Queen Charlotte Tea Room

FOOD: 
We had come here on a Sunday morning at 11:00 am for brunch as it was my birthday, and I had wanted to celebrate by having a meal at this tea room. I had settled on the High Tea ($24.95), in which I had chosen the Cherry Rose Rooibos Tea; I had also ordered the Tomato Soup ($4.75), which was something I was craving, and was happy to see was on the menu for the Soup Du Jour.  
 
In terms of the High Tea, I was first given my pot of tea, which was absolutely wonderful; the tea leaves were flavourful, and with just the perfect amount of sugar, it tasted heavenly. With the pot that I was given, I was able to get three cups of tea, with Roger (our server) bringing me another pot once I had finished the first one. I just couldn’t get enough of the deliciousness this tea boasted, and wanted to have as much of it as possible! I was grateful that Roger told me to use the tea strainer at all times, something that I might have forgotten had he not mentioned it. 
 
I was first served the Tea Sandwiches, which consisted of two egg salad, two cucumber with cream cheese, and two roast beef. I was a tad disappointed as I found the sandwiches much too small however, I was happy with how they tasted. In terms of the egg salad, I was surprised to notice that they consisted of sliced eggs rather than scrambled eggs, however, they tasted pleasant, and I truly enjoyed how flavourful they were.  
 
The roast beef sandwiches actually had homemade roast beef that was made in-house, and warmed-up when given to me. This was a surprise as many tearooms don’t use homemade roast beef however, opt for the store-bought deli meat. The roast beef was VERY tender, tasting amazing as I bit into each sandwich with gusto. For the cucumber with cream cheese, I was once again blown again at how delicious they each tasted, with only the freshest of ingredients used. I felt that a lot of effort was put into making the sandwiches taste delicious, although I would have liked if they were a tad bigger. 
 
After I had finished the Tea Sandwiches, I was given my Scone, which came complete with two small bowls, one with Devonshire Cream, and the other with Strawberry Jam. The scone was quite large, and was given to me warm, which was pleasant to taste as I sliced the scone in-half, with it slicing perfectly-well without breaking. I liked how Roger told me to place the jam on first, then the cream, as if it were done the other way-around, the jam would slide-off of the cream (it was a great tip to know). I loved eating both halves of the scone, and savoured every bite, enjoying the large amount that I was given, and the freshness that it boasted. 
 
I had decided to order the Tomato Soup ($4.75), as it was the Soup Du Jour, and I am in awe of tomato soup, always trying to find the perfect one to suit my palate. Alas, I was surprised to note how delicious this soup was, and loved every bite of it! I loved the small chunks of tomato, along with the flavours that all mixed-well together, with just the perfect hint of creaminess (however, not overdone like other tomato soups I’ve tried). I would have eaten even more if I wasn’t starting to get full, it was the BEST tomato soup I had ever tasted! 
 
After that lovely soup, I was given the Desserts of the High Tea, which consisted of Blueberry Cheesecake, Red Velvet Cake With Chocolate, and Lemon Cake. Each of the pieces were very large, and quite extravagant, with a large amount of cream, along with intricate designs that impressed me. Roger had told me that each of the desserts were made fresh in-house, and that the Red Velvet Cake With Chocolate was an English tradition (something that I hadn’t known). I was quite full at that point therefore, had decided to take most of the desserts home, which I then enjoyed the next day. 

My husband had settled on the Clam Chowder Soup With Crab Salad Sandwich ($16.95), which he boasted was delicious, as he is a huge fan of clam chowder, and vowed that the soup he had was one of the best he had ever tasted. Overall, the food was very well-done, with much effort put into making each of the food items taste and look delicious! Although the tea sandwiches were a bit on the small size, I was impressed with all of the beauty this tearoom offered in terms of its food, and would be more than happy to try other items on their menu! 
 
ATMOSPHERE: 
We absolutely loved the atmosphere in this tearoom; upon walking-in, there was a lovely teacart with a signing book, along with tea décor, and a Christmas tree piled with ornaments and teacups. There was also a fireplace, which was roaring to life, with beautiful décor piled on top of the mantel, as well as pictures throughout the room of various royalty, which made us seem as though we were in Buckingham Palace. We loved how both floors of the tearoom were carpeted, with the lace curtains, colourful tablecloths and table runners, and a mix of elegant teacups and plates to go with the tea itself.  
 
I was in awe of the cute tea cozies, which wrapped each teapot that was brought out, with each a different type of fabric. I also enjoyed seeing the teapot trivets which were used for the bottom of each teapot, making it safer for the guests when pouring the tea from the pots. The tables were an excellent size for the two of us, giving us ample room to leave the teapot, teacup, and plates on it as we were dining. I loved the various loose-leaf tea that was for sale, along with the desserts counter on the second level that boasted a large amount of homemade desserts, some of which I had received during my visit. We really enjoyed the ambiance of this tearoom, one of comfort and warmth! 
 
SERVICE: 
When we had first arrived, we were greeted by a kind middle-aged woman, who was dressed in a costume reminiscent of the time-period. She then asked if we had a reservation, at which we did. However, I didn’t know that we had to request that we had wanted the High Tea when making the reservation online. Therefore, I was told by an older woman that I wouldn’t be able to have the high tea as I had wished. However, we were then introduced to our server, whose name was Roger, who told me that they will make the high tea for me despite not having requested it beforehand.  
 
From the first moment I had met Roger, I really enjoyed his presence, as I found that he really took the time to assist us, and answered all of the questions we had. He was friendly, kind, and funny, making some light-hearted jokes about the food items as we had asked about them. He made our stay quite memorable, coming by as we were dining to ask how we were doing, and if we needed anything further. I would highly recommend Roger as a server, as he made our dining experience a great one! 
 
COST: 
1 High Tea ($24.95) + 1 Clam Chowder Soup With Crab Salad Sandwich ($16.95) + 1 Tomato Soup ($4.75) + 1 Pot Of English Breakfast Tea ($3.25): $49.90 + Tax = $56.38 
 
WOULD YOU RETURN? 
Without a doubt! This was one of the best tearooms I have ever been to; from the delicious food, wonderful service, and beautiful ambiance, I would HIGHLY recommend this tearoom to anyone who wants a truly British experience!

We enjoyed a great dinner recently. There is traditional English food, like fish and chips, but my wife had an hamburger, and I had a daily special dish of shrimp and crab meat salad. Both excellent. They offer about 20 teas. My friend had traditional English breakfast tea, and I tried the Scottish caramel tea; again both were excellent. Their dessert specialty is sticky toffee pudding, which was outstanding. Our meal was served by the chef's husband, Roger, with helpful information and good humor. We loved it.