Lady Mendl's Tea Salon

What would be the most leisurely and delicate way to spend an afternoon? The answer is: over tea. Even though afternoon tea is still seen as part of the most quintessential and elegant British culture, good tea is not only found in England. Afternoon tea has been thriving in NYC, and there are so many places to choose from. As someone who is addicted to good tea and warm scones, I was super excited to try out Lady Mendl's Tea Salon.

Lady Mendl's is in a beautiful brownstone building near Gramercy Park. Walking into the tea salon was like walking into a posh lady's living room. All the details are quite refined. The room is gorgeously decorated: the floral wallpaper, soft lighting, sophisticated floral porcelain dining ware, bright sunlight dazzling through the tall windows, the ambiance here is elegant.

The prix fixe menu has five courses, and we chose to pair a different tea with each course. The tea here at Lady Mendl is outstanding. Even just one of the most common teas: Earl Grey, wowed me with its fragrance. Each tea has its characteristics and is worth a try. The food is delicious as well, from the seasonal soup to the finger sandwiches. They are surprisingly filling. My favorite is the freshly baked scones that were hot when delivered to our plate. With clotted cream, raspberry jam and lemon curd, I was brought to a wonderland of flavor. The 20 layer vanilla crepe cake was a perfect end to the experience. It was so soft that almost melted in my mouth.

Comparing to many luxury hotels' afternoon tea, Lady Mendl has a more whimsical and intimate feel. The outstanding service here made us feel we were welcomed at someone's house.