Teatime in Manhattan is much more than scones and finger sandwiches. Afternoon tea not only serves as a tonic for weary sightseers, but it can also help you experience aspects of the city you might otherwise miss.
A budget traveller who could never afford a luxury hotel can use the hotel’s R240 afternoon tea as a window into that high-class world. A tourist who’s spent the day waiting in line at crowded landmarks may relish the chance to sit in a friendly neighbourhood cafe. And if you don’t have time for the decorative arts collections at the city’s museums, afternoon tea showcases many everyday objects made beautiful - silver tea strainers, bone-china cups and teapots shaped like castles.
If you’re downtown, try the exquisite Lady Mendl’s, where you’ll be charmed by Gramercy Park’s streetscapes; Tea %26 Sympathy, a cozy British cafe in Greenwich Village; or the trendy T Salon near the Flatiron Building. Uptown, a Japanese-themed tea awaits at Takashimaya; Alice’s Tea Cup pays tribute to Lewis Carroll; and the mother of all teas, at the Plaza Hotel, features elegance and Eloise.
THE PLAZA HOTEL’S PALM COURT:
From the harpist in her glittering gown to the waiters’ impeccable service, from the gilt-edged marble columns to the crystal chandeliers, the setting is magical and opulent.
The Plaza is the city’s only hotel on the National Register of Historic Landmarks, and as you pass the limos outside, you’re walking in the footsteps of Vanderbilts and movie stars.
The finger sandwiches are delicate and crustless, with cucumber sliced so thin it offers just a whisper of a crunch. The scones - dense yet light, sweet with a hint of salt - go so perfectly with the clotted cream that no jam is needed, but who can resist sampling the tiny jars of orange marmalade and blackberry preserves?
Assorted desserts follow - tarts, cake and cookies. Build up an appetite by walking in Central Park; the zoo is near 64th Street.
TAKASHIMAYA’S TEA BOX:
Fifth Avenue between 50th and 59th streets is shopping paradise, from the ritzy Louis Vuitton and Harry Winston to mass-market Disney and H%26M. Takashimaya, an upscale Japanese department store, is part of the mix; the Tea Box, its in-store cafe, offers an “eastwest tea” unlike any other.
The fusion of flavours and textures artfully arranged on a lacquered black tray includes vegetable chips, mini-wraps, a tiny foccaccia smeared with horseradish cream and sushi cut to look like a finger sandwich, with sticky rice instead of bread.
Goodies include sugared nuts, sliced fruit, spice cake, butter cookies, candied ginger dipped in chocolate and luscious mocha pudding.
The decor is soothingly minimalist, with stone-coloured china, beige fabric billowing from the ceiling, and burlap-coloured chairs.
Location: 693 Fifth Ave, near 54th Street. Hours: 3pm to 5:45pm Phone: 212-350-0179. Cost: $18 (about R122) for “eastwest” tea.
TEA %26 SYMPATHY:
Tea %26 Sympathy is a bustling cafe in Greenwich Village, with plastic flowered tablecloths and charmingly mismatched china, including teapots shaped like clocks, globes and castles. The sandwiches - chicken, egg and tuna salad - are homey, dripping with mayonnaise; the scones are heavenly - light, doughy and slightly salty; and the desserts are yummy but not gourmet - a chocolate cupcake and simple white cake.
Don’t be put off by the stiff note on the door that begins “Tea %26 Sympathy girls are always right” followed by rules about waiting outside until everyone in your party is present. The staff - along with some customers - consists of friendly expat Brits. You’ll feel like you’re having tea in someone’s home in England. Afterwards, head east and south towards Washington Square Park for the heart of the Village; take in the boutiques, artsy gift shops and colourful street life as you stroll.
Location: 108 Greenwich Ave, between 13th and 14th streets, near Seventh Avenue. Hours: noon until sandwiches run out, around 6.30pm Phone: 212-807-8329. Cost: $19,95 (about R135).
LADY MENDL’S TEA SALON AT THE INN AT IRVING PLACE:
Exquisite is the word for both the setting and the menu. The salon is named for Lady Mendl (born Elsie de Woolf), who was credited with originating the field of interior design; she would certainly have approved of its refined decor - wall sconces, decorative plaster molding, wooden arches with pocket doors, Oriental rugs, lace tablecloths and Lenox china.
The food is equally divine, from the sugar cubes embellished with tiny pink flowers to delectable sandwiches like goat cheese on seven-grain bread. You’ll also get salad, scones, cookies, chocolate-covered strawberries and a delicate cake made from swirled layers of crepes and cream.
Architecture and urban history buffs will love the 19th century Greek Revival and Victorian Gothic townhouses of Gramercy Square. You’ll find the Inn at Irving Place in one of these restored beauties - but you’ll have to look carefully for it. This discreet $400-a-night (about R2720)hotel has no canopy or doorman - just a picture of a tiny teacup on the door.
Location: 56 Irving Place, between 17th and 18th streets. Reservations required for seatings at 3pm or 5pm, Wednesday through Friday; at 2pm or 4.30pm, Saturday and Sunday. Phone: 212-533-4466. Cost: $30 (about R204).
ALICE’S TEA CUP:
Although passages from Alice in Wonderland adorn the walls, traditional English tea has a distinct American spin at this unpretentious Upper West Side cafe, complete with hearty ham-and-cheese sandwiches, pumpkin scones and chocolate chip cookies.
Walk your meal off with a trip to the American Museum of Natural History at 81st Street and Central Park West; Lincoln Centre at 65th Street and Broadway, or Strawberry Fields, the John Lennon memorial in Central Park between 71st and 74th streets.
Location: 102 W 73rd St, near Columbus Avenue. Hours: Monday, 11.30am to 6pm; Tuesday to Friday, 11.30am to 8pm; weekends, 10.30am to 8pm. Phone: 212-799-3006. Cost: $20, $25 or $30 (about R204)depending on the quantity of food; $8 for scones and a pot of tea.
T SALON:
This is the grooviest afternoon tea in New York, a hippie-chic meal with the feel of a collegetown cafe, at a price only a gainfully employed grown-up can afford. Here you’ll find chai as well as Darjeeling. The sandwiches retain their crusts and one includes alfalfa sprouts; the scones are pre-sliced and taste more like fruit bread than a biscuit. But all is yummy, from the goat cheese-and-arugula on raisin bread to the Earl Grey-flavoured chocolate cake.
While you’re in the area, visit Madison Square Park and the Flatiron Building, an architectural marvel at Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street.
Location: 11 E 20 St. Hours: 11am to 7.30pm. Phone: 212-358-0506. Cost: $35 (about R238).
WORTH MENTIONING:
Cafe Kinokuniya, inside the Kinokuniya Books store (10 W 49th St), where $10 (about R69) buys sandwiches, tea and a bag of delightful green tea cookies; and the $20 (about R136) tea at American Girl Place (609 Fifth Ave), featuring peanut butter-and-jelly and hot cocoa. Both places are in Rockefeller Centre.
TEA FOR TWO:
The T Salon and Alice’s Tea Cup have bargains on tea for two; others charge full price per person. But don’t hesitate to have tea by yourself. - Sapa-AP
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