I had the most delightful experience last week. My dad and his lovely wife were in town for a visit, so I took them to afternoon tea at the O’Henry Hotel in Greensboro, NC.
I first fell in love with the ritual of afternoon tea in Scotland. To clarify, when I say ‘tea’ I’m not just talking about the beverage and a cookie. Oh, no no no. A proper full/afternoon tea should include a bottomless pot of hot tea, finger sandwiches, and other small savory bites, a variety of little sweet treats, and of course, savory and/or plain scones with clotted cream and jam or curd. In the U.K., afternoon tea is enjoyed post-lunch but pre-dinner. Personally, I prefer just to make it my lunch.
Ever since that first Scottish tea, I have been on the lookout for a similar experience here at home. To be honest, I haven’t really found it. Until the O’Henry. Wow! Everything about it hit the mark, from the beautiful and sophisticated setting to the gorgeous mix-and-match china, to the delicious and thoughtfully prepared tiered tray of food. I felt as if I were at Greywalls Hotel or Prestonfield House or any other fine establishment in Scotland.
See for yourself!
“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”
∼Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady
See what I mean? The O’Henry Hotel is delightful!
Cheers,
I miss afternoon tea in Scotland and regret not going more often when I was there!
I often prepare a full tea at home. Perhaps you could do that too! 🙂
I too love afternoon tea and there were some great places in Vancouver that did it right. In fact, I once had a birthday afternoon tea party at a place called The Secret Garden. It was delightful and brought back memories of afternoon tea in the UK.
That really sounds like fun. It’s funny, I was more of a tomboy and was never into tea parties as a child. Today the opposite is true. Any excuse to get out my china!
Really nice! High tea is not easily found this side of the pond. 🙂
Yes, one big difference is the way the British make their scones as opposed to the sugar-coated triangles we often see in coffee shops. I think for the most part we are more awesome at coffee shops than tea rooms.
Agreed!
Oooooo that’s so cool!
It was cool! 🙂
That looks beautiful, Wendy, the perfect place to relax over a nice tea. I like the fact that you got more savouries than sweets, as the one thing I find with afternoon teas is that the sweet to savoury ratio is too high. It’s a special thing, those tiered plates and lots of tea. Lovely!
You would love the O’Henry. It has a casual feel but at the same time is so elegant and sophisticated. I agree about the sweet to savory ratio. I have a gigantic sweet tooth but because I enjoy afternoon tea as lunch, I would rather have more savories.