Review: The Four Seasons Hotel's Afternoon Tea, Toronto, Ontario
Located in the wonderful neighbourhood of Yorkville, the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Toronto is a sought after five-star hotel for signature events. In addition to hosting Café Boulud (and yes, it is linked to famous French chef and restauranteur, Daniel Boulud), the hotel also has cocktails and casual drinks at their outdoor patio, d|azur. The Four Seasons also recently underwent extensive, multi-million dollar renovations to refresh the site.
We had never tried the afternoon tea service at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto, so like others this was a new experience for us. Their tea service takes place not at Café Boulud, but rather at their more casual dining space called d|bar. For this particular service, we got a chance to try their seasonal autumn afternoon tea service.
The front of the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto
The main entrance to d|bar
Inside the sitting area where the afternoon tea service is held
The tea set up at the afternoon tea which included a complementary glass of Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut champagne
The Tea Offerings
For their afternoon tea service for autumn, the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto uses Tealeaves, the same Canadian tea company that is offered by Ritz-Carlton during their afternoon tea. We're big fans of Tealeaves teas because they offer full flavour profiles and do well when rebrewed.
Black Teas:
- Flowery Earl Grey Tea
- Golden Assam Tea
- Pu-Erh Tou Cha Tea
- Masala Chai Tea (a great choice!)
- Alice in Wonderland Black Tea
Green Teas:
- Floral Jasmine Green Tea
- Roasted Genmacha Green Tea
- Sencha Green Tea
- Apple Pie Green Tea (our recommendation!)
- Peary Godmother Green Tea
White Teas:
- Silver Leaf White Tea
Oolong Teas:
- Imperial Tung Ting Oolong Tea
Herbal (Tisanes):
- Organic Beetroot Boost Herbal Tea
- Harmony Herbal Tea
The diverse tea box selection courtesy of Tealeaves
The first cup of Apple Pie tea was absolutely delicious with sweet hints of cinnamon
Beyond the creative and tasty selections for the afternoon tea, we were also given a custom blend by our waiter because we wanted to try something that would be similar to Sloane tea's Heavenly Cream. He actually created a blend 'on the fly' that mimicked that tea. This left such a positive impression for us in terms of the quality service and tea knowledge at the Four Seasons. Amazing.
As previously mentioned, the afternoon tea service came with a complementary glass of Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut champagne. For an extra $5 CAD, you can upgrade that glass to of Moët & Chandon Rosé champagne.
Savouries:
- Falafel of Chickpeas, Fine Herbs and Harissa Yogurt
- Ham & Cheese Mosaic Sandwich with Turkey Ham, Gruyère Cheese, Stone Fruit Jam and Grissini
- Smoked Salmon Mini Bagel with Cream Cheese, Red Onion, Dill, Capers and Caviar
The full tower for the afternoon tea service
A closer look at the savouries: Smoked Salmon Mini Bagel (top left), Falafel (top right), Ham & Cheese Mosaic Sandwich (bottom)
All of the savouries were tasty, and in particular the Ham & Cheese Mosaic Sandwich. We also found the design for the sandwich to be unique. The Mini Bagel wasn't really 'bite size' as most afternoon tea savouries are, but it had a very nice flavour to it.
The scones were equally delicious - a choice of fig and plain. They were served with the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto's Home-Harvested Honey, Quince Jam (pear and fig) and Clotted Cream.
The scones for the afternoon tea service
The jam selections for the scones
A sampling of the Clotted Cream, Quince Jam, Plain Scone and the Apple Pie Tea
The scones were soft and delightful and we would even say, out of all of the afternoon tea services that we have reviewed, they were the best. Big, fluffy and warm.
Sweets:
- Maple Pumpkin Spice with Pumpkin Seed Crunch, Maple Syrup Mousse and Pumpkin Spice Cream
- Pear Black Sesame with Bartlett Pear Compote, Black Sesame Praline, Ginger Whip Ganache and Pear Veil
- Chocolate Peanut Chocolate Sponge Sacher, Cranberry Jam, Peanut Mousse and Caramelized Peanuts
- Vanilla Caramel with Vanilla Rice Pudding, Caramel Sauce, Vanilla Whip Ganache and Puffed Rice
Another look at the sweets: Chocolate Peanut (top left), Pear Black Sesame (centre), Maple Pumpkin Spice (top right) and the Vanilla Caramel (bottom)
The Maple Pumpkin Spice and the Chocolate Peanut
All of the sweets tasted good and we were particular fans of the Black Sesame and Vanilla Crunch. The presentation also looked very artistic and creative.
The Verdict
The Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto has a great afternoon tea service. From the presentation to the flavours and service, we would give it top marks. The fact that the waiter also made us a custom blended tea "just because" was so wonderful.
The only real critique that we have is the number of savouries and sweets. Most of the afternoon tea services that we've reviewed have had a minimum of 4 or more items for each category, so getting only three savoury options was a bit disappointing. It would have been nice to try more creative options.
At $105 CAD + tax for per person, the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto's afternoon tea is good value for money - mainly because you get a complementary glass of champagne! Most other afternoon tea services don't give you champagne as part of the standard menu and will charge you extra for it. In addition to that, and the custom blended tea that we got, the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto definitely gave us a five-star experience.
Our Rating
☕️ ☕️ ☕️ ☕️ 1/2 / ☕️ ☕️ ☕️ ☕️ ☕️ [4.5 out of 5 tea cups]
We give the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto's afternoon tea service 4.5 out of 5 tea cups. While we enjoyed the experience overall, we would have liked a bit more choice when it came to the savouries and sweets. Nonetheless, it was a fantastic experience.
You can book your own afternoon tea at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto by contacting d|bar at: 1-(416)-946-0411.