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Tea
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Tea Time
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English Tradition
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Tea in the
City
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The Rotunda
At The Pierre, Four Seasons
Hotel
5th Avenue at 61st Street
New York, NY 10021
(212) 940-8195
Hours: Daily, 3:00-5:30 pm
The Rotunda is the perfect destination
for those seeking the classic British afternoon tea experience. This is
tea at its grandest, not your living room variety. The amazingly attentive
tuxedoed waiters do everything short of hand-feeding you, refilling your
teacup after every few sips and even making sure that your tea cozy is
properly positioned on the teapot.
The three-tiered platter of food has the usual
cast of characters: finger sandwiches sans crust, scones served with Devonshire
Cream and jam, and a dizzying array of bite-sized tarts, cookies, and
cakes. The cranberry scones were a favorite: satisfyingly buttery, though
the consistency was closer to a biscuit than the traditional Scottish
treat. The Rotunda’s tea selection is decent, with the typical range
of black and green teas, plus a handful of tisanes and a few house blends.
The Royal Rotunda is noteworthy; it consists of a blend of flavored black
teas (vanilla, black currant and Earl Grey), which impart a sweet nose
and a full, rounded flavor.
The Rotunda is known, more than anything, for
the room itself, whose fame is owed to the domed ceiling and meticulously
painted pastoral scenes on the walls. The ambiance is soothing, with piped
in classical music and large bouquets of flowers. The idea is to dine
in comfort (on the couches and plush chairs) while gazing at the splendors
of the room: marble surfaces, Greco-Roman columns, cherubic statues, and
the sky blue ceiling with clouds.
Tourists are drawn to The Rotunda, but a variety
of locals frequent it as well: businesspeople, well-heeled ladies, and
families with children. For afternoon tea service, the most decadent option
is Royal Tea, which consists of tea, sandwiches, scones, sweets, and sparkling
wine or port for $45. Full Tea ($35) includes everything but the alcohol,
and Light Afternoon Tea is tea and scones with either finger sandwiches
or teacakes ($28).
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