Afternoon Tea at The Ivy, York

You really are spoilt for choice when it comes to afternoon tea in York, so take this as fair warning, as we're about to make your next tea choice that little bit more difficult. Sorry, not sorry.

Right as you step into the centre of town, you'll spot The Ivy on St Helen's Square, a sophisticated restaurant that's both a relaxed retreat for lunch and ideal spot for evening cocktails. It also happens to offer a rather good afternoon tea, which we recently went along to try.

Cosy up on The Ivy's mustard yellow booth seating where the formalities of white linen tablecloths are offset by chunky patterned cushions and walls filled with botanical illustrations and contemporary colourful art. Not to mention the spectacular bar area which is wrapped in an old black and white image of York from years gone by and rows of slender mirrored panels which reflect the myriad of colours around the room. 

Once seated we were soon sipping on a glass of champagne each and perusing the tea menu. A great choice of traditional and floral flavours and extra points here for having a full description of the afternoon tea food menu too - ideal for bloggers like us who often forget to make notes about the sandwich selection due to being too distracted by pretty food. No? Just us then? For tea we opted for the Ivy 1917 breakfast blend and Ivy afternoon tea blend. 

First up, the savouries. The sandwich selection was good, if a little small, consisting of a delicious truffled chicken brioche roll, classic cucumber and dill finger sandwich, and open salmon and cream cheese on dark rye. While we would have liked to have seen a little more quantity on the savoury side, maybe a small pastry or another classic finger sandwich, you certainly could not argue with the quality of these afternoon tea favourites executed with a heightened sense of style.

For the scones, we won't lie, we found ourselves wondering for a moment if these were shop-bought or home-made, but it turns out The Ivy's perfectly proportioned fruit scones are in fact freshly baked. Presented on a separate cream tea stand and served with sizeable dollops of Dorset clotted cream, strawberry jam, and fresh strawberries, they did not disappoint.

For us, the top tier ticked all the important boxes of an afternoon tea sweet selection. You've got your fruit, something chocolatey, and traditional flavours done with a twist. First, we had been eyeing up those crème brulee doughnuts from the second the stand arrived at our table and they were so good, we wish we could have taken more home! Followed by the raspberry cheesecake which added a little crunch and refreshing dash of fruit, and finally, the chocolate and salted caramel mousse, presented like cappuccinos in mini espresso cups, which were a nice way to finish. 

Overall, our experience at The Ivy was great. The surroundings are beautiful and the staff were wonderfully attentive. Compared to some of our other recent excursions, it is quite a light afternoon tea offering, so we would probably recommend this more to regular tea-goers looking for a refined, yet informal pit stop whilst perusing York's cobbled streets. That said, where other venues might rely on novelties or themed teas to stand out from the crowd, The Ivy has certainly got the classics sorted and the style to go with it.  

Champagne afternoon tea is priced at £26.50pp. For more information and to book visit: https://theivyyork.com/

We were kindly provided with a complimentary tea for review, but as usual, all thoughts and opinions are very much our own!

Afternoon Tea at The Mount Royale Hotel, York

If you're heading into York for the day, you'd be forgiven for hopping off the train, heading straight into town for a wander through the Shambles and stopping along the way at a famous tea room. However, set your afternoon tea sights a little further and we promise, you will be glad you did, as we discovered last week when we were invited along to The Mount Royale, an independent hotel just a 10-minute stroll away from York Station, with an afternoon tea offering that should definitely be on your radar.

Pastel perfection awaits you inside OXO's on the Mount where its Royal Tea menu is served by appointment only in a lounge style setting that opens up right onto the hotel's impressive gardens. Created by the talented Karen Oxtoby, this afternoon tea is a beautiful blend of colour, flavour and design, filled with countless little details that make this a truly unique offering in a city that is already spoilt for choice when it comes to tea and cake.

To start, presented on a separate serving dish are a range of finger sandwiches with a good selection of breads and fillings including ham and tomato, creamy coronation chicken, tuna and cucumber, egg mayo, and cheese an onion. There is even a cute candy-striped bag of salted crisps to accompany. Hands down our favourite was the coronation chicken, but there are enough flavours to satisfy even the fussiest of palettes - though a couple did only have one of each, so you might have to fight it out!

Next up, the epicentre of any good afternoon tea - the scones. Not only did they look exquisite, perfectly proportioned and homemade with a dusting of sugar on top, the taste test definitely lived up to our high expectations. A very generous helping of jam and cream meant we could layer up on the good stuff to our heart's content and the personalisation of The Mount Royale's locally sourced branded strawberry jam really added that extra touch. However, don't go to overboard, as the best is yet to come.

