High Tea at the Shangri-La Hotel

Shangri-La Hotel - Lobby Lounge
188 University Ave
Toronto, ON M5H 0A3
647-788-8888
http://www.shangri-la.com/toronto/shangrila/

Luxury afternoon tea at one of the poshest hotels in Toronto is an indulgence for the little girl inside as much as it is for the woman who is in need of a little relaxation. 

My partner had treated me to a wonderful afternoon at the Shangri-La Hotel Lobby Lounge where I had my pick of tea and a tower of little finger foods and desserts.  Shangri-La has the largest selection of tea offerred at any of the afternoon tea places I've been to and now also the most priciest with teas ranging from $15-$70 per pot!  (The $70 pot is temomicha tea which is a hand-rolled Japanese tea, but it is still a little too pricey for me to indulge in!) Afternoon tea includes any $15 pot and the additional cost of higher priced teas should you select it, is added on top.  I had a Wuyi Rock Oolong tea while my partner had an iced apple herbal tea.  Both were good and it was actually a very large pot of tea!

We sat on a plush sofa which was great while we chatted, but a little awkward while eating. I enjoyed lounging but I guess if I wore a dress it might be a little awkward.

There was a little girl with her mom having afternoon tea there too.  The little girl was wearing a pretty sun dress and her hair up in a bun.  As she sipped on her drink from the tea cups offered I thought of the day when I'd share this experience with my little girl.  I get quite excited right before I'm going for afternoon tea/high tea in anticipation of the selection of desserts and savory offerings. I think it's because I get to pretend for a moment that I'm a little girl again and able to indulge in such an elegant experience.

Wuyi Rock Oolong

I did not have to have my teapot refilled with water, the pot was just so huge!  The leaves are just left in the water though so they stay steeping which I always find a shame.  Luckily, the tea leaves did not get bitter...hmmm, when I think about this, this is uncharacteristic of oolong tea which you can usually steep multiple times...

Anyway, all the teas can be iced which is a great service to offer. I personally like my tea hot but it's a great option to have. The apple herbal tea was well made iced, no sugar was needed.  When my partner's glass was done, they also offerred to make another glass as there was still tea in the pot.

And now, for the food...the scones were good, not the best, but it was nice that they were warm.  You receive 2 per person and a little pot of clotted cream and berry preserve.  I did eat one an hour later and it was still soft so a definite plus!
 

Sandwiches were quite good overall.  The curry lobster roll was probably the best in appearance and taste, yum!  However, the cucumber apple sandwich was actual sans apple which was a surprise.  It also didn't have much flavour.

Four different savory mini sandwiches

Lobster and chive with curried mayo on briocche was our favourite of the savories

Desserts were probably the best part of the set and what was offered were desserts that do take a little more skill to prepare.  The negative is we didn't get one per person, however they were easily sharable.  The ginger and cherry verrine was the only dessert that there were two.

Front view of the dessert tier

I think my favourite ended up be this one, the hazelnut financier entremet.  The flavours went well together and it was moist and creamy.  It doesn't look as fancy as the other two, but I enjoyed the hazelnut cream quite a bit.

Back view of the dessert tier (R: Brown butter hazelnut financier, praline cream, cassis gelee)

 The ginger and cherry verrine was also very well made.  Ginger curd was yummy and the preserved cherries went nicely with it.   

The peppermint milk chocolate entremet was creamy and had just the right amount of sweetness.  I don't prefer pepperment chocolate but it still impressed me.

There were little rice crisp balls mixed in with the mousse.

The tropical bombe was quite well done with a myriad of tropical flavours that really bursted. More on the sweet side rather than tart as I was expecting.

The lobby lounge decor is quite nice and relaxing, with a faux fire place (strange in the summer but still nice) and large black and white paintings that resembled both mountains and robed dancers.  We had gone on a weekday so it wasn't too busy and the noise level was quite good.

Seating next to ours

Service was attentive and although there is only a 1.5 hour sitting time, we weren't rushed.  It may have been because it was a weekday, but nonetheless, it should be noted.  I do think that the sitting time should be 2 hours but I guess they say 1.5 and people will slowly make their way out by the 2 hour mark .

Overall, I think Shangri-La Hotel is one of the top afternoon spots in Toronto.  A lovely experience, I think I could have stayed a little longer but we were full and I was happy and it was just enough of a little break.