I have had afternoon tea at Lady Mendl's tea salon twice, and have thoroughly enjoyed myself both times. The rooms are decorated in a Victorian style, evoking an old-fashioned elegance that you don't often find in the city. Lady Mendl's offers an extensive selection of teas for you to choose from. If you are a smaller party (not a large group), each guest is served from their own tea pot, which is then left on the table so you can replenish your cup at will. The 5 course tea service begins with a salad of greens and dressing - nothing fancy, but good. After the salad, you are offered a selection of 4 or 5 types of tea sandwiches. Although only 4 are served at first, don't be shy in asking for more after that - the servers will be happy to bring you more! The third course is scones - a must for any good tea service. Lady Mendl's serves theirs with raspberry jam and clotted cream. They were absolutely delicious!
After the scones, the fourth course is cake. When I was there, the choice was between a chocolate mousse cake or a layered crepe cake with vanilla cream - I had the chocolate, and tasted my friend's crepe cake, and both were wonderful! Finally, the last course consists of a selection of cookies and chocolate covered strawberries.
Lady Mendl's tea service is not inexpensive ($35 per person) but it is also not the most expensive I've had, either. The salon itself can be a bit tricky to find if you do not know what to look for. There are no signs outside that identify the building. Next to the door, there is a small plaque with a tea cup engraved on it, but beyond that the building looks just like any other. Reservations are required in advance for one of the two daily tea services. Unless you are booking near a holiday (Christmas, Mother's Day, etc.), there isn't usually a problem booking a few days in advance.
Lady Mendl's is definitely worth the price for a nice afternoon out!
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