Afternoon Tea in Washington DC

Afternoon tea in Washington DC is one of the best things about the city. I went to three afternoon teas there* and recommend them all.

Peacock Alley Tea at the Willard InterContinental

A grand yet intimate space in the 200-year old Willard InterContinental. Special touches like name plates, even at our table for two, were appreciated on this mother-daughter date.

Washington National Cathedral

Get ready to awed by the absolutely majestic Washington National Cathedral. A tour of the building precedes the light afternoon tea service in the Pilgrim Observation Gallery.

The Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City

The staff at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City were incredibly accommodating. The decor and location aren't stellar but the food is on point.

If you're looking for a teahouse experience, check out my review of the Ching Ching Cha in Georgetown.

I'd love to hear your Washington DC or Northern Virginia afternoon tea recommendations!

*Technically, the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City is in Virginia.

Afternoon Tea at La Chine Waldorf Astoria

One of the first tea experiences I had after returning to the city in the summer of 2016 was afternoon tea with Jee at La Chine in the Waldorf Astoria. I misplaced my notes (gasp) and always thought I'd be able to return soon and make new ones. However, the Waldorf Astoria is closed until 2020.

The review I offer here is based on a general recollection and not specifics except regarding the honey. La Chine restaurant offered two afternoon teas: La Chine and Imperial. We chose the former. The perfectly sized scones were served with the usual condiments and honey. The honey was very good. It was harvested from the hotel's rooftop apiary. I think I ordered the Margaret's Hope Darjeeling. It was very good. Your tea was steeped perfectly in the kitchen, poured into a tea pot, and served at the table.

The sweets and savories were good. I was eating fish and seafood at the time so ate the stacked salmon sandwich and lobster roll.

As I write this the sweet that stands out in my memory is the layered confection pictured above. I don't recall the flavors but I know I liked it. I really wish I had my notes! For two other perspectives on afternoon tea on La Chine, read Bethany Looi  and The Wandering Eater.

Afternoon Tea in Washington DC - The Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City

It wasn't unusual nor did it feel odd for me to go tea shops on my own. Solo afternoon tea was another matter. I had never been to afternoon tea on my own until I lived in Virginia. It was a nice choice actually, and I'm grateful to my family for enabling me to participate in this act of self care. This post about my afternoon tea experience at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City concludes the three-part mini-series on afternoon tea in the DC area. Read Peacock Alley Tea Time at the Willard Continental (part 1) Washington National Cathedral Tour & Tea (part 2).

The interior decor of the room in which  afternoon tea was served was staid. It resembled a hotel lobby and bar rather than a space dedicated to afternoon tea. On the other hand, the tea tray was more upscale resembling one that is used in the afternoon tea service at the Mandarin Oriental New York.

The teas served are "designed exclusively for The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City in collaboration with Dammann Freres". I didn't know this but Damman Freres was founded in 1692 with an exclusive grant to sell tea in Paris by Louis 14th. (Learn more Damman history here.) I selected the featured tea which was Cherry Blossom with a sencha base. After all, it was cherry blossom time in DC. The server asked if I wanted my pot refreshed which is always a good thing. I wasn't pleased however that the tea leaves had been left in the pot. Ideally there should only be tea liquor in your teapot.

Since I don't eat chicken or beef, the kitchen doubled the salmon and caprese salad sandwiches. I particularly liked the salmon on brown bread. The scone was generously sized and I ate it all. It was dotted with currants and served with clotted cream, lemond curd, and fruit preserve. It was warm, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Five desserts were served and my favorite was the passionfruit and lemon curd mousse cake.

There is more of a backstory to this afternoon tea. I made a reservation for a time at which afternoon tea was not served. I am thankful to Kesha for seating me as soon as afternoon tea service began so that I could honor my pick up time. If you are staying at the Ritz-Carlton or shopping at Fashion Centre Mall in Pentagon City then consider an afternoon tea reservation here.

Afternoon Tea in Washington DC - Washington National Cathedral

Between the summers of 2015 and 2016, my family and I lived in Virginia. I drank tea at several shops and even in an embassy in the DC area. You can read my posts about tea shops in the DC area. I also indulged in afternoon tea. In the first post of this mini-series about afternoon tea in DC, I wrote about tea time in Peacock Alley of the Willard InterContinental. Today I share another twosome experience, this time with my husband at the Washington National Cathedral.

Washington National Cathedral Tour & Tea

I learned of the Washington National Cathedral's Tour & Tea program through two channels simultaneously. One was a local friend's Instagram feed and the other was through a web search. I really wanted to tour the cathedral and thought tea would be icing on top. I made a reservation before I secured childcare. Events sell out in DC just as quickly as they do in NYC. I am thankful to my neighbor's au pair for taking care of our younger child. My husband worked in DC so I met him at the cathedral.

