Afternoon Tea in NYC

I think I may have watched too many episodes of Downton Abbey! This series which ran for nine years, featured the aristocratic Crawley family who lived on the Downton Abbey estate. One of the more intriguing aspects of this series was the prominence of Afternoon Tea– every time one of the characters entered a room in the majestic home, it seems they would head straight towards the silver tea set to pour themselves a cup of tea, often enjoying a finger sandwich or sweet along the way.

Since my sandwich-making skills have been limited to peanut butter and jelly or tuna salad sandwiches, I decided to research the background of Afternoon Tea and explore some of the delicious finger sandwich recipes. The Duchess of Bedford is often credited with inventing Afternoon Tea in 1842, when she asked her maid to bring her a cup of tea and a few finger sandwiches to tide her over until dinner began at 8:00 pm. This tradition soon became a popular liberating force for British women since Afternoon Tea was one place they were allowed to go without wearing a corset and could feel free from the prying eyes of their husbands. Tearooms also became popular venues for members of the suffragette movement.

In fact, Afternoon Tea is still popular today as Queen Elizabeth takes tea every day except on banqueting days. ‘Jam Pennies’ are said to be one of her her favorite tea desserts and Prince William loves his ‘Chocolate Fridge Cake’ during his Afternoon Tea.

Afternoon Tea at Lady Mendl’s in NYC

56 Irving Place, NYC $65 per person

On a recent trip to New York City, I decided to try several well-known tearooms to see ‘what the fuss was all about’ and to get some ideas for tea sandwich recipes. One of my favorite places was Lady Mendl’s located at 56 Irving Place in the heart of Gramercy Park. This tearoom is housed in two large brownstones that were built in 1834, then later renovated and combined.

The tearoom website describes their goal of recreating “a bygone era of gracious living while offering an opulent five-course tea.” Even before entering the building, I felt I was going back in time as if entering a grand private residence. Only a small plaque to the side of the door announces the entrance to the tearoom.

Upon entering the tearooms, the décor transported me back to Victorian times with its fringed lampshades, floral designed wallpaper, and decorative bird cage:

The Tea Sandwiches

After being seated at my table, I was presented with six types of sandwiches including chickpea ‘mash’ on 7-grain bread, butternut squash with goat cheese and reduced balsamic vinegar, and cucumber sandwiches. However, my favorite was the smoked salmon on dark brown bread topped with wasabi ‘caviar’ and a caper. The caviar put a nice ‘spike’ to the flavor and made me wanting more!

Then there was a serving of scones (both plain and cranberry flavored), served with clotted cream, lemon curd, and raspberry jam.

But Afternoon Tea is not complete without a round of desserts. Here, Lady Mendl herself would have sung praises for the Gateau de Crepes served with vanilla cream sandwiched between 21 layers of crepes and topped with raspberry sauce!

As if I weren’t stuffed enough, along came another dessert: a lemon macaron, chocolate strawberry, and chocolate mille-feuilles.

Lady Gaga and Afternoon Tea at Bergdorf Goodman

754 5th Ave, NYC $49 per person, $67 p.p. with champagne

I also had Afternoon Tea on the 7th floor of the upscale Bergdorf Goodman Department Store. The décor was contemporary and it was a lot more crowded than Lady Mendl’s, with the tables placed about two feet apart. However, I was able to enjoy the company of my daughter as we gathered together around the 3-tiered serving dish.

The food was presented all at once and included some of the same themes as Lady Mendl’s: cranberry scones, cucumber and smoked salmon sandwiches, macarons and petits fours sweets.

What Bergdorf Goodman may have lacked in atmosphere was made up by the excitement caused when Lady Gaga exited the Plaza Hotel across the street: half the restaurant stood up and craned their necks to get a glimpse of the famous entertainer and then sat back down again to enjoy their tea!

Why have an Afternoon Tea?

I would describe myself as a track-suit loving person who enjoys eating a simple cheeseburger at a restaurant, so why would I want to go to an Afternoon Tea (granted, corsets are no longer required for ladies and smart casual dress is allowed). The main reason is that Afternoon Teas offer an intimate communal experience encouraging people to actually talk to each other. I notice this right away when I enter a tearoom; no one seems to be looking at their smart phones or rolling their eyes around the room (except when Lady Gaga arrives)! This is because people are focused on the 3-tiered serving dish and eating from the same communal plate. Of course, the delicious sandwiches and colorful desserts also would have something to do with it!

Stay tuned for my next post where I will present some delicious Afternoon Tea recipes.