Review: Royal Tea at Peacock Alley
The Royal Tea at Peacock Alley takes place on Sundays from 2 pm to 4 pm at Waldorf Astoria Orlando. We enjoyed this elegant afternoon tea during the Food and Wine Weekends.
Ambiance
The Royal Tea takes place in Peacock Alley, adjacent to the hotel’s lobby. Tables are set with crisp white linens and china. As guests sip their hot tea and nosh on house-made goodies, they’ll be entertained by live piano music.
There is no rush to get through the afternoon tea. You’ll sit back, relax and start off with your choice of tea. After settling in, you’ll be asked if you’re ready to start with your sandwiches. Once you finish the delicious sandwiches you’ll be given some time before being presented the delicate desserts. It’s all about relaxing and enjoy the company of your family and friends.
Menu
The menu consists of freshly made tea sandwiches, house-made sweets and premium teas. Guests 21 and up can add a glass of Domaine Chandon Champagne for a “Grand” Royal Tea.
Sandwiches
Cucumber – Shaved Cucumber and Pear, and Dill Cream Cheese
Roasted Turkey – Dried Cranberry Cream Cheese on Carrot Cake
Black Forest Ham – Whole Grain Mustard Cream Cheese, Pequillo Peppers, and Arugula
Classic Egg Salad – Herbed Mayonnaise and Watercress
Smoked Salmon – Shallots, Crème Fraîche, and Capers
Sweets
Tea Cookies, Macaroons, Small Tarts, Scones with clotted cream, and Chocolate Financiers
Teas
English Breakfast
Earl Grey
Decaf English Breakfast
Jasmine Green – The enchanting scent of night blooming jasmine is captured in this light and floral green tea.
White Ginger Pear – A quietly exotic and alluring blend of white tea and Japanese pear, balanced with a note of ginger.
Chamomile
Price: 30 per person and an additional 5 to add a glass of Domaine Chandon Champagne; 15 per child, plus tax and gratuity
Food and Beverage
We started out with the White Ginger Pear tea. Both of us thought that it sounded refreshing, and it was a unique flavor that’s not usually on menus. We also opted for the glass of Domaine Chandon Champagne.
The White Ginger Pear tea was very light and refreshing. The ginger added a refreshing quality to the fruitiness of the tea. We did add a little bit of honey to it, to sweeten it up.
Each of us received one of each of the freshly-made sandwiches. They are petite in size and offer about 2-3 bites. All of the sandwiches were excellent. Our favorites were the Black Forest Ham made with Whole Grain Mustard Cream Cheese, Pequillo Peppers, and Arugula, and the Smoked Salmon with Shallots, Crème Fraîche, and Capers. The ham sandwich was really flavorful. The spiciness of the mustard, peppers and arugula brought out the sweetness of the ham. We like smoked salmon on our bagels, so we of course liked this sandwich.
After the round of sandwiches, we each tried a different tea – Earl Grey and Jasmine Green. Both teas were great.
Just as with the sandwiches, each of us received one of the house-made sweets. On a silver tray, we were delighted with chocolate eclairs, sugared sugar cookies, berry tarts, chocolate financiers, scones and macaroons (vanilla and pistachio). All of the sweets were outstanding. Our favorites, the pistachio macaroon and berry tarts. The berry tarts had a nice balance of sweetness from the filling and tartness from the berries.
Service
The service was exactly what you’d want. Our server, Jessica, never hovered, but was always there when we needed something. We felt that we could take all the time we wanted to enjoy our food and teas. It was perfect for the experience!
Overall
This is the best tea experience I’ve had. The food was delicious, the teas refreshing, service spot-on and the atmosphere was relaxing and enjoyable. There isn’t much more you could ask for. It was well-worth the price. We highly recommend giving the Royal Tea a try!
Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling (407) 597-5450.
Please note, we did receive this dining experience complimentary of Waldorf Astoria Orlando. However, as with all of our reviews, that does not guarantee a positive review.
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