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Tea is pretty good and the setting is very fancy. The view was pleasant with the harbour outside. The food is a set menu and comes as a nice 3 tiered …
Foodisgood421
Afternoon Tea – The Fairmont Empress Hotel
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Wonderful first time tea experience at the Empress. Some may call it a tourist thing but it's something that should be done at least once. I've also h…
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Absolutely wonderful afternoon tea! Sure it might be expensive, but it was worth every penny to do it! Service was outstanding and there was so much f…
Jennifer Dempsey
Afternoon Tea – The Fairmont Empress Hotel
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Afternoon Tea - The Fairmont Empress Hotel serves Desserts and Tea. Incorrect or missing information? Make a report, or claim the restaurant if you own it!Details
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9 Reviews on “Afternoon Tea – The Fairmont Empress Hotel”
Absolutely wonderful afternoon tea! Sure it might be expensive, but it was worth every penny to do it! Service was outstanding and there was so much food I wasn’t sure I could finish it all. The food was super delicious and so was the tea.
Absolute exquisite pastries and desserts. I had a wonderful experience celebrating Mother’s Day with my mom and aunt. Especially since we had to wake up very early to catch the ferry from Vancouver to Victoria, but it was totally worth it! The service is exceptional just like the food. Make sure to reserve in advance!! If you are looking for fancy high tea this one definitely hits high on the charts!
So a few friends and I sat down for high tea at the Empress hotel. At first glance at the menu you kind of jump back in shock at the price, but it is worth EVERY price. The tea was wonderful and the sandwiches, desserts and pastries were quite delicious. Best to go on an empty stomach because you will be quite full!!! It’s a great way to relax!! Service is great!!
Overpriced and really not that elegant. I went to the Empress for afternoon tea with my husband last week while we were on our babymoon vacation. We had been to the Butchart Gardens for afternoon tea the previous day and had been thoroughly impressed. I was still really looking forward to the Empress experience, and for $60pp (twice what we paid at Butchart) I thought that the tea service would be even more amazing…but it wasn’t. First of all, the service was rushed – it seemed like customers are churned out of there, factory style. Our server barely had time to explain anything to us. The table setting and ambiance were also far less elegant what we had at Butchart Gardens for half of the price. At Butchart we got to sit outside and overlook the beautiful garden, and we had lovely table linens and proper silverware – none of that at the Empress, just a noisy dingy dining room. The tea itself was poorly prepared with far too much water and not enough tea leaves, producing a very watery tasting tea. The food was OK, not as good as Butchart Gardens, but edible. It’s a shame because with some love and attention this place could be magnificent, and maybe it once was. For now it is just hyped up to be a lot better than it actually is.
Paying equal amounts for the historical experience as for the actual tea.. I went for Afternoon Tea with my wife on Wednesday, 1 April, 2015.The Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Empress is an icon. What Victoria experience would be complete without it? We were seated at a nice corner table by a window, the view of the harbor only marred by the Bobcat with a jackhammer front hammering loudly directly outside the window. I suppose the 3 emails sent before my arrival and the 2 letters given me upon check in were ample warning…still was unfortunate.The server asked us our tea selection and returned promptly with our chosen teas (Empress blend and Darjeeling), then pouring the tea for us both ( minor infraction, she poured the cream first into my wife’s cup. Not that I particularly care, but in victorian tea culture, the milk/cream ALWAYS goes in after.The strawberries were fresh and not the giant strawberries often found at the grocer, but nice small ripe ones. The cream was lightly sweetened and whipped to perfection.The three tiered tray came out with the sandwiches, scone, and small deserts.Cucumber & Ginger Mascarpone on Butter Brioche – ok, white bread wasn’t that great, but a small hint of sweetness from the mascarpone helped add interest.Free Range Egg Salad Croissant – I certainly make a more flavorful egg salad at home, it could use a little spice (maybe some paprika). The croissant it was on was quite nice. All this said, I suppose Victorian high tea isn’t really about strong flavors, is it?Smoked Salmon Pinwheel with Dill Cream Cheese – Fine enough, though again, a little on the bland side, could use a little more dill cream cheese. Couldn’t actually taste the dill at all.Moroccan Spiced Coronation Chicken on Marble Rye – Probably the best sandwich of the lot. Good flavor, and nice moisture. Much better bread.Roasted Bone-In Ham with Tarragon Dijonnaise – Quite nice. Well balanced.In addition, they provided vegetarian options for my wife.Shredded Carrot Ginger – The sweetness of the carrot and spicy of the ginger were nicely balanced.Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke – Fairly simple in the end, not very complex, but niceCurried Eggplant on Marble Rye – Basically the same as the chicken. The best of the bunch.Freshly Baked Raisin Scone with Strawberry Jam & Empress Cream – This was easily the best item of the afternoon. The scone was wonderful, lots of flavor and not too dry. The Strawberry Jam and Empress cream were a perfect topping.The deserts (Grande Marnier White Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Tea Cup with Matcha Cream, Vanilla Bean Shortbread, Salted Caramel Coffee Delice, Lemon Curd Tartlet) were all enjoyable, but nothing truly special.Overall you really are paying equal amounts for the historical experience and the food and that’s really how they advertise it anyway. That said, there’s stains on some of the chairs, little details here and there that could use some attention. It’s clear that Afternoon Tea at The Empress is still riding on it’s own historical coat tails rather than looking to improve. It was worth going, but would maybe be a once in 4 or 5 year thing…at most.
Love the Empress. Went for afternoon tea on Friday December 19. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Wife and MIL also had a good time. I love the Empress…such a lovely old building, elegant and regal. Our tea, sandwiches, scones and desserts we all very good. Especially liked the fresh whip cream!! Very yummy. If you sign up for a free Friends of the Empress membership you get 20% off your bill. Not bad at all. Would recommend the afternoon tea at the Empress!!!
Would not recommend. I would like to start off by saying that The Fairmont Empress is a beautiful, historical landmark that is worth visiting. However, the afternoon tea was a major disappointment. Although our server was kind and attentive, the food was definitely not up to par. To begin with, the metal teapots were old and stained. It ruined the atmosphere and did not fit well with the other floral china pieces we had. It would be nice if they invested in new teapots since they charge a good $60 per person before tax and gratuity. Secondly, about a few dozen tea sets were already sitting in a long table in the middle of the tea room waiting to be served. It looked like it had been sitting there for a while and did not look appetizing. Next, too much water was poured into the huge metal tea pot so our tea tasted like mud water when the milk was added in. It was so diluted that it had no flavour whatsoever.In my opinion, the savoury items were better executed than the desserts. The bite size sandwiches were generally flavourful, with the moroccan chicken on marble rye tasting the best. The bread was soft and had a good texture and the chicken was served with green grapes to bring acidity to the spiciness. In comparison, the desserts were mediocre. The pistachio dacquoise was bland, while the tropical fruit lamington was too dry in the centre and overly sour. I had to spit it out and no one in our party finished theirs. The earl grey mascarpone served in a chocolate tea cup was my favourite. The mascarpone had a rich, creamy texture and the tea flavour really shone through. I would not revisit this tea room as I did not have a pleasant experience. This is all based on my amateur opinion.