Anyone who believes afternoon tea is a stuffy, doily-laced affair has never experienced it at the Windsor Arms. The Yorkville hotel has been serving afternoon tea since 1927, but history and convention have not kept the practice stuck in the past. We swing by the elegant French-style tea room for the unconventional “twilight” tea seating ($45), available from Thursday to Sunday at 6 p.m., which is complemented by a glass of sherry or flute of sparkling wine. Join us as we sink into our upholstered seats, pinkies high, and enjoy one of Toronto’s truly unique eating experiences.
Windsor Arms Hotel, 18 St. Thomas St. (at Bloor St. W.), 416-971-9666, windsorarmshotel.com.
“The Yorkville hotel has been serving high tea since 1927…”
No, actually they haven’t, but you could probably get afternoon tea there.
June 24, 2009 at 2:37 pm | by Culture VultureCulture Vulture: Well observed. Consider the story updated.
June 24, 2009 at 3:01 pm | by Toronto Life StaffHaving just enjoyed high tea at the Windsor Arms, I can say that this entry is suitably fit in the “food porn” category.
June 25, 2009 at 5:14 pm | by unturtlesoupThe service was attentive, and the ambiance, formal without stuffiness. The airy room, tables clad with crisp linens lent an aura of bygone formality. Needless to say, as twentysomething “working wives” taking the time out of our usual semi-professional drudgery-we wondered who our midday tea room companions were. Two ladies conversing in loud Cantonese made us feel more at home, as did the gracious servers.
Tea selections were of fine quality, although I could not get a straight answer as to whether or not my “dessert tea” was infused with aroma, or actually contained the curious “chocolate, vanilla, and butterscotch” described in the menu. Tea was served with a strainer, which unfortunately did not adequately catch the rooibos bits (which the menu also neglected to mention–I have a hatred of rooibos) floating in my tea. This was a minor annoyance in the pristine experience of high tea, but considering that this pampered ritual features, well, tea, I suppose this could have been properly averted by a finer strainer.
Desserts were beautiful, but unfortunately, not consistently good. A small almond-crusted tartelet topped with buttercream icing, in the shape of a flower, tasted dry and a wee bit too crumbly. Its purple dye put off at least one of my other dining companions. Meringue filling was gummy, and not adequately citrusy.
Although gastronomically spotty, overall, the Windsor Arms was a beautiful experience of the highness of tea. If I was a lady who lunched, I’d indulge more often.
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September 5, 2011 at 5:19 am | by Cool Pure Tea Selection images