Admittedly, touching down in NYC for the first time was reason enough to be kicking my heels in excitement, but when The Peninsula New York invited me to afternoon tea as a welcome, my excitement levels reached fever pitch! The Peninsula hotel group holds a special place in my heart ever since Ben proposed to me at The Peninsula Tokyo in January. I couldn’t think of a more perfect way to spend an afternoon with my fiancé in a city I had been dying to visit for so long.
Ben and I were welcomed into the intimate Gotham Lounge, an elegant space styled in rich sapphire and neutral tones. Upon being seated, we were shown the menu and told the only decision we had to make was the kind of tea we preferred, but let me tell you, it wasn’t an easy choice! There were so many teas to choose from but I couldn’t go past the Jasmine Downy Pearls and Ben chose the Kyoto Rice (Genmaicha).
While we sipped our tea, an extravagant three-tiered tray was delivered to our table, filled with all manner of tasty treats. There were an assortment of sandwiches, including roast beef with horseradish cream on wholegrain bread, organic smoked scottish salmon on pumpernickel bread, brie and lingonberry on cranberry and walnut bread, as well as the traditional cucumber, cream cheese and mint variety. Everything was so fresh and we were definitely glad we had skipped lunch!
But no afternoon tea is complete without the sweets. Not only did the remaining two tiers feature a lavish array of pastries, tartlets and scones, but out came my very own The Department of Wandering frosted cupcake. Dreams really do come true! All of this was complemented by a glass of Louis Roederer Brut champagne — the only way afternoon teas should be enjoyed in my book.
This was such a lovely way to celebrate arriving into the city and a tradition that I could definitely get used to!
Afternoon Tea is served between 2:30pm and 5pm daily and reservations are welcome.
What a magnificent afternoon tea you had. You must have felt very special to get your very own Department of Wandering cupcake. X
It was so special that I didn’t want to eat it! Such a lovely way to begin our time in NYC xx
I love how delicate everything looks, what a gorgeous afternoon tea!
It was so perfect Angie! It was such a lovely way to celebrate being in NYC!
I have been to 3 high teas before. My first high tea was fittingly enough held at The Grosvenor Hotel on Park Lane in London, which I can’t explain just how amazing it was!! The second was at The Windsor Hotel in Melbourne, which had completely different pastries and sandwiches compared to London. So it was great to experience a variety of different versions! 🙂 x
That all sounds so lovely Ashleigh! I’d love to have another afternoon tea soon — I could definitely get used to them! 😉 x
Love your pictures! That room looks divine. I had a beautiful afternoon tea at the Biltmore Estate. The view alone is to die for. It’s a must try!
It was gorgeous Briana! Wow, afternoon tea at the Biltmore Estate would have been so grand! I’m sure you adored it! x
This is one of the loveliest afternoon tea I´ve ever seen! And the place is just gorgeous.