Served on a two-tier floral stand, the sweet selection is so pretty and thoughtful, you almost feel bad for eating it. But the guilt lasts for all of two seconds when you tuck into this medley of afternoon tea classics and contemporary flavours. Are you a fan of peanut butter? Passionfruit? Amaretto? Take your pick, it's all here. 

The traditionalists out there may deem this array of flavour to be a little OTT, and on another occasion, we might be inclined to agree, but here it works and care has been taken to ensure each piece feels special. The selection includes macaroons, sugar cookies, battenburg, eton mess, mini cupcakes, meringue, and even a milkshake, served in a small bottle coated in rainbow coloured hundreds and thousands, to wash it down. Whether it's the gold dusting, marble effect fondant, or coloured tissue paper parcels, you simply cannot fault the attention to detail and for £19.95 per person (£26.95 with champagne), it's an absolute steal. 

To top it off, we each had substantial pots of breakfast tea and coffee paired with delicate mismatched teacups and saucers. For the tea connoisseurs out there, it might be good to have a tea menu for guests to choose from, particularly for those wanting to be a little more adventurous but for us, it was hardly a deal breaker.

Overall, we loved our time at The Mount Royale. The setting was relaxed, the sun was shining, and the afternoon tea was a real treat. More people need to know about this place. If you're planning a visit to York any time soon and looking for something a little special, this is where you need to be.  

For more information and to book visit: http://www.mountroyale.co.uk/

We were kindly provided with a complimentary tea for review, but as usual, all thoughts and opinions are very much our own!

The Afternoon Tea Club Reviews: The Principal Hotel, York

As someone who lives in Chester and regularly has to deal with the masses attending Chester Races, what could possibly be the worst imaginable day to join the crowds on the train and pay a visit to one of your favourite UK cities, York? A York Races day of course! Thankfully for Caroline and I, there was light at the end of the suits-and-dresses-filled tunnel, and that was cake at The Principal York, Hotel.

Ideally located right next to York Station, you can literally hop off the train and into the Garden Room where an elegant tea oasis awaits adorned with neutral tones, highlighted by huge windows with views across the lawn - all the more spectacular on a summers day.

We started with a glass of champagne each before digging into the first course. The tea is served in two parts, first a small plate filled with three savoury miniatures followed by the main event. Bites included; Sweet potato, chorizo and sherry vinegar velouté, smoked mackerel mousse, and Yorkshire rarebit, fruit chutney. It’s very unusual to find anything soupy on an afternoon tea menu but the sweet potato velouté worked really well and was definitely a favourite. A strong start!

Moving to the first tier of the main stand, there aren’t as many sandwiches as you would normally expect but you won’t need them after the first trio. Here you will find an egg mayonnaise and watercress sandwich alongside a Yorkshire ham and pickle sandwich. Both really tasty, generous fillings and served on two types of bread, always a plus.

Moving on to the scones, which also come as a trio and offered up something a little different to your usual afternoon tea fare. You have your plain and fruit scones and then an additional cherry and almond served with raspberry jam and clotted cream. Cherry scones have always been a favourite of mine so I was excited to see these on the menu and they tasted delicious with lashings of cream. And just in case you’re wondering how you’ll manage three scones AND a plate of pastries, the scones are only small so you shouldn’t have to worry about saving room!

On to the last tier which features a pretty mix of colours and flavours - but there is only one of each kind so be sure to share/pick your favourites quickly! Sweets include a Yorkshire curd tart, salted caramel chocolate pot, passion fruit macaron, rhubarb gin cheesecake, Parkin loaf, and raspberry and white chocolate éclair. This was one of the best dessert selections we’ve come across thanks to its imaginative choice of flavours used in popular afternoon tea sweets - the rhubarb gin cheesecake and macaroon were our top picks both for their pastel palettes and great taste.

To accompany the food, The Principal serves Rare Tea Company loose-leaf tea, hand picked by ‘Tea-Lady’ consultant Henrietta Lovell. We opted for the Single Estate English Breakfast and Earl Grey, both sourced from the Satemwa Estate, Malawi.

We really enjoyed our afternoon at The Principal, York. It’s a beautiful hotel and in a prime location for anyone travelling from out of town. The tea menu is great, fusing the old with the new and features plenty of unique touches to make it stand out. If you’re planning a trip to York this Summer and looking for a quiet hideout from the crowds, be sure to put The Principal York on your list. 

