Holiday Tea at Langdon Hall

1 Langdon Drive
Cambridge, ON
519 740-2100

In her opinion:
Any opportunity that we have to enjoy Langdon Hall is a great opportunity! Last year we were unable to experience Holiday Tea because it was sold out before we were able to book but I was on the ball this year and managed to snare a reservation! So on Boxing day...Edgar and I took the 5 minute drive to Langdon Hall!

Tea was served in the Orchard Room in a building across the courtyard from the main house. The smell of burning wood filled the air as we were shown to this adjacent building by one of the friendly Langdon Hall staff. The room was open and bright and the staff were very attentive. Tea was the only thing being served in this room.

After having our water glasses filled, we picked our tea choices. I decided on the Imperial Earl Grey(a blend of Ceylon, India and China tea with Bergamot). 

The Afternoon Tea itself consisted of two types of scones - Sugarplum and Buttermilk Scones served with honey butter, house made preserves and Devon cream. The savouries consisted of "Potato and Herb Shallot on Puff Pastry", "Ham and Gruyere Croissant", Egg Salad on Herb Country Loaf" and "Turkey and Cranberry on Rosemary Milk Bun". The Sweet aspect included "Hazelnut, Spiced Orange Macaroon", "Dark Chocolate and Rose Opera Cake", "Lemon Curd Cake" and "Sable Breton".

Everything was absolutely delicious. The scones were buttery and delicious. The accompanying spreads were excellent. The savouries were delightful. I specifically enjoyed the "Potato and Herb Shallot on Puff Pastry" the most...delectable. As far as sweets, the "Dark Chocolate and Rose Opera Cake" was so incredibly good and my favourite sweet morsel.

Overall, the tea was excellent. I enjoyed the lovely atmosphere, delicious food and good company of Langdon Hall's Holiday Tea. I would recommend this is anyone who enjoys a lovely refined experience. 

In his opinion:

There is really no special reason needed to visit Langdon Hall at any time but Afternoon Tea is always a treat especially since it has been a couple of years since the last time we enjoyed it.

Tea was served in one of the adjacent buildings, in the Orchard Room. It requires a less formal walk and entrance than having it in the Conservatory but with equally sweeping views of this beautiful property. The room is large, covered with windows in two of its sides but lacks a bit of the "ambiance" and feel in comparison to the main building. This room does allow for more capacity and there were a quite a few empty tables throughout the meal. In comparison we couldn't get a reservation last year.

We were greeted by a very attentive server that took our order and was equally efficient in bringing us our tea to get us started. I ordered Harmony Tea. This is a blend of teas consisting of peppermint, chamomile, orange blossoms and allspice. This was the closest to my usual favourite Egyptian chamomile tea and an interesting and pleasant blend.

The Afternoon Tea was served with an assortment of delicacies as described above. I will however point out my ultimate picks of the day but believe me when I say it wasn't an easy task picking favourites out of so many meticulously crafted sandwiches, scones and sweets.

At the top of the list were the delectable "Ham and Gruyere Croissant", the "Hazelnut Spiced Orange Macaroon" and the "Sugarplum Scone", especially when topped with the Devon cream and house made preserves. Special mention also to the "Turkey and Cranberry on Rosemary Milk Bun".

The servers were very attentive ensuring our pots were refilled often and checking in to see if we needed anything else.

The Good: The tea was superb, service was great and the confections delicious.
The Bad: The Orchard Room feels a bit less cozy then other rooms.
The Verdict: Always a special treat and great service at Langdon Hall. Despite it being just around the corner from our residence, it still gives us the feeling of being away somewhere special with every visit. Our main server Ana was exceptional and extremely attentive.

I give it 4 out of 5 Olives as rating