The Chai
We ordered the Classic Afternoon tea, which came along with savouries and sweet treats served in a classical and beautiful, three tier cake stand. The crockery is specially designed for the restaurant and gained many positive comments on my Instagram feed that day. We tried out two different types of Tea – the Darjeeling and Four Red Berries from Dammann Frères Iconic Teas. Served in silver teapots with beautiful matching strainers, this tea definitely needs a special mention. Dammann Frères Tea is a popular French tea brand that was established in 1692 by two brothers. It is a family run business to this day.
Savouries
The three tiers comprised of dainty finger sandwiches on the bottom tier with Egg Mayo with cress, Chicken with horseradish cream, Salmon with caper butter and lemon juice, and cucumber with yogurt and herbs. The sandwiches were served in flavoured breads, which was nice although personally I would have preferred some different bread choices – knowing that France is famous for its artisanal breads.
Sweet treats
Moving up the tier were scones and both the plain and the ones with raisins were very good, as a Brit I know a bit about scones and these were good. Served warm, they went delightfully well with the homemade strawberry jam, homemade lemon curd and a generous amount of home made clotted cream which was definitely the showstopper (and my weakness).
The top tier of the cake stand was dedicated to five dainty miniature treats, a mini Mille Feuille (another weakness of mine), a strawberry tart, coffee eclair, an English fruit cake and a passion fruit and mango baba. Each piece was presented perfectly, and the small bite sized portions meant that they weren’t overwhelming but difficult to share!
The sign-off
There are few hotels with five star credentials this side of town, so if you are in the area this is a great place to visit. Perfect for a classic afternoon tea with some pretty special tea, or if you fancy something a bit different, make a selection from the dessert trolley or opt for the Mille Feuille. Served directly from the sweet trolley, which is wheeled to your table, this Mille Feuille, topped with berries is the best I’ve tasted in Dubai so far and I would go back for it again in a heartbeat (yes, this overtakes my last Mille Feuille winner).
The Classic Afternoon tea is priced at AED185 (suitable for two) and AED 345 with a glass of champagne. We also suggest the Cream Tea which costs AED 85 and comes with two scones – a steal for a venue like this!
www.palazzoversace.ae