Tea Party

So I’ve been dying to go for high tea for the longest time. I just love the elegance of it all; the fine china, the delicate pastries, that feeling of being in such a cultured and refined ambiance.

Couldn’t wait.

Now originally, I had planned on going to the Fairmont which is a very popular and well-known establishment. But then I did some research, and came across Patisserie Für Elise. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the perfect spot for my very first high tea experience.

I bought this delicate feathered fascinator a while back, but had no idea what/where I could possibly wear it to. And seeing as I’m not RSVP’ing to any royal weddings anytime soon, this seemed like the perfect opportunity.

So this tea shop is actually located in a heritage home in downtown Vancouver. It’s very discreet, with only a small simple sign in the window that can easily go unnoticed.

I love the Victorian style and charming colors.

Seeing the outside I was already intrigued.

As soon as I stepped in, I was blown away by how amazingly pretty and deliciously girly everything was.

It was like an explosion of pinks and florals and all things frilly.

The first floor is where the bakery is held, with a display case full of beautiful cakes and pastries. There’s also homemade jams and takeaway crème brûlées for purchase.

Upstairs is where the high tea is served. They have beautiful Victorian style furniture, with gorgeous detailing and a soft neutral colour palette.

Each teacup is different! We only had two, but I noticed that even at the other tables serving 4 or more guests, each teacup was unique to it’s patron.

Love :)

There’s a large selection of teas available, each with a lovely description that is oddly reminiscent of a wine menu.. Ex: Assam: Rich, full bodied and malty…)

It was a tough choice as so many of them sounded so appealing, but we ended up getting the Honey Scented Tea (Rich and mellow, natural honey-like sweet aftertaste.) and the Assam (I couldn’t resist. Would it taste like my favourite French Bordeaux?)

It didn’t.

Hah, but it was delicious. It had hints of floral in it, and I am in love with the raw rock sugar they served with it.

The honey one was also heavenly. The honey was very subtle but still noticeable, adding a light natural sweetness.

Our food came in a beautiful two tiered display tray. The top layer was desserts;

-Chef’s choice starter (fruit topped panna cotta with gold leaf)

-Mini Sacher torte

-Mini Fur Elise

-Lemon cheesecake

-Lavender macaron

-Pate de fruit

The bottom layer held all the savory items;

-Prosciutto, brie and fresh basil croissant

-Cucumber dill finger sandwich

-Curried egg salad cornet

-Creamy garden veggie puff

-Mini scones with apple vanilla jam

The scones were my favorite, they had an amazing buttery texture and the jam is simply delectable.

Scrumptious.

Not only did everything look great, but tasted amazing as well. All the staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. Our server described everything as it was served, and gave helpful suggestions on what order to eat it all.

Overall, I had a great first high tea and would definitely come back again. Maybe bring some girlfriends for a dainty afternoon get-together.

I ended up grabbing a few things to bring home as well.

This is the Für Elise, which was named after the store, and I’m told is one of the most popular. It is a strawberry shortcake with edible rose garnish.

This is the green tea with red bean mouse cake. So pretty :)

These cookies were very good.At 75 cents each, they were a great deal.