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I’ve not had a lot luck discovering afternoon tea rooms in London, Ontario, however now and again I come throughout afternoon tea occasions within the metropolis. I had my eye on Villa Cornelia Restaurant for some time now as I seen previously they sometimes hosted the standard tea service. So, I used to be simply ready for a date that will work with my schedule. Fortunately sufficient their on-line calendar confirmed an Afternoon Tea on the Villa occasion throughout a winter weekend that I used to be on the town. I made my reservation, crossed my fingers for clear climate for my drive and anxiously awaited the day.
About Villa Cornelia Restaurant
Positioned within the coronary heart of downtown London, Ontario is a Victorian residence inbuilt 1892 by Alfred M. Sensible. Alfred was the President of Ontario Mortgage and Debenture. Villa Cornelia was named after his spouse, Anne Cornelia McLaughlin Sensible.
The home was restored in 1987-1988 and later designated as an architectural heritage property.
This elegant home has been described as a spot of social gathering from its beginnings as a household residence. In the present day Villa Cornelia Restaurant continues the custom as a social gathering place and residential to positive eating by serving dine-in dinner and take-out dinner.
Usually, the restaurant is open within the night hours solely. Nevertheless, as soon as a month they open their doorways to tea drinkers and extra for a day tea service.
The restaurant has restricted free parking in the back of the home. Loads of road parking spots can be found although. Road parking is free on Saturday for two hours.
Entrance
The entrance steps and door lead you to an entrance the place you’ll spot a welcome desk straight forward. To the left is an upright piano simply earlier than one of many primary eating rooms.
A pleasant gentleman greeted us and appeared up our reservation data earlier than guiding us to the opposite eating room area that appears out in the direction of the porch. This room was a smaller seating space with about 4 or 5 completely different tables.
The tables had been lined with a navy blue tablecloth and dressed with silver cutlery, white napkins and white teacups lined with gold to match the serving plate, too.
The partitions had been embellished with framed pictures, mirrors and there have been even cabinets with classic china and books.
Tea Menu
The tea choice was primarily sourced from Harney & Sons tea firm. There have been a number of teas that I acknowledged from DAVIDsTea, too.
There have been 25 completely different teas to select from, together with a number of seasonal choices. On the time these seasonal choices had been applicable for the winter season as they had been heat and spicy.
Visitors may decide a black tea, inexperienced tea, white tea or natural tea.
I made a decision to attempt the Victorian London Fog tea. It was described as a full-bodied mix of black tea, oolong tea, bergamot oil, lavender and vanilla notes.
I’m extraordinarily glad I went with this mix as a result of it was phenomenal. I loved it a lot I instantly appeared for it on-line to order some for residence. In the event you’re a fan of London Fogs (earl gray tea lattes) or simply creamy and comforting teas usually, you’ll need to add this one to your record.
My husband ordered from the seasonal tea menu and loved the Winter White Earl Gray. It was a lightweight floral Chinese language white tea blended with oil of bergamot.
Teaware
When ordering from the tea menu the server highlighted the tea additive choices, milk or cream and sugar, and introduced out our requested objects with the tea.
Chilly milk was in a mini pitcher. White and brown sugar cubes had been offered in a classic sugar dish that matched one of many teapots on our desk. Mini chrome steel tongs had been current for clear serving.
Everybody had their tea served in their very own distinctive, classic teapot. Tea luggage had been used and left within the teapots as visitors needed to nonetheless wait for his or her tea to steep.
Sadly, we weren’t suggested on the advisable steeping time for every of our teas so we simply glided by the usual pointers for the kind of tea.
The one factor I seen that was lacking from the tea service was a small dish to put the tea luggage. We didn’t have a delegated spot for the used tea luggage once we needed to take away them from our teapots in order that they didn’t oversteep. We ended up having to make use of one of many saucers for the entire spent tea luggage, which wasn’t splendid.
Meals Menu
The meals menu for afternoon tea hosted at Villa Cornelia restaurant is ready. When you’re seated at your desk and the tea is prepared, a three-tiered stand will comply with shortly.
Nevertheless, Villa Cornelia does supply gluten-free and vegetarian choices for his or her afternoon tea. They also have a Kids’s Portion of Age-Acceptable Fare menu.
To obtain any of those particular requests although, it’s essential to give the restaurant 3 days discover in order that they have time to arrange and ensure they’ve all the pieces wanted.
I put particular requests for gluten-free and vegetarian choices for a few my visitors once I made the reservation on-line. So, we had fairly a number of three-tiered stands seem at our desk however the server did an incredible job at outlining each completely different savoury, scone and candy.
