Toast to the Holidays with Afternoon Tea (and Champagne) at The Lancaster Hotel
This Luxury Historic Houston Hotel Perfects One of The Season's Most Storied Traditions
BY PC Studios // 11.30.23
Toast to the holidays with Afternoon Tea (and champagne) at The Lancaster Hotel. (Photo by Teresa Rafidi)
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Afternoon tea is one of the holiday’s most treasured, storied traditions. Dating back centuries, women (and men!) have gathered together to catch up, reunite, and swap stories (dare we say gossip) over finger sandwiches, scones, and cream. This holiday season, it’s pinkies up at afternoon tea at the Lancaster Hotel through December 31.
Tea is served every Saturday and Sunday, with 12 pm and 2:30 pm seating times. Reservations are required at least 48 hours in advance, so be sure to book your table early.
Served in the Mezzanine of this historic Houston hotel, which is eloquently decorated for the holidays, tea time is accompanied by tables dressed in white tablecloths and meticulously set with William Edwards English bone China. Guests have the option to choose from six different teas, which are accompanied by a colorful three-tier sweet and savory treat stand. Friendly and attentive staff are at your beck and call.
While the tradition is named after what you drink, what you eat may be the main event. At the Lancaster Hotel, the first tier is an assortment of delicate finger sandwiches featuring coronation chicken salad, smoked salmon, egg salad, and cucumber sandwiches.
The second tier is a freshly baked cranberry orange scone with Devonshire clotted cream, housemade lemon curd, and seasonal jam. And, last but not least, the top tier is a selection of patisseries composed of a chocolate pot de crème, a petit four, a fresh fruit tart, and a Viennese whirl cookie.
Of course, it is a holiday tea so if you’re looking to toast with something a bit stronger, guests can add champagne for an additional cost. And, in the true spirit of the holidays and giving, each guest receives a complimentary tea tin containing five sachets of the hotel’s Holiday Spiced Black Tea, elegantly presented in an organza bag as a special parting gift.
Cheers to another elegant holiday season.