In my last post, I promised I would share with you the details of my foray into living in excess and going for high tea. This would be the second time I’ve gone for high tea. The first time was last year, for one of my friend’s wedding shower (it was paid for by the maid of honor…. sweet!).
Well I had to pay up this time, because it was my friend’s birthday and we have this terrible tradition of buying one another a present on our birthdays and treating the other for tea/lunch. It’s getting expensive… it needs to stop. But I digress-
Anyway, we went to the Shangri-La, now the tallest building in Vancouver. It’s a beautiful hotel, absolutely beautiful, crisp, classic looking. The high tea is held in the lobby lounge of the hotel, and it was really nice. It has a nice atmosphere and there was live piano music played. The piano is a Fazioli, which my piano enthusiast friend said is like the Ferrari’s of pianos. I used to play trombone in high school so I really don’t I know much about pianos LOL.
At first I was dreading it because I didn’t feel like eating sweet things, as I suffer from a savoury tooth, and not a sweet tooth. I was pleasantly surprised as there was more that would suite my palate than I had previously thought. Some of my favourites were the Soy Cured Steelhead Salmon, the Tamarind crusted Ahi tuna, and the melt-in-your-mouth crisply black truffle risotto (all on the second tier of the high tea tower).
After all the savoury goodness (mmm truffle risotto), it was on to sample some sweetness to finish off. Now I’m usually not a big fan of scones (often because they taste too dry and get stuck in my throat), but their royalty chocolate biscuit cake with the creme fraiche spread was just mouth watering and delicious. The perfect taste- light and airy and it didn’t sit like a heavy stone in my stomach.
The tea I chose was Japanese Cherry tea. My friend picked the Ruby Chai tea. The tea was very good, except I kept accidentally pouring the tea directly into my teacup without using the sieve like well-mannered people should do. I also spilled some jam and creme fraiche onto my hand while trying to enjoy my scone. High tea is not made for the clumsy, that’s for sure!
Total damage? $34 per person. Time with girlfriend I have been friends with since high school (we’re talking like 15 years ago) talking about the latest gossip, our next year and what it may hold for us, her plans with her boyfriend, listening to beautiful live music on the piano to match the dreary weather outside… priceless I suppose. I guess one splurge a year is okay. 
Readers, have you ever tried going for afternoon tea before? If so, is $35 or so pretty standard? Do you still keep in touch with friends from high school?
Yay! It sounds like you two had a great time. That’s what it’s all about. I think $35 is not too bad. We’ve been to high tea in Victoria and Hong Kong and the high end places are about that much. Once in a while it’s good to spend money and have a great time with old friends.
@retirebyforty- Yeah, it was nice, thanks. A nice opportunity- not something that I would do regularly though. Did you like the high tea better in Victoria or Hong Kong? Is there anything like this in Portland?
I’ve been to the Windsor Arms for high tea in Toronto. It was for mother’s day last year. It cost $38/each plus tax and tip, and there were four of us. I didn’t like it at all – the sandwiches were tiny, the sweets just average, and I’ve had better scones. I felt gross after eating all those carbs. I know part of the cost is the experience, but man, for that kind of money, I could have gone out to eat at a nice restaurant and had “real” food to boot.
@Obsessive Compulsive Daniela- LOL There are definitely a ton of carbs associated with afternoon tea! I had afternoon tea at the Sutton Place hotel last year (another fancy hotel in Vancouver) and it wasn’t very impressive either. I guess it depends on where one goes.
I’ve really wanted to try the Fairmont Afternoon Tea, which is $36 I think. Secret Garden is supposed to be good too but not quite the atmosphere of the Fairmont or Shangri-La.
@CF- I hear the Secret Garden is really nice- small and intimate. I think it’s supposed to be cheaper too.
That is not bad – in Victoria at the Empress – it is over $45 per person!
It is a nice experience though.
I will take Lina one day – would you recommend on our next visit to Vancouver (is Shangri-la taller than the Shaw building)?.
@Steve Zussino- Whenever I think of high tea, I think of the Empress in Victoria. It must be an amazing experience though, being in the Empress hotel
Yeah, the Shangrila is the tallest, then the Sheraton tower, then the Shaw building. Check out the wiki here 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_Vancouver
I’ve done the tea and tour at the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald twice now, once with a friend, and once with my parents. I believe it set us back between $35-$40, so yours is right in the same range. Likewise, we had a 3 tiered tray of goodies, and our choice of teas. Some of the sweets on the top tier were average, but the savoury sandwiches were awesome!
