Afternoon Tea with Jane Austen

Afternoon tea with Jane Austen is not what I had planned to give my mother for Mother’s Day.  It was just afternoon tea at a local hotel called Ballentyne Hotel.  However, when we arrived, we learned that particular Saturday afternoon had a Jane Austen theme.  Let me give you some background.  You probably know that Mom and I love going to afternoon tea, and whenever we are together either in our country or a foreign country, we seek out a nice place that serves an eloquent tea.  For Mother’s Day this year, we gifted Mom an afternoon tea for the next time she was in Charlotte, and this past weekend was it.  We went while Little Miss, who is still too young to appreciate this ritual, was taking her nap.

 

We have rated our tea experiences over the years, and Brown’s Hotel in London is at the top of the list.  Much to our surprise, the Ballentyne Hotel’s is now number two.  Keep in mind that we have had tea in Buenos Aires, Yangoon, New Delhi, Capetown, Paris, Havana, Moscow, Bangkok, Lexington, and more.  The latest one trumped all of those experiences.  It was that good.  In fact, since the hotel is newer, it was like a updated version of Brown’s.

 

 The Table

 

Tea takes place in a nice living room area off of the main entrance to the hotel.  When we entered, we were pleased to hear someone playing the harp.

 

 

Tables were set in lovely china, flowers, tea strainers, a variety of sugars, and nice flat ware.  The service was impeccable.

 

 

We were each given a glass of prosecco to enjoy while we made our selections.

 

 

Mom chose Parisian which was a black decaf with hints of berries and vanilla.  I chose green.

 

 The Tea Menu

 

We were served savory finger sandwiches, scones, little cakes, truffles, and our favorites, macarons.  Every morsel was delicious.  We munched and sipped and had an uninterrupted adult conversation, which is a rarity with a toddler usually in the mix.

 

 Jane Austen

 

 

A few tables away from us sat a lady and her daughter.  Each was dressed in Jane Austen style clothes.  We grabbed them for a quick photo as they were about to leave, and others wanted a shot with them, also.  I think the hotel should have comped their meal.  Don’t you???

 

It’s so nice to have something special that Mom and I share.  It’s great having a special thing that we both enjoy, and we plan to keep this little tradition going for as long as possible.

 

Cheers!

 

Linking to Between Naps on the Porch