Once the sacred preserve of England, afternoon tea has become a common practice across Europe, with different countries providing their unique takes on the longstanding custom. Like the United Kingdom, France has adopted its own version of the tradition, with Paris leading the pack and offering afternoon teas as only the City of Light can. Enjoying a global reputation for its culinary excellence, it’s not surprising Parisian restaurants have turned their attention to creating memorable afternoon tea experiences and in doing so providing an enticing break from walking this beautiful city. If you’re heading to the French destination this year, here are four venues offering delectable afternoon teas:
Mariage Frères
Founded in 1854 by brothers Henri and Edouard, the Mariage Frères company knows more than most about tea. Its oldest tea house is located in the Marais district and offers 600 different varieties. It is one of the company’s seven teahouses in Paris, some of which are restaurants, plus two in Tokyo, and one soon to open in London (in Selfridges this autumn). First in the network, this one was originally a warehouse where the company stored its imported teas.
The spacious 85-seat venue displays a fusion of old and new design, a sense of historic authenticity with decorative antiques and furnishings gleaned from an old apothecary and a glass ceiling above. Mariage Frères prides itself on what it terms tea gastronomy, by which tea is not only paired with certain foods but is actually a key element of them. White tea flavored with citrus and flowers is complemented by a croque monsieur with artisan-smoked salmon. During our visit we enjoyed two different kinds of sandwiches: salmon with lime caviar, and an eggplant sandwich with tomato, zucchini, herb butter, roasted pepper, tofu and goat cheese. Save room for desserts such as the carre d'or, a block of dark chocolate wrapped in gold-leaf infused black magic tea, filled with salted caramel and surrounded by red currants coulis.
Le Lobby Restaurant
A short five-minute walk from Arc de Triomphe, the five-star Peninsula hotel is home to Le Lobby restaurant. Served inside or al fresco, the former boasts a gold colored glass wall, slender palms, multicolored ceiling frescoes, glittering chandeliers and decorative gold leaf mirrors that give the room a distinct air of elegance. Live music enlivens the ambience. The terrace seats 30 guests under a partial glass and metal roof with comfortable leather chairs.
Two versions of afternoon teas are offered, the English and the French, the latter having waffles instead of scones as one of the differences. While the former features traditional salmon, cucumber and egg sandwiches, the latter displays a more Mediterranean flavor with chicken and herb on niçoise bagnat bread, as well as tomato and organic quail egg with tapenade on sourdough bread. Among the sweet treats are raspberry cheesecakes with a semolina base and caramel shortbreads on the English platter. An eclair filled with lime-flavored custard can be enjoyed from the French menu. Be sure to try the white Jasmine Yin Zhen and the black Pu-Erh Menghai Printemps offering wholesome woody notes.
Camélia Restaurant
Afternoon teas are hosted in the Mandarin Oriental’s ground-floor Camélia restaurant, with both indoor and outdoor seating. Outdoors offers an almost woodland-like setting with plenty of decorative foliage, including tall trees, bushes and camellia, hortensia, rhododendron and fern plants. Natural wood flooring and a narrow waterway divide, plus mini walking paths, adds to the overall garden-like atmosphere. Hanging lanterns and orchids on tables add a romantic touch.
Known as the Bento flower menu, guests can dine on bite-size treats that symbolize Paris in different seasons. Presented in Oriental boxes, they include items such as “spring,” which features lime-green and violet eats along with a caramel and vanilla cream dessert shaped like a flower pot. Two savory choices are the coin-shaped cuts of octopus set on a block of hibiscus-flower flavored jelly and the tartar of dorade with lime and dill on a prawn cracker. The six bite-size savory items and three sweets are best complemented by the Dragon green tea with aromas of fresh herbs and orchids and the white Aiquilles d’Argent.
La Bauhinia Restaurant
Afternoon tea at La Bauhinia restaurant comes with over 40 tea options by Maison Dilmah. Natural light filters through a glass ceiling from which hangs an impressive Murano glass chandelier. The room is decorated with Asian elements such as a lacquered Chinese wardrobe with delicate black engravings, a collection of ornate brown vases and lime green walls. The great thing about this afternoon tea is that it offers a special vegan menu. We sampled warm, raisin and apple scones alongside the Keemun special, a black tea from the Qimen region with malt, chocolate and plum aromas. The orchid finish is also well suited to the cucumber and mustard finger sandwiches on Norwegian bread. Silver tips, a white tea from the Kataboola Estate, partners well with dessert which includes coconut and strawberry sponge cake.
