Review: The Park Hyatt Hotel's Afternoon Tea, Toronto, Ontario
The Park Hyatt Toronto located at the tip of Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood, is a 5-star hotel and residence. After undergoing extensive renovations between 2017 to 2021, the hotel has reopened to the delight of many Torontonians. Unlike other hotels which are well known for their afternoon tea service, we had never tried the service at the Park Hyatt before.
The entrance to the Park Hyatt Toronto
Joni restaurant at the Park Hyatt where the afternoon tea service takes place
A perfectly placed afternoon tea set up complete with tea timers.
For their afternoon tea service, there are three tiers:
- Pastry at the Park: comes with sweets and tea only so this would be a traditional 'cream team'
- Tea at the Park: which is the full afternoon tea experience (and our selection for the day!)
- Indulgence at the Park: which is a 'Royal tea' complete with the champagne experience
The Tea Offerings
The Park Hyatt Hotel offers Sloane teas as part of their afternoon tea service. We're big fans of Sloane teas so the go-to for the day was going to be Heavenly Cream, a blended black tea with creamy vanilla notes. However, in addition to some of the classics from Sloane, they also had a Park Hyatt curated tea.
Fun fact*: The Joni is the fav spot to get tea according to Sloane teas owner, Hoda Paripoush.
Black Teas:
- Park Hyatt #4 Custom Curated Tea
- Darjeeling 2nd Flush Tea (recommended!)
- Earl Grey Classic Tea
- Heavenly Cream Tea (need we say more? one of the best!)
- Cocoa Rose Tea
- Masala Chai Tea
Green Teas:
- Jasmine Snow Dragon Green Tea
- Sencha Classic Tea
- Tropical Green Tea (another recommendation!)
- Oolong Crème Tea
Herbal (Tisanes):
- Marrakesh Mint Tea
- Citron Calm Tea (recommended!)
- Ginger Twist Tea
- Vanilla Bean Rooibos Tea
The first cup of tea to pair with the savouries, Darjeeling 2nd Flush
Another great part of the tea service at the Park Hyatt is that they have a tea sommelier, so the menu also came with recommendations for both the savoury and sweet selections.
Savoury Pairing Recommendations:
- Park Hyatt #4
- Jasmine Snow Dragon
- Darjeeling 2nd Flush
Sweet Pairing Recommendations:
- Cocoa Rose
- Oolong Crème
- Heavenly Cream
Oh and by the way, did we tell you that you get not one but two teapots during their tea service, regardless if you choose the cream tea, full afternoon tea or Royal tea? Amazing.
They also had other beverages on offer such as a selection of sweet and sparkling wines and a cocktail called "Day After Day", made with the Park Hyatt#4 tea, vodka, lemon and Maraschino. Additionally, there was also a 'mocktail' called "Zero Proof", made with Park Hyatt#4 tea passionfruit pineapple and lime.
Savouries:
- Parsley Lime Rosette with Avocado Crema, Raddish and Jalapeño
- Spiced Rhubarb Chutney Tart with Brie Cheese
- Fried Chicken with Boston Lettuce, Espelette Miso and Pickle
- Beef Tartare in a Waffle with Sabayon and Elderberry Capers
- Shrimp Roll with Celery and Old Bay Spices
- Pork Sausage Roll in Puff Pastry and Sundried Tomato Ketchup
The savoury tower, a feast for the eyes!
The delicious sausage roll with sundried tomato ketchup (front) and the fried chicken with Boston lettuce, espelette miso and pickle (back)
A closer look at the parsley lime rosettes with avocado crema, radish and jalapeño, and the spiced rhubarb chutney tarts with brie cheese
We were deeply impressed by the savouries and when the sweets and scones were brought out we were not disappointed at all.
A perfectly picturesque spring-inspired tour of sweets with a side of petit fours
Sweets and Scones:
- Apple Tarte Tartin with Tamarin Caramel and Crème Fraîche
- Strawberry Parfait with Yogurt Mousse and Hibiscus
- Lemon Scone with Chamomile and Devonshire Cream
- Rhubarb Cake with Jasmine Rice and Lime
- Fig Tart with Pistachio Mousseline and Rose Water
- Pecan Chocolate Bar with Milk Chocolate and Mandarin Orange
- Petit Fours: Pear Lillet, Smores
The apple tarte tatin with tamarind caramel and crème fraîche (front) with the rhubarb cake with jasmine rise and lime (back)
The second tea selection for the sweets, Heavenly Cream
Another view of the lemon scone with chamomile and Devonshire cream quenelle, and the fig tart with pistachio mousseline and mandarin
The strawberry parfait made with yogurt mousse and hibiscus looked like it had been painted, very cool
The pear limette petit four was cute but quite sour
The Verdict
The Park Hyatt is a fantastic choice for afternoon tea for a number of reasons. One of the key reasons is the tea sommelier aspect of the afternoon tea service. The fact that you get two tea pots to pair with both the savouries and the sweets is a great option and we wish other tea services offered it.
Overall the service was attentive and our servers were knowledgeable about the menu and had recommendations for teas to try as well. The ambience was good too as it was not full and not too noisy. The Joni Restaurant sometimes has live jazz musicians performing in the lobby which is a nice touch, although on the day that we visited there were no musicians playing.
As can be seen from the photos, the food did not disappoint from a presentation standpoint - savouries, sweets, scones and a side tower of petit fours. Everything we tried was tasty and spring-inspired; although we were not big fans of the beef tartare and the pear limette. Since it was a spring menu there were at least two pieces that were made with rhubarb on both the savoury and the sweet menus so folks who don't like rhubarb might want to skip this spring afternoon tea. Additionally, there was only one scone per guest and it was a bit dry (perhaps over baked). The Joni restaurant should consider removing one of the sweets and replacing it with another scone as we found that there was almost "too much of a good thing" with the desserts.
At $188 CAD + tax for two people (or roughly $94 + tax per person), the Park Hyatt afternoon tea is one of the most (if not the most) expensive afternoon teas in the city of Toronto. Nonetheless, the overall experience in our opinion justified the price point.
Our Rating
☕️ ☕️ ☕️ ☕️ 3/4 / ☕️ ☕️ ☕️ ☕️ ☕️ [4.75 out of 5 tea cups]
We give the Park Hyatt afternoon tea service 4.75 out of 5 tea cups. From the standpoint of service, taste, presentation and ambience, it hit all the marks.
You can book your own afternoon tea at the Park Hyatt Hotel Toronto by contacting the Joni Restaurant at: 1-(647)-948-3130.