Afternoon Tea @ The Fairmont Royal York Hotel

Afternoon Tea amongst friends is a treat and always a pleasure.

I've tried many different Tea Rooms within the Toronto area and today it was time for Tea @ Royal York, where Tea has been served since 1929.
 
Royal York serves Afternoon Tea in the Library Bar where the casual elegance of star studded arm chairs and heavy curtains brings a comforting ambiance to the room.  The table setting is very inviting with the dainty china tea cups and silver cutlery.

We each got to choose our own loose tea and my choice was the the Montebello Apple Spice, which was served in a pretty floral china tea pot.

A fresh baked crumpet drizzled with honey, spread with Grand Marnier butter and accompanied by a generous side portion of berries was presented on individual side plates.  Nice start to our Afternoon Tea.

That was followed by an assortment of finger sandwiches also served on individual plates.  Though, the sandwiches were nice, they still fell short to the ones at Windsor Arms Hotel.  I prefer their filled pinwheeled sandwiches. 

Then came my favorite part, the 3 tier platter of delicate pastries and a plate of scones with devonshire cream.  The assortment of sweets was very generous and I'll admit to having one of each.  

Overall, this is a great place for Afternoon Tea.  The assortment of sandwiches and sweets were excellent and the library bar is very spacious so one doesn't have to listen to the conversation at the next table.

Afternoon Tea is all about a leisurely "get-together" with friends, or family, where the conversation never runs dry and you can't wait to plan your next visit.


So how did the Royal York compare to other Tea Rooms in Toronto?  So far, Windsor Arms Hotel still gets 1st Prize.  But, it is nice to try different places and there are still many to explore.

Here's my list so far.

Windsor Arm's Hotel:          Most Expensive but out of this world!
The Royal York Hotel:         Excellent!
The King Edward Hotel:      Probably very good until you've been elsewhere.
The Tea Room at the Robinson-BrayHouse - Excellent, affordable, afternoon tea in a charming setting.
Brooklin Tea House:            Terrible.. Just awful.  I was too polite to get up and walk away.
Hy-Tea (Pickering):             No comparison to the Tea Room at the Robinson-Bray-House, which is in the same price bracket. 
Victorian Tea Room (Port Hope) Last time I visited it was great.  Nice "English" Tea Room overlooking the city.  There has been a change in ownership so I will have to re-visit.