A Fairytale Tea
Whenever I travel, it’s become a habit of mine to see whether there will be a tea room at any of the destinations. So, when my husband and I decided to visit Quebec City in Canada, I knew I had to make a reservation for Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac. Old Quebec, which is a UNESCO world heritage site, was on my bucket list of places I’ve wanted to visit. Having Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Frontenac was an unexpected addition to the highly anticipated trip.
Although the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac looks as though it has always been a part of Quebec City since it was founded in 1608, the Canadian Pacific Railway built it in 1893 to lodge upscale travelers. It is located on the grounds of where the Chateau St. Louis used to reside when it was used for both British and French government administrative offices until it burned down in 1834. You are still able to see some of the ruins which have been preserved beneath Dufferin Terrace, which is the boardwalk between the hotel and the St. Lawrence River.
Towering over the city, the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac (on the right) is just one of the many picturesque buildings found in Old Quebec. I took this photo from the Plains of Abraham as I was on my way up to the Citadel.
I felt as though I were in a fairytale as I walked through the Fairmont Château Frontenac gates for my Afternoon Tea reservation.
Afternoon Tea is offered downstairs at Place Dufferin restaurant, just outside Dufferin Terrace.
I was welcomed to a lovely table in front of a large picture window.
The “menu.”
Some of the teas from the Lot 35 tea selection. I selected the Imperial Breakfast.
The Fruit Temptation consisted of vanilla panna cotta with fresh berries in a tarragon juice. It was very light and refreshing.
Traditional Scones were served warm with blueberry jam, Devon cream and orange marmalade jam. The round scone was plain but the triangle one was made with pesto, olive and Canadian cheese. Both were extremely delicious, with a little crunch on the outside and soft in the center.
This was the most amazing blueberry jam. I was so disappointed the hotel doesn’t sell it in the gift shop, although they do sell the Lot 35 tea.
The Classics and Sweet Delights arrived on a beautiful three-tiered tower which included (bottom) a crab and lobster mixture inside a biscuit pastry amuse-bouche, a smoked salmon sandwich, (middle) a cucumber sandwich, a goat cheese amuse-bouche inside a boat-shaped cracker, a duck sandwich, (top) a fruit tart, a layered pistachio cake and a chocolate cake.
This was a delicious, extremely tender duck sandwich with grainy mustard on a soft bun. I could have easily eaten another one of these!
A pretty cucumber sandwich garnished with red pepper.
A berry tart topped with vanilla cream.
A moist chocolate cake embellished with a liquor-infused cream and flecks of gold and caramel.
The meal ended with 2 mignardises, a house made salted caramel and pâte de fruit which I took back to the hotel for my son.
I had initially felt a little uncomfortable going to tea alone, but sitting in that beautiful hotel with a pot of hot tea and eating wonderful food as I watched the world outside felt so calming. And not only was the food spectacular, but the service was also impeccable. From the moment I arrived at the restaurant to be seated to the time I walked out the door, the staff was attentive, friendly, and welcoming.
Why do I enjoy Afternoon Tea so much? I love it because it is out of the ordinary. It is something special. It’s that feeling of anticipation and enjoyment I have every time I wait to take that first sip of freshly steeped tea and watch the three-tiered tray as it is set on the table.
Who knows where I will go next? Whether it is local or far away, posh, or simple, I will find it and share it with you.