@Cassie- They have a knack of making sandwiches tasty, eh? I like the cucumber sandwiches- so simple, yet so tasty.
High tea is something I wouldn’t care to give up forever! Probably $35 or $40 for the really classy places, but I prefer my small local tea rooms (there are a few to choose from!), where the atmosphere is cozy, intimate, and very, well, TEA ROOM-ish. Plus, the price is a lot cheaper – aroun $25, usually.
@Jessica Peter- Uh oh now I’m going to want to try a tea room! There’s one close by that I always wanted to try too. Maybe next year!
Is this a Canadian thing? I haven’t heard of anyone down South here going for High Tea (although it sounds like my kind of outing.)
It sounds delicious. I would think of it as buying her a birthday present for $70 that you could enjoy too. In fact, I always think of any eating out as paying for the company as well as the food (since you could always make it better and cheaper at home.)
@Kellen- Perhaps its a British commonwealth thing? I’m not sure if it’s common in Australia. That’s a good way to look at it, Kellen.
I’ve never been to high tea, but the Shangri-la always scares me — seems to fancy for me lol.
As for highschool friend, I have one that I see semi-regularly and a few that I talk to on twitter/facebook. But not many.
@chipsforsupper- I’ve never even stepped foot in the Shangri-la until last week. Its very fancy indeed- but the concierge and staff are very friendly and not snobby at all
So I’m confused… Does that mean you’re buying me tea when I come out to V-city to visit?
@Financial Uproar- Why? Is it your birthday? Or are we long lost high school friends
I have to confess I had never heard of High Tea in my life before reading this post. I guess I’m not all that cultured.
What culture started this tradition?
@SavingMentor- Really? I’m surprised! It’s huge here in BC. It’s usually held in fancy hotels (like the Empress in Victoria). Basically you get a pick of your tea (fancy tea), get to eat off fancy china, and get a tier of petite dainty foods. It started off as a British tradition.
I’ve had high tea at the Fairmont in Banff, and it was amazing. I’m drooling just thinking about it. Thankfully at the time, I was visiting a friend who worked at the hotel and we were able to get the employee discount. It was a couple years ago and I don’t remember exactly what it cost but it was around 35 dollars maybe. I’ve also had afternoon tea in York (UK) but it was way cheaper and no where near as fancy as at Banff.
I went for tea (not high tea, but at a tea house) for a best friend’s birthday party two years ago. It was so much fun! We got all dressed up in our girly best and had a long, leisurely brunch/tea in Orange County, CA. If I remember correctly, the prices ranged from $20-$30. Of course the group of 8 of us covered for the bday girl, so I think I ended up paying about $30 after getting a $20 selection. Granted, yours was high tea and at a very trendy hotel so I’d say that price was on par!
@MoneyMaus- hey lady! It’s nice to get together with girlfriends, isn’t it? I’m happy to hear that tea/brunches are about the same all around North America. Doesn’t make me feel so bad
Those cucumber sandwiches are deceptively easy to make
@Cassie- Yeah, they taste like it. Simple yet tasty. Cucumber and mayonnaise?
Funny how perspectives change over the years….
As a kid, I was dragged to high tea a couple of times in downtown Chicago. We drove in from the suburbs for the day, and part of it was having high tea. Mind you, we were always in the city, but there just a few times that for some reason high tea was a part of it. We were middle class suburbanites but I guess this makes one feel more refined
Anyway, as a young guy, I hated it those few times we went. I just didn’t get the concept and thought it was a total waste of time.
As an adult, I visited England (10 years ago) and had late afternoon tea (high tea I suppose) and all of a sudden totally appreciated it. It was a nice mid-late day break, in a classy way.
I think the price might have been 20 GBP at the time, which adjusted for inflation might be a bit more expensive than what you paid. So, maybe you were paying a reasonable price.
Sometimes we just want to splurge, right? Meeting up with a longtime friend and doing that, it’s not a bad expense but a fun treat it seems.
@Squirrelers- So TRUE. I’m glad you learned to appreciate high tea
I have a less posh analogy to your experience as a child and as an adult with high tea. I used to be REALLY EMBARASSED that my mom would use coupons (I’m not sure why, perhaps I wanted to give off an impression that we were wealthy??) at the grocery store. But now I use coupons without shame as an adult, and actually with some pride (saving money pride!).
Cucumber and cream cheese actually, sprinkled with a little dill and salt. I had some girls over for a high tea at home, way cheaper than going out
@Cassie- That’s a great idea, Cassie! I don’t know if I can muster up some live piano music if I did it at home though
Maybe some live keyboard music lol.