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| First Flush Darjeeling Tea |
Annvita Tea Room
5441 Yonge St.
North York, ON M2N 5S1
T:647-505-5666
I was excited to go to
Annvita Tea Room for afternoon tea since (English style) afternoon tea is one of those indulgences that I love, but rarely get to do.
Annvita Tea Room is a tea company started by Ann Chiang, to bring the English tea experience to China. Toronto is actually the first international location within this brand.
We went on a Thurs afternoon and I was quite surprised to see half the room already occupied. The room maybe fits about 25 patrons. And, it quickly filled up soon after we were seated, a number of groups actually had to wait! I was almost certain that it wouldn't be busy on a weekday afternoon but I was so very wrong!
Let's actually start with the good.
The Good
Service was very polite and attentive.
All the teaware and table settings were very beautiful and of good quality. The silverware was dainty and had the Annvita name engraved on each piece so you definitely feel like you're having a Victorian style afternoon tea.
They are open 7 days a week until 11pm.
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| Even the sugar bowl was matching. |
There's also a huge selection of tea you can choose from which is a plus if you're looking for teas not traditionally offered at the many surrounding Taiwanese tea shops in the area. A large book is given to you to read through as it describes the company and teas they offer.
The Average
The food! I ordered the Victorian afternoon tea set for one ($39.99) and I was hoping to see some unique pieces but they were all just average in appearance and taste. I do appreciate that some of the desserts were not that sweet which definitely appeals to the Asian palate; my mom would like this set. The set for 2 people was double the price and comes with a few additional items.
You can also get a slightly less expensive tea set called the Jane Austen tea set for $34.99.
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| 2 tier tea set |
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| Savory selection: R: smoked salmon roll, L: Ham spread with melon |
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| The scone was okay, not too dry. |
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| Clotted cream and one preserve |
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| Fruit tart, with almond jelly filling? |
I think the best dessert on the dessert plate was probably this tart. It was nice and light and I think it was an almond jelly filling. The crust was crisp and a little on the thin side but maybe it is supposed to be a lighter dessert so they didn't want to have a thicker crust. This would most likely be a cream cheese cake or heavier tart in other afternoon tea sets.
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| Madeleine |
The beverages! We can't not talk about the tea when going for afternoon tea. With my afternoon tea set for one, it comes with a pot of tea and I ended up selecting a First Flush Darjeeling. Darjeeling tea is sometimes referred to as the "champagne" of teas. It is a varietal of tea that comes from China but is grown in the Darjeeling region which is a high mountain area in India. I usually don't drink this tea at home but when I'm out, it would be something I'd consider ordering. The first cup was okay, slightly sweet with vegetal notes and mild astringency, but it didn't wow me; I've tasted better. Since the leaves were still sitting in the pot with the remaining water, my second cup was bitter. They do fill up your teapot with water again but the tea leaves are already over-steeped.
My partner ordered an Annvita tea cake and a pot of iced milk tea. One plus for Annvita is that they offer cold teas which many other traditional afternoon tea spots do not. This was much appreciated by my partner who'd rather drink a cold drink than hot. It was definitely interesting to drink cold milk tea from a fancy bone china cup! With each tea order, you do receive two cookies to go with your tea which is nice (I have mentioned before that I love getting a little cookie or cracker with a drink order in Asia). The iced milk tea was smooth and creamy so no complaints on taste here.
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| Iced milk tea |
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| Annvita Cake - this turned out to be banana cake |
The Poor
The value!! As mentioned, my afternoon tea set cost $39.99 which is a bit expensive for what you get in my opinion but I guess I'm also paying for the experience. The teas themselves if you look at their individual prices are also quite expensive ranging from $11.99 - $24.99 per pot. My first flush Darjeeling was actually $24.99 if you purchased a pot of this tea alone. It wasn't a poor tea and I don't mind paying for good quality tea or food, but unfortunately I didn't find the quality of my selected tea to be of this value.
I understand that a lot of money has gone into the design of the tea room and the cost of the teaware, which I can imagine would be quite expensive to replace if one of those tea pots were to break. So I can understand a mark-up. When I think of afternoon tea at hotels in Toronto like the King Edward or even one at Maison Birks in Montreal (that I thought was great for under $30/person), the quality of the set here was a bit lacking.
Annvita does offer other items besides afternoon tea but as mentioned, my partner ordered the Annvita cake which was $6.99 for literally a banana cake/muffin. Unbelievable!
Anyway, below are some pics of the tea room which is very nice and a huge selling point.
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| Front counter |
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| One side of the tea room |
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| Display...unfortunately the tea cannisters are only for display and not for sale. |
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| Fine Bone China |
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| Tea for sampling |
Afternoon tea is not only about the food and tea but about the company that you're with and the conversation that ensues so it was still a nice indulgence for me and I'm happy that I got to try this place out.
If you live in the area, it's convenient to come here for a taste of Victorian style afternoon tea. Aside from the value, if you prefer desserts to be on the lighter side (less fat and sugar), this would be a great option! Unfortunately, there are other afternoon tea spots I have yet to try and likely won't be back any time soon.