Though, it might have been useful to have a printed out menu on the desk as nicely. With the spectacular selection, it may be troublesome to recollect all the pieces in your plate as you slowly make your means by way of the menu!
Savouries
The savoury portion of the menu was a bit greater than conventional tea sandwiches. Introduced on the underside tier, there have been 5 completely different objects served on quite a lot of breads.
This included an Egg Salad Turnover, Open-Confronted Cucumber with Dill Cream Cheese, Croissant with Asparagus and Roast Beef, Roasted Crimson Pepper and Brie, and an olive-based sandwich. My apologizes however I utterly spaced on the precise contents of the ultimate tea sandwich.
For the vegetarian possibility, the roast beef was changed with mushrooms.
For the gluten-free possibility, a number of of the sandwiches had been served on gluten-free breads and lettuce wraps. There have been additionally selfmade potato chips instead of some.
My favorite from the savoury menu was the Croissant with Asparagus and Roast Beef. The mini croissant was so buttery and flaky. The crunch from the recent asparagus paired fantastically with the tender roast beef.
I used to be a bit disenchanted within the cucumber tea sandwiches. They had been the smallest, nevertheless, there have been no less than 2 per particular person due to the scale. The cream cheese was tangy and infused with the proper quantity of herbs. I discovered the cucumbers had been sliced too skinny so it wasn’t a well-balanced chew.
However, I do should say that I actually appreciated the distinctiveness from the basic egg salad tea sandwich because it was offered like a turnover. I haven’t seen that earlier than! It was undoubtedly my second favorite from the savoury menu.
Scones
Conventional English model scones had been subsequent to take pleasure in! Introduced on the middle-tier, there was 1 per visitor.
The gluten-free scone was completely different. As an alternative, it was a raspberry scone.
The housemade scones had been accompanied by clotted cream and strawberry preserves.
The scones had been round, ethereal and heat. I used to be actually impressed with them. I at all times love when a day tea service options conventional English scones, against American model scones.
Sweets
Lastly, the candy portion of the menu was served on the top-tier. This closing course consisted of 5 bite-sized desserts, plus a scoop of one thing cool and refreshing on the finish.
The objects on the final plate had been a Chocolate Lined Strawberry, Blueberry Cheesecake, Carrot Cake, Chocolate Dipped Shortbread and Lemon Cake.
Each single dessert blew me away. Not solely had been all of them completely scrumptious and an effective way to finish the tea service, however they had been all offered so fantastically too.
The Lemon Cake was garnished with a strawberry slice and recent mint.
The Chocolate Lined Strawberry was drizzled with white chocolate design.
The Carrot Cake had a candied carrot piece on high.
It’s actually onerous to select a favorite from this choice. In the event you’re often a fan of any of those desserts, then I feel you received’t be disenchanted within the sweets crafted by Villa Cornelia’s group.
Once we had been right down to the previous couple of bites of our sweets and sips of our teas, our server requested if we had been prepared for the ultimate deal with. I didn’t know there was extra to come back so this was a nice shock!
Wine glasses with a small scoop of recent Cherry Sorbet inside had been dropped at our desk. It was vibrant, tart and candy. A refreshing strategy to end the afternoon tea expertise at Villa Cornelia Restaurant!
Worth
Afternoon Tea at Villa Cornelia is at the moment priced at $45.00 per particular person plus relevant taxes and gratuities. The value is similar for the Gluten-Free or Vegetarian possibility, too.
The Kids’s Portion of Age-Acceptable Fare is priced at $25.00, for ages 10 and below.
The pricing may be very cheap for a day tea service in Ontario particularly since there was a wide array of meals and tea. There was a complete of 5 savouries, 1 scone and 6 sweets per particular person.
Total Ideas
The workers at Villa Cornelia Restaurant did an amazing job at organizing and getting ready an satisfying afternoon tea service. They provided conventional bites and sweets and in the right order, too!
It’s at all times an enormous plus when your entire ambiance and menu was close to perfection. Additionally, the downtown location was nice because it was straightforward to entry with ample parking.
The historic home gives the proper setting to calm down with good firm and savour this conventional English tea time.
Go to Villa Cornelia:
142 Kent Road
London, Ontario, Canada
www.villacorneliarestaurant.com
*Go to their web site to know when their subsequent Afternoon Tea occasion is held. Reservations might be made on-line right here.
**Costs and tea/meals choices might change. All had been correct on the date of this tea room evaluation.
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