Afternoon Tea is served daily between 11.30am-6pm at £22.95pp or £29.50pp with champagne. For more info and to book visit: https://www.phcompany.com/principal/york-hotel/

Top Picks for Mother's Day Afternoon Tea

What better way to treat your mum this Mother's Day than with some quality time spent drinking tea (or champagne!) and eating lots of fabulous cake! Here's our pick of some of the best places to take your lovely mum this Mother's Day ...

Bettys, York

Bettys was the first tea room I ever visited as a child and has remained a firm favourite ever since. Boasting six locations across Yorkshire, their afternoon tea is a must for anyone travelling through the region, with York’s outlet offering both a casual dining option for passers by, or a reservation only experience upstairs in their Belmont room. Be sure to stop by their in house shop on the way out, to purchase a selection of Bettys signature breads, cakes and preserves - their Yorkshire tea loaf and fat rascal are an absolute must! - Caroline

Great John Street, Manchester

Everything about Great John Street’s afternoon tea is perfect. From its sumptuous library surroundings with sinkable sofas, to their beautiful Kumquat embellished serving plates, this boutique hotel has everything down to a tee (or tea!). Like many venues across the UK, Great John Street hotel offers both a ladies, gents and children's tea, making them the perfect choice for couples or family celebrations. Their new ‘High Breakfast’ makes tea an all day affair, offering a quirky take on the tradition, with Smoked Salmon Benedict, Mini French Toast and Strawberry Smoothies up for grabs. Definitely one to check out. 

Grand Pacific, Manchester

Our second Manchester recommendation is the ‘Asian High Tea’ at Grand Pacific in Spinningfields. Served in two waves (savoury stand first, followed by a sweet) this tea is a twist on the traditional British pastime, swapping out sandwiches for sushi, and scones for sweet spring rolls. With the bar being part of Manchester’s premier Australasia restaurant, it’s impossible to go too wrong. 

Crewe Hall, Crewe

Anywhere that’s good enough for the kings and queens of days gone by, is good enough for us. Served in the Sheridan Lounge fresh from the estate’s Victorian kitchen, the most striking part of this afternoon tea is its surroundings. With beautiful period features and high ceilings running throughout, it’s difficult not to get swept away in the venue’s history. Their champagne option is exactly how you’d imagine a quintessential afternoon tea to be, so if you’re looking for an elegant high tea in traditional surroundings, this is about as perfect as it gets!

Harvey Nichols, Nationwide

Harvey Nichols is a great option for afternoon tea on the go. Located at the heart of five of the UKs  major cities, the premium department store offers a luxury high tea experience at a very reasonable price. With seasonal menus that often include collaborations with prominent chefs, such as Paul A Young, this ever changingafternoon tea is a fantastic option for shoppers and ladies who lunch.

Cuthberts’ Bakehouse, Liverpool

If vintage charm is more your style, Cuthberts’ Bakehouse in Liverpool offers a fun and affordable afternoon tea in a casual setting decorated in turquoise hues and fairy lights. Chosen from a selection of co-owner Matthew’s favourites, the menu varies from season to season but whatever the time of year, Cuthberts will spoil you with a quirky tea stand that’s packed with afternoon tea classics like Victoria sponge, huge macaroons and hearty sandwiches in an impressive selection of fillings and breads– you’ll wonder how you’ll ever finish it all.

Marco’s New York Italian, Sheffield

Marco Pierre White’s New York, Italian restaurant offers a choice of two fabulous afternoon teas – traditional and Italian. Served on an up-cycled vintage style wine box, the Italian menu brings a fresh twist with a selection of savoury bites including pastrami on rye and bruschetta down to a sweet selection of cronuts, chocolate covered strawberries and polenta cake. Hardcore traditionalists might miss their usual scone fix but the surprise “wow” box that arrives as you finish, featuring mini biscuits and hot dipping chocolate, more than makes up for it. 

Are you treating your mum to Afternoon Tea this Mother's Day? Tweet your photos at @TeacupReview!

Afternoon Tea at the Grand Hotel & Spa, York

Tea Stand

Betty's York was one of my first ever afternoon tea experiences and to this day remains my favourite place to visit in the city. Because of this, I tend to be a little cautious of trying new venues in York, for fear of missing out on my all time fave. However, when my friend Caroline invited me to join her on a spa and afternoon tea day at the Grand Hotel in York, I couldn't resist. 

Now Caroline is a regular guest at this hotel and visits pretty much every year with her boyfriend, and  has come back every time with nothing but praise, so when she invited me along, I knew I had to try it out for myself!

