You can take your hat off!
Written: Apr 30 '01 (Updated May 18 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: delightful little treats, surprisingly filling, staff make you feel special
Cons: can't afford to do this every week!
The Bottom Line: Forget little old ladies with fancy hats, afternoon tea at the Ritz Carlton is for anyone who wants to treat themselves to a peaceful and luxurious treat.
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| barnardcol's Full Review: Ritz Carlton San Francisco |
The Ritz Carlton knows how to make you feel special on a day of celebration. People of all ages were in the tea room enjoying an afternoon with friends or family, most for a special occasion. I was there with my father and some friends, celebrating my birthday.
The first thing that struck me was how the staff made their clientele feel absolutely regal. My father had told me to tell them that I was there to meet him "at the sofa in the corner." It sounded very cryptic, but as soon as I told the hostess, she nodded knowingly as if my arrival was something they had been waiting for all week!
We were seated and our other guests arrived and we each ordered from the tea menu. There were four menus to choose from with prices ranging from $21 for the smallest tea to $38 for the most luxurious.
Our group ordered two Full Teas, a Vegetarian Tea, and a Royal Tea. Beautiful tea sandwiches came in a lovely assortment of Norwegian Smoked Salmon with Pickled Onion and Caviar, Cucumber, Roquefort and Walnuts, Prosciutto and Asparagus Tips, Egg and Chive, and Tomato and Mozarella on Foccacia. In addition to the dainty sandwiches, all menus offered sophisticated tea cakes, madeleines, tartlettes, and scones, with a delicious lemon curd and cream. The Royal Tea included a champagne cocktail of choice and a bowl of fresh strawberries and cream.
The menu for the choices of hot tea was two pages long and included some wonderful blends. I was seduced by the sound of China Rose tea and was told that my choice is the most popular at the Ritz Carlton. Others in my party chose vanilla, which smelled divine, and mint. No one was disappointed with their choice of tea. My choice was soothing and indulgent and it was constantly refilled and kept warm for my enjoyment.
We were surprised that we became full on our afternoon tea. At first glance of the tea sandwiches, my boyfriend groaned with misery at the thought of remaining hungry for the afternoon, but by the time we were finishing off the pastries, he was refusing another bite. Everything is surprisingly filling and can keep you appeased until a late dinner. Also, I've been told that people are welcome to request additional sandwiches or pastries, but I don't actually know of anyone who has ever tried that. Personally, I'd feel a bit sheepish!
Service was almost flawless and we were made to feel like royalty. It was a wonderful treat for my birthday celebration. I was presented with a surprise plate of strawberries and cream with candles and a happy birthday message drizzled in chocolate on the edge of the plate. It was a wonderful alternative to those restaurants where the waiters embarrass you by singing a birthday song and clapping in your face. My surprise dessert at the Ritz Carlton was wonderfully subtle and allowed the moment to be enjoyed by the people at my table and not the whole room! The one drawback was that they accidentally brought this surprise to me while my boyfriend was in the bathroom, so we had to wait for him to return with the candle wax spilling all over the cream!
I highly recommend an afternoon tea for a nice celebration or just for taking time to spend a leisurely afternoon with someone, talking and indulging. I look forward to taking tea more often. I think trips to the Ritz Carlton may not be in my regular schedule, but I am researching slightly less expensive places to take tea in San Francisco. Please check back as I will surely be reviewing other afternoon teas!
Update May 18, 2001: Took another afternoon tea with Mom for Mother's Day. Lovely service as the first time, tea was a little oversteeped. But I did find out that the China Rose Petal tea that I love is made by Taylors of Harrogate, an English tea company. I found that you can order it on http://www.virtualtea.com/ I highly recommend this tea!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
barnardcol
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Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Reviews written: 25
Trusted by: 5 members
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