The tour was excellent! Our guide was equally parts reverent and irreverent. Her knowledge and appreciation of the all aspects of the cathedral such as its history, architecture, congregation, and its social justice commitments were palpable.

Tea was served at the end of the tour in the Pilgrim Observation Gallery on the top floor of the cathedral. This portion of the program is co-sponsored by the Cathedral and the All Hallows Guild. I appreciated the simplicity of the tea service was a light afternoon tea. There were four sandwiches/savories but I don't recall the fourth so it was likely a meat-based sandwich. The open-faced cucumber was refreshing and the scalloped carrot topped with cream was unusual but tasty. The third sandwich was an egg salad.

The dried fruit scones were studded with sugar crystals and served with jam and cream. The other sweets were eclairs and, I think, toasted marshmallow tarts. I was excited about the eclair but it had been refrigerated before being served and had not reached room temperature.

If you live in or visit DC, I would recommend the the National Cathedral Tour & Tea. The tour was undoubtedly the highlight of the afternoon. The actual tea served was not particularly memorable but we liked the sandwiches and the views from the gallery were expansive.

Afternoon Tea in Washington, DC - The Willard InterContinental

Where did I go for afternoon tea when I lived in Virginia in 2015-2016? The Washington National Cathedral, the Ritz-Carleton Pentagon City, and the subject of today's post, Peacock Alley at the Willard InterContinental.

Peacock Alley Tea at the Willard InterContinental

The Willard serves Ronnfeldt Tea. I chose the Pai Mu Tan Silver Typ [sic] and my mum chose the Ginger & Herb Tisane. On the current tea menu, the white tea I ordered is listed as Pai Mu Tan & Melon. The first couple of cups from my pot were good but the leaves had not been removed from the pot so the final cup was oversteeped. Our server offered to add hot water to the pot but the leaves had lost much of their flavor at that point. My mum enjoyed her tisane.

When I made the reservation I asked for egg, fish, and vegetable sandwiches only. We were served four savories: double-decker salmon sandwich, shrimp tart, cucumber rollup, and pear on toast. The salmon was tangy and the bread moist. The shrimp was savory but the crust was too firm. The cucumber was refreshing! The pear toast tasted like apple pie.

The scones, vanilla, and chives were not served warm but they were moist.

There were five desserts and I wrote "good!" next to three of them. They were the raspberry mousse topped with pistachios, the chocolate cup, and the chocolate mousse. There was also a raspberry tart and a strawberry cheesecake presented in a tall glass.

I was glad to share afternoon tea with my mother. We really liked the desserts, and discretely observing other tea parties. I appreciated the little details of this afternoon tea at Peacock Alley such as the handwritten name tag on our table.
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Afternoon Tea at The Lambs Club

This afternoon tea at The Lambs Club with Jee (her review) and Sara seems like such a long time ago. We went there in late July but I've moved since then (I'll be back, NYC) and my older child started Kindergarten, so a lot has happened in two months.

I made 3 + 1 selections. The egg salad sandwich was very good. I should have ordered more savories.

Tea at The Lambs Club was surprisingly presented in bags but fortunately the source is Palais des Thes. I chose the Long Jing Green which I steeped a few times in my cup. Jee and Sara each steeped their bag in the teapot.

The scones were warm and delicious! Two per person with clotted cream and jam. The presentation of the Tête de Moine (Swiss Cow’s Milk Cheese with House-Made Jam) was unique. Doesn't it look like a delicate mushroom? The Hazelnut Dacquoise was my "sweet tooth" choice.

Across the street from The Lambs Club is the Belasco Theatre. Hedwig & the Angry Inch was and is (until Sept. 13) on stage there. On the building facade was a poster with the play's star, Taye Diggs. He has such a beautifully expressive face! I would have liked to have tea a la carte at The Lambs Club then see Taye Diggs perform.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch image source: http://www.hedwigbroadway.com/rebuild/images/home_hero_tdiggs.jpg.

Afternoon Tea at The Urban Tea Merchant, Vancouver

Vancouver has a very nice tea scene. It is one that I was unable to fully experience. My little travel companions had other ideas! I was pleased to have afternoon tea at The Urban Tea Merchant; it was tea for one, and that was just fine. The store is bright and colorful. The tea room is more sedate but with pops of color provided by the same paper lanterns that decorate the store and the back patio.