For around £39 each we took part in a spa product blending session, followed by afternoon tea in the hotel's restaurant. I won't focus too much on the spa part, because you're all here for the tea, but what I will say is that it's a really fun experience and great for groups. 

It only takes around 25 minutes, but works well as a little warm up for tea time and gives you something nice to take home after the cakes have been eaten. Incase you're wondering, the spa products you can choose to make are either a hand cream, body scrub or salt soak - I chose a lemongrass hand cream and have been using it none stop ever since. 

As you'd expect from a 5 star hotel, the full silver service is brought out in force at the Grand Hotel Afternoon Tea, with the prettiest tea pots and service I've ever seen. The tea itself comes as two separate pieces, with a plate of sandwiches first (incl. Smoked Salmon, Beef, Egg Mayo and cucumber) followed by a cake stand filled with warm scones and delicious sweet treats. This part  featured Walnut loaf, a sweet meringue cornet, ginger cupcake and a decadent chocolate tiffin-esque cake - Dreamy!

Overall I was very pleased with my afternoon tea experience at the Grand Hotel. My only piece of feedback would be that the overall appearance of the tea could've been improved by an injection of colour - maybe some pink macaroons or fruit topped pastries - to add another dimension to the look. As it stands the colour palette is a little beige and uninteresting to the eye - even if it is absolutely delicious. A bit of colour would take this tea up a level, and make it a real show stopper.

That said, everything we were presented with was a real treat and I'd be more than happy to recommend the Grand Hotel to friends in the future. They also do a great loyalty card scheme which offers diners every sixth tea free, which is an excellent perk and something which more venues should consider!

Check out the spa and afternoon tea packages available at the Grand Hotel York, here.

Caroline

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The Afternoon Tea Club Reviews: Bettys, York

Last year, we compiled a list of our favourite tea rooms for The Independent's Top 50 Tea Rooms. Bettys York was one of our top picks and so we were very happy to recieve an invitation to sample the delights of Champagne Afternoon Tea at the famous York venue. Here's how we got on ...

Champagne Afternoon Tea.

Environment

Laura:

From the outside, Bettys York is simply gorgeous. It’s grand, traditional and looks absolutely magical – and there’s a huge queue of people outside to prove it.

Today we were situated in the Belmont Room, Bettys upstairs tea room, reserved exclusively for their finest Afternoon Tea. There’s even a side entrance, solely for this room, just to make you feel extra special – like celebs of Afternoon Tea … ahem.

The Belmont Room transports you back to an age of tradition and sophistication with gorgeous wooden panelled walls, huge beautiful windows and perfect white tablecloths.

Setting the scene even more was a delightful pianist, which got Caroline just a tad excited!

Everything is very light and airy with honey coloured finishes and woven furniture – lovely.

Yummy sultana scones.

Caroline:

As a little girl, I loved nothing more than going to Bettys with my parents. The gentile surroundings and beautiful tea services, facinated my curiosity for times gone by and secured the establishment's place in my heart. As an adult, this love has continued, making Bettys one of my go to places for a good pick me up or escape from reality. 

However, in spite of this long standing adoration, I'm ashamed to say that I've never experienced the full afternoon tea delight - until now. Yes, I'd sampled their wonderful scones and enjoyed more than one cup of their fabulous hot chocolate in my time, but somehow a full afternoon tea had passed me by. 

Served in the Belmont Room, Bettys complete afternoon tea experience is everything that I'd ever imagined (and more). Complete with art deco surroundings and a live pianist, it has a charm quite unlike any other afternoon tea venue in the uk and is a delight to behold. As Laura said, I was particularly taken with the pianist, who played a selection of my favourite songs, including a Barry Manilow medley and selections from Andrew Lloyd Webber, which was a lovely surprise. 

Amazing cakes.

Food

Laura:

Having visited Bettys before, I was super excited to try their special Afternoon Tea. Getting ourselves off to a good start, we began with a glass of champagne each which went down very nicely, followed by a huge choice teas including some of Betty’s own unique blends. I chose a safe, Betty’s Earl Grey Tea, which was hit the spot perfectly and would make a lovely cup for at home – luckily, you can purchase some downstairs!

First things first, we started with a yummy range of finger sandwiches and it was good to know these could be topped up should we find ourselves not too full. These were; chicken and tarragon, Scottish smoked salmon, ham and honey mustard and egg mayonnaise. My favourite was the chicken as I loved the textured loaf and the filling was gorgeously creamy.

Sandwiches - need a refill?

To follow we each had two mini scones with jam and cream. The size was just right which left us with plenty of room for the fabulous cakes that were to follow.

