Mayflower Hotel– Afternoon Tea

Washington, D.C, May 2014

4 out of 5 stars

Some friends and I recently had afternoon tea at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., and we thought the service, tea, and food were excellent.  We were a little disappointed that the tea was served in the bar/club area and not the hotel lobby, which is prettier.

Atmosphere.  The historic Mayflower is one of my favorite hotels in D.C., and I like to walk through the lobby whenever I get a chance.  It has high ceilings and several sparkling chandeliers hanging in a straight line. 

The hotel was recently renovated to include the Edgar Bar and Kitchen, which is where the tea was served.  It has a business lunch vibe, with leather booths, an exposed brink wall, and some D.C. specific-touches, such as a bust of George Washington on the back wall and prints of historic documents.

Perfectly nice, but I missed the elegant room where the hotel served afternoon tea a few years ago, with the large chandelier and floral arrangements.

Tea/Food.  They offered several options of loose teas (Mighty Tea brand), and we thought they were all good.  We tried the Earl Grey, wild blackberry, orchid oolong, and jasmine.  The food was served on three-tiered stands (one for each of us), which was a nice touch.  The tea sandwiches were tasty, and each one was made on different type of bread.  We had salmon on pumpernickel (our favorite), cucumber/mint on white, chicken salad on pita, ham and gouda on a roll, and mozzarella and tomato on focaccia with herbs.  The only one we thought was just okay was the mozzarella sandwich, which was on the bland side.  

The desserts included a raspberry-mini tart, chocolate dipped strawberry, mini-éclair, homemade Oreo cookie (interesting), and a cherry scone.  We didn’t have any favorites because we liked all of them.  The scone had a nice flavor, and we all raved about the crème and lemon curd served with it. 

Service.  The service was outstanding.  The best I’ve experienced at a D.C. afternoon tea.  The staff was friendly, attentive, and  accommodating to our requests. 

Cost.  The cost was $28 for the standard afternoon tea.  More if you want a glass of champagne.

Would we go again?  Yes.  The Mayflower Hotel afternoon tea is a good deal for the quality and amount of food served (it was the least expensive of the places reviewed to date for this blog).  The experience would have been even better if the tea was served in a prettier location of the hotel.