Shortly after I relocated to Canada, I heard about afternoon tea. Now, before you start judging me, keep in mind that I was (and am!) a simple, modest girl from Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, afternoon tea is essentially a cup of tea with biscuits or some type of savory snack. We had it everyday and it was as normal as having breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was nowhere near an event, let alone a fancy one. This was a hype, a trend?
I digress. Back to my journey discovering the hype behind afternoon tea. My sources told me that the traditional afternoon tea, or high tea, was meant to celebrate an occasion. I resisted for a bit, determined to NOT hop on the bandwagon. Well, I don’t admit this often but I was wrong.
My first afternoon tea experience, conveniently scheduled for January 1st–an excellent way to start the new year. My best friend and I had been planning to go for ages, but as we all know, living in the city as two independent women can lead to scheduling conflicts. But we made it. After doing the traditional “best places for high tea in Toronto”, we settled on The Tea Room at the Windsor Arms Hotel. The pictures looked absolutely fabulous.
Cue the day of. We enter the most quaint little tearoom, decorated in pastel floral wallpaper and matching furniture.
Their savories and pastries ranged from freshly baked scones with clotted cream and jam, quiches, finger sandwiches, and assorted pastries. These were some of the BEST scones I have had the chance of enjoying. Soft, buttery and flaky–paired with fresh clotted cream and the sweetened jam–they were huge and so filling.
Those scones are truly a work of art. 
Tea Pot and the Tier.
The first sight of the beautiful tiers of food is a delusion. You think to yourself, that this is nothing–I can totally finish this and still be hungry. Let me assure you, you would be wrong. The humongous scones, variety of finger sandwiches and sweet delectables, will have you leave with a happy tummy.
Now onto the highlight–the TEA. An exhaustive list of teas to choose from, and their staff is wonderful in recommending teas based on tastes and preferences. I was lucky enough to try their exquisite Passion Fruit Green Tea, feeding my obsession with fruity teas. My friends tried the earl grey, and chocolate rooibos.
Everything about the Tea Room was absolutely lovely. I felt thoroughly spoiled and content, having spent a lavish afternoon with my closest friends. You do have to indulge sometimes. For the experience right then and to hold on to the memories after.
Thinking of the current situations we are living in and are surviving through, it’s these moments that spark a bit of joy.