Hi! We're having high tea today. (No, not that kind of high, but I guess a sugar rush can have you feeling some type of way.) A longstanding British tradition, high tea is really the only occasion where it's socially acceptable to eat 7 desserts at once.
I've enjoyed high tea a few times, with my very first experience being at the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald. This time, we are at The Art of Cake, a charming little bakery located just behind the Brewery District. I remember The Art of Cake since their days at City Centre. I used to love getting their desserts on my commute home!
In order to have your own high tea experience, a reservation must be made in advance. They release dates on their website usually mid-way through the month for the next month. There are usually 2 seatings (11:00am and 2:00pm) on Sundays, with sessions lasting for 2 hours.
The high tea service is $55.00 + GST per person, and you can only book tables in multiples of two. They also take a 50% deposit at the time of booking to hold your table.
The dining room for high tea is super adorable. Lots of quaint details and I was a sucker for their vintage plates and tea cups. Once all the tables were seated, we were given our very own tea pot with creme de earl grey tea. They also provide ramekins of cream and sugar on the table. Then the pièce de résistance arrives, a 3-tiered tray with all sorts of goodies.
We started off with the mini quiches and scones, which comes on a separate plate. The quiches were a classic Florentine style with spinach and cheese. They were warm, flaky, and delicate. The scones were also one of my favourite bites of the day. Tender with a sugary top, they were served alongside house-made strawberry preserves and clotted cream.
Onto the finger sandwiches! There was a wide variety including egg salad, chicken salad, ham & swiss, roast beef gougères, cucumber and cream cheese, as well as avocado toast. In true high tea fashion, all the sandwiches were served with the crusts cut off. None of the sandwiches were particularly groundbreaking, but my favourite was probably the ham & swiss. It was lightly toasted so the cheese was nice and melty. It also had a smear of honey mustard for a sweet and salty element.
The next tier was the desserts! This included bite-sized versions of lemon tarts, petit fours, cinnamon buns, cupcakes (chocolate and lemon raspberry), and brownies. They were all good, with my favourite being the lemon tart. We did pack most of the desserts to-go since the sugar was quickly catching up to us.
The last tier included whipped shortbread cookies with jam and chocolate covered strawberries.
Cute, cute, cute! I would definitely recommend booking high tea if you're celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, or any other special occasion. Heck, even having a catch-up session with your girlfriends would be fun. Spilling the tea in more ways than one.
The Art of Cake
11811 105 Ave
Edmonton, AB
(780) 441-1339
- CT
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