High Tea at The Empress Hotel
by Mary
(Victoria, BC)
High tea at the Empress is unsurpassed
Having High Tea at the Empress has always been a favorite thing to do in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada for me.
I am a very big fan of having tea in general, but High Tea at the Empress surpassed all of my expectations. I had the most exclusive teas that tasted so delicious. Their signature tea is absolutely delicious, and I have just run out at home, so I need to go back and get some more.
They served us blueberries covered in Chantilly cream, which was delicious, though very different for me. I'd never had Chantilly cream, everything that was called Chantilly to me was just covered in very sugary whipped cream.
Then came our sandwiches. The mushroom pate was so delicious, my aunt traded it for my smoked salmon sandwich. The cucumber sandwiches were so different than any I had had before but they were a notch above the ones I had had. The one that was my favorite was the mango and curried chicken sandwich, it was so interesting and tasted so good.
Although the sandwiches were amazing, nothing can beat the scone. The scone was perfectly made and the lemon curd and strawberry jam were so delicious. I have never been a big fan of the pastries. The way I make my tea, sweet into a dessert tea, makes the pastries seem a little redundant. However, the pastries made there were very light yet very flavorful. They were very good and I would have to say my favorite was the Lemon curd tart.
The experience I had at the Empress was overall very good; if I was very rich, I would go there every day. The cons of going to the Empress are few but slightly important. The cost is quite high... ours was $60 CAD per person.
Another con is that you can't just walk in. You need to make reservations at least 2 weeks in advance. Also, street clothes won't let you in. I was told to dress smart casual, which could be a problem for some people, especially day tourists. I would definitely recommend going to High Tea at the Empress if you enjoy a good cup of tea and a delicious scone.
