tie in with a visit to the museum. I'm not sure if they still do it.

Also in Wellesley is Dorset Tea. Very nice tea and yummy menu but casual a place than the Bristol. They have a tea for children which our son enjoys -herbal tea and nutella sandwich.

[limster]

Boston Park Plaza is the place for serious tea drinkers -- carefully sourced teas that are brewed properly at the correct temperatures; if you're looking for some aged pu-erh, rare varieties of oolong or a delicate white tea etc... this is the place. Food's ordinary at best.

[eastiefoodie]

I had an excellent tea at Upstairs on the Square. A traditional tea with amazing food - 3 tiered silver presentation and absolutely everything was quite tasty. The restaurant itself is not very traditional and a bit funky, but the tea options were endless and there's even a champagne option. Here is the tea menu: http://www.upstairsonthesquare.com/me...

[Pia]

Have to disagree with Upstairs on the Square -- I like the restaurant, but I found tea there to be overpriced and disappointing. Three small tiers -- the top one was pretty good savory treats, the middle one was sandwiches that all seemed to be full of mayonnaise (which I hate, so I may be biased), and the bottom one was so-so pastries. The tea itself was good.

[jenga]

i also have to disagree about upstairs on the square. the food looked fancy, and the tea itself was good. however, the tiers were small and the taste of the food really wasn't great.

[xiao]

I highly recommend Intrigue Cafe at Boston Harbor Hotel if you're looking for a traditional experience. I've been there 5 times now, and have not been disappointed. My parents also enjoyed the place very much.

I've also had the afternoon tea at the Four Seasons lounge, but found the BHH MUCH better in terms of quality, ambiance, and value.

The afternoon tea set (around $17pp) comes with a pot of tea of your choice, plus a three-level tower of goodies.
Top level: scones, cakes, strawberries and cream (Mmmm...)
Middle level: variety of tea sandwiches
Bottom level: dessert pastries eg. tarts, brownies
The tea sandwiches were very good, and the scones were among the best i've had. They were served with great little jars of honey and jams.
There is also a basic set with just tea and scones (ard $9?).

What else I prefer about BHH is the ambiance. On weekends there used to be live piano music. Also, the tables are done up nicely with rose petals, and there's a great view of the harbor. The room decor also adds to the entire experience.
I believe afternoon tea is served from 2-4pm. Call to make a reservation beforehand.

[jenga]

I have to second the recommendation for BHH. While the food and tea are wonderful, the ambiance is what really makes this place. I would say that the food at L'Espalier was more refined, but I found the tea there very disappointing (over steeped!)

BHH is ideal for lingering. Intrigue Cafe is spacious, and live piano music adds a nice touch. I hosted a bridal shower there for 6 people, and they covered the table with rose petals.

Tea is served daily, and they have a special holiday tea starting in mid-November.

[cmd]

I would compare my experience at the Bristol Lounge to one at Brown's Hotel in London. Maybe it's the sofas :).

This is for comparison only, not to steer away from Boston chow: Fortnum's is still my favorite in London (despite the lesser atmosphere), but I'd put the Bristol well above the Ritz in NY (haven't tried the one in Boston).

[emmie]

We've also had tea at Brown's a few times, and that is exactly what I am looking for, thanks! (BTW, Dorchester has teh sofas as well, it makes it so comfy!). Quick question, does Bristol use true clotted cream, or is it the American whipped version?

[cmd]

I'm sorry to say I can't recall. I think it must have been clotted (b/c I would have been disappointed by whipped), but I couldn't swear.

[BostonZest]

My favorite tea in the area is at the Bristol but I can't compare it to the Dorchester for you. It is less stuffy than the Ritz and more elegant than the Park Plaza.

This said, I've heard that the Park Plaza now has a tea expert on staff so that might be fun for your Mother. They also do tea cocktails.

Thanks for the post, I think I'll call some friends and schedule a series of teas.

[TheScribe]

And one more. I went to this one years ago so can't speak for its quality today, but I remember enjoying it: Boston Park Plaza Hotel afternoon tea. http://www.bostonparkplaza.com/pressr...

[TheScribe]

This is not in Boston, but nice: Wenham Tea House. Here is their teatime menu: http://www.wenhamteahouse.com/pages/t...