I ordered the Traditional Tea Set of tea sandwiches, fresh scones with tea-infused jelly and Devonshire creme, and sweets all prepared daily and in-house. The only exception was the macaron. Macarons sold in the store are flown in daily from Singapore!

Also from Singapore are the teas, specifically from TWG Tea, which was launched in 2008. The year "1837" in the company's logo refers to the year Singapore became a tea trading post. Based on my tea preferences I was presented with three teas. The options were great but I selected the Meleng FBOP Second Flush because it was highly recommended by Emily Guo, my host and online sales manager. The Meleng is a Himalayan black tea. It was delicious. I drank it without milk. The tea was served in a most unusual teapot. Here is a description of the Design Teapot with Filter & Warmer in Black 18ct Gold Plated from The Urban Tea Merchant website:

The TWG Tea Design teapots represent the convenience of modern functional features and the pleasure of serving tea in the classic beauty of an exclusive TWG Tea design. A high-quality polished stainless steel warmer with an inner felt lining envelope the porcelain teapot and keep the tea warm for one hour.

The teapot gave the afternoon tea a couture air.

My favorite sandwich was the tomato and watercress aioli savory. It was very good. I also liked the cucumber and cheese savory. The other savories were the Earl Grey Gentleman Tea Sandwich with Fig Jam and the Smoked Salmon Rosette Tea Sandwich with Wasabi Aioli. An additional tomato sandwich was substituted for the Imperial Lapsang Souchong Chicken Cup.

The use of flowers and fruit to decorate the three-tiered tray reminded me of platings I had seen during my visit to Singapore several years ago.

The scone and sweets tiers were also satisfying. The scone was fresh and warm, soft on the interior with a bit of an exterior crunch. There was also a spiced madeleine. My other favorite was the panna cotta made from Eternal Summer Tea topped with a mousse made from Matcha Nara. Surprisingly, I did not enjoy the the chocolate tart. The white and dark chocolate covered strawberry was a sweet and refreshing way to end the tea set.

Afternoon tea at The Urban Tea Merchant is highly recommended. The food is fresh and delicious, the tea selection is exceptional, the service is great (my teapot was refreshed by adding altogether new leaves and water), and the location in downtown Vancouver is convenient. It was a nice treat for myself but it would be fun to share this tea set with a friend or two.

Traditional Tea Set and New York Breakfast Tea courtesy of The Urban Tea Merchant.

P.S. I am missing New York so will start steeping the NY Breakfast as soon as possible. I purchased the Meleng FBOP to remind me of my tea time at The Urban Tea Merchant.

[Editor's note: This post was edited for accuracy and clarity on August 28, 2015.]

Afternoon Tea - Mandarin Oriental New York

The view from the Lobby Lounge of the Mandarin Oriental was of Columbus Circle and the southern edge of Central Park. Stunning. My photo does not do it justice. I went with Jee and Sara (read Jee's review here).

There were seven teas on the menu -- one white, two greens, one oolong, two blacks, an herbal and a rose blend signature tea. I enjoyed watching Sara and Jee photograph the tea setting. Scones were served first, and as Jee noted in her review, this is unusual. However, the scones were served warm, were perfectly sized, with Devonshire cream and jams on the side.

The savories were very good, too! Fresh bread, fresh fillings, and nicely portioned. I could have eaten more than my share.

I liked the presentation of the sweets. The three-tiered O-shaped tray (for Oriental, I assume) was a good fit with the modern decor of the lounge. My sweet tooth tends to steer towards chocolate but my favorite of the pastries was the green tea mousse topped cake. If you can believe it, the chocolate confection pictured in the lower right was too sweet.

I always enjoy afternoon tea with Jee and Sara. The view from the Lobby Lounge was a bonus. It's okay if you aren't seated at a table adjacent to the windows; you can walk over to the windows to take in the park's lush canopy.

Afternoon Tea at Two E Bar, The Pierre

Social media has made it possible to make virtual friends and I've been lucky that it's even better to meet them in person. This was definitely the case when I met Lisa Kunizaki of Chambre de Sucre last fall at an afternoon tea at The Pierre's Two E Bar and Lounge. Alexis arranged the tea and Jee was a guest too. The Pierre gave each of us a lovely notebook. It makes a great prop! I am looking forward to using mine when one of my current notebooks is completed.  Now, on to the tea service.

I enjoyed most of the sandwiches -- I can't speak to the meat ones. The scones were good too and served with cream, lemon curd, jam. Butter cookies were served alongside the scones. The pastries were very good -- financiers, tartlets, meringues, madeleines, macarons. Thankfully each item was a small portion so one could eat one of everything.

This is my favorite photograph from the afternoon tea. If memory serves correct, it was the Assam.