And fabulous they were. Topped with the proud Bettys logo and laced with fruity, chocolaty goodness, these desserts were almost too good to eat.

From the selection, I tried the chocolate orange sponge, walnut cake and raspberry tart. Despite the chocoholic in me absolutely loving the chocolate orange, my favourite was the raspberry cake. Served on a biscuit base and dusted with sugar, it was just dreamy. On a whole, I think that the desserts complimented each other very well and I felt nicely full once finished.

Bettys

Caroline:

The food at Bettys is top notch, and offers something for everyone. 

On this occasion, my sandwich of choice was the smoked salmon, which was beautifully fresh and exactly what I'd been hankering after all week, perfectly complimented with a thin layer of cream cheese, to create my fave combo. 

On the cake front, my pick had to be the wonderfully light berry meringue, which competed my afternoon tea experience perfectly, providing a brilliant contrast to decadent chocolate financier.

Boasting an excellent selection of home blended teas, Bettys is the perfect place to go if you fancy trying something a different, with over sixteen varieties of tea available for your delectation. However, being the traditionalist that I am, I opted for the 'Bettys Breakfast Tea' which I'm happy to report was some of the nicest breakfast tea I've ever tasted!

Beautiful tea set.

Service

Laura:

I felt a genuine warmth from the staff at Bettys. All those we met appeared to take a real interest in our day and asked questions about our trip which I thought was lovely. They couldn’t do enough for us.

Caroline:
Bettys staff balance the line between friendliness and formality perfectly, keeping a warm interest without being overbearing. Great work!

The famous Bettys.

Overall Thoughts

Laura:

I find it amazing that many people have never tried Afternoon Tea yet most people I meet seem to have heard of Bettys. There’s a reason for that and it’s a true testament to the name which has been going strong since 1919, it’s not just about good cake and tea, it’s about the experience. Going to Betty’s should be a real event and I would highly recommend braving the queues and experiencing it for yourself … or just book before you go!

Caroline:

Bettys is without a doubt one of my favourite places in the UK and somewhere which everyone needs to visit at least once in their life - even if it's just to sample their incredible hot chocolate. By hook or by crook, you should get yourself down there now!

Bettys York is situated in York city centre at St Helen's Sqaure. Afternoon Tea is served in the Belmont Room from 12.30pm from Friday to Sunday. Booking is essential. To reserve your table, please visit their website here: http://www.bettys.co.uk/

DISCLAIMER: As is common in the catering and leisure industry, we were provided with complimentary services for review purposes. Whilst this has not influenced our review, we believe in the full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.

Cake Break: Sooty's Cupcakery, York

It's not exactly traditional to have cupcakes for breakfast but walking past the window of this delightful little cupcakery, you have to forget it's 11am and just indulge - as I did!

 

 

Decked out with 50's style diner seating and shelves stacked with increasinly popular American sweets, everything about this cupcakery invites you in - and that's before you've even tasted the cake.

 

The lovely lady at Sooty's introduced us to all of the different cupcakes available that day, each of them made by her daugher. Naturally, as a self confessed Mini Eggs addict, I chose the chocolate buttercream Mini Egg flavour. It was just gorgeous, the buttercream was perfect and the sponge was nice and fluffy.

 

To top it off, my coffee arrived in a pretty homely mug accompanied by floral patterned china to balance the quirky with the quaint.

 

 

Overall Sooty's is a cute and quirky little place where the cupcakes live up to their pretty surroundings. Highly recommended for a sweet pit stop.

 

(Laura)

Cake Break: Lucky Days, Church Street, York

Feeling lucky? Then take a trip to the fabulous Lucky Days cafe in York.

Lucky 6? 

 

Situated in York's wonderfully traditional cobbled streets, Lucky Days is the perfect place to stop for lunch amidst all the shopping and sightseeing the city has to offer.

 

The format is geared towards modern lunching with a compact hot food counter that serves soups and baked potatoes and a canteen style dessert station - all ran by lovely, enthusiastic and friendly staff.

 

Scones with jam and cream.

 

The cafe boasts a rather inventive alternative to the typical loyalty stamp card. On your first visit you will be presented with a card that entitles you to a roll of the dice on your return. Should you roll a 6, every item on your bill will then only cost you £1 - how cute is that?!

 

Red velvet cake. Wow.

The food is just delightful. Perfectly fluffy baked potatoes and healthy soups (I chose both!) and amazing cakes and scones - well you've got to try it all haven't you?

 

For a quick bite or coffee and a cake, Lucky Days is definitely a must - and it may only cost you a quid - good luck!

 

(Laura)