Having afternoon tea at the Ballantyne Hotel has become a tradition for us. There’s nothing like sitting in a beautiful hotel lobby and enjoying a fresh pot of tea, delicious tea sandwiches and tantalizing deserts. This year we were excited about the Mad Hatter’s Tea from the moment we first heard about it.
I still remember the Alice in Wonderland Tea my mum gave me for my 8th birthday where the cake read ‘Eat Me!”
While they normally do the event at one long table where guests can mingle with one another, I was happy that they opted to keep the traditional set up of their tea tables. We arrived early which gave me a chance to take some pictures of the tables that were all ready for the tea party guests. Another added bonus, was they had Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland playing to give things a more festival feel.
This time I couldn’t have been more pleased at the dairy free options that were available. (They have a new pastry chef and let me tell you the results were amazing.)
This time thanks to the especially clever chef I was able to enjoy the scones (which were dairy free and oh so delicious) along with some delicious goat cheese tarts, my own version of egg salad and cucumber sandwiches and sweet treats created with dark chocolate, jam and berries.
Notice the macaroons with the eyes… They are supposed to be the Cheshire cat which is so very clever too, don’t you think?
The tea party was enjoyable for all ages. There was a large party of older/eldery guests, along with mums bring their young daughters to tea. So we fit in right in the middle.
Even though the weather was storm out due to the outer bands of the recent hurricane that has been working it’s way up the coast, we were all nice and cozy at our table.
If you are in the Charlotte area or will be soon, I definitely recommend checking out one of the traditional or themed afternoon teas available at The Ballantyne Hotel. It’s an experience that can’t be missed.
What a nice post to remember our tea!!! Mom