Tea for Two

Imagine a leisurely hour, taking tea at a five-star hotel at five o’clock in the afternoon. This is a small luxury my friend and I allow ourselves at least once a year.

There are only a small number of establishments, mostly English-style hotels, in the city of Toronto that serve afternoon tea, or what is more fashionably known as “high tea. We have been to all of them.

We started the practice five years ago during the holiday season by going to the Café Victoria of King Edward Hotel. We found the experience so pleasant that we pledged to do it again on a special occasion. A few months after, the occasion presented itself --- a birthday! – so we went to Windsor Arms. This hotel in Yorkville has an exclusive tea room that is cozy and private. Seatings are for two or three people only, therefore it is the ideal place to take a girlfriend or two to catch up on what are happening in our lives or to confide in something. I have taken women friends there for intimate celebrations of very special occasions. High tea is perfect for women bonding.

High tea is served in the lobby café of the Four Seasons Hotel. It is an excellent place to rest tired feet after an afternoon of shopping or to ponder on the merits of a foreign film seen at the Cumberland Theatre. It is also the perfect place to catch celebrities especially during the Toronto International Film Festival. The other vantage point for celebrity spotting is the Bloor Park Hotel on Avenue Road. From the window of the Anona Restaurant where tea is served, one can watch the parade of limousines depositing and picking up guests at the hotel.

The tea room of the Royal York Hotel was being renovated when we went there so we did not enjoy ourselves. The restaurant where tea was served overlooked the hallway leading to the Union Station. The wait staff also was not trained on the service and didn’t perform the ritual as it should be. We made a mental note to revisit the hotel after renovations are completed but we have not been back yet.

The Old Mill also serves high tea. Here you can bring more of your friends for company. The tea room is really a hall and several can sit at a table. Service and servings are not as luxurious as in the hotels but the price is commensurate. It is still a pleasant experience.

Three other establishments that serve high tea are the Red Tea Box on Queen Street West, the La Tea Da on Queen Street East and the Victorian garden in Etobicoke. The Red Tea Box serves Oriental tea and food in Japanese lacquered (bento) boxes but the manner by which these are served follow the English style so they can still be called “high tea”.

What is the British style? It is a meal of tea and bread (usually scones and crumpets) and jam, savouries and pastries. In the olden times, the British people ate only two big meals a day --- breakfast and late-hour dinner. Anne, the Duchess of Bedford, was said to have invented high tea when, feeling the pangs of hunger before dinner was ready, she filled herself with tea and sweets and sandwiches at around four or five in the afternoon. She then began inviting her friends to Belvoir Castle for an afternoon meal consisting of small cakes, sandwiches and assorted sweets, accompanied by tea, and soon the practice spread.

Another historical note: Tea during Duchess Anne’s Victorian Period was served from low tables in the withdrawing room. But later on, the common people who adopted the afternoon meal set the tea and assorted meats, bread, pickles and cheese on high dining tables so it was called “high tea”. However, the term “high tea” became attached to the ritual because “high tea” sounded more royal, like high society.