Okay so you’re probably thinking this is yet another afternoon tea post (and it is, because we love it!), but I really want to emphasize that this is a special afternoon tea post about a recent great experience. Park Hyatt is fabulous, Annona Restaurant is fantastic, and I have nothing but praise for them because their afternoon tea service is phenomenal. Seems like a lot to say about one place, but we sincerely think that Park Hyatt is in a class of it’s own.
Annona is near the hotel entranceway, so it already feels pretty posh to have your tea in an actual restaurant setting (ie. not in a lobby, lounge room, etc.). We were immediately greeted and seated by Noel, the restaurant manager. The level of service itself already made the biggest difference in our tea experience, and we were attended to at a very comfortable pace. All staff members were courteous and professional. No need to flag anyone down here! 😉
The room was very lively and surrounded by large windows, natural lighting, and spacious tables. What immediately caught our eyes were the colourful teapots – the happy colours and designs reminded us of whimsical easter eggs! Honestly, this was the prettiest set of bone China that we’ve ever laid eyes on. 😀 The teacups, both pink and blue, were made of delicate porcelain and decorated with a butterfly inside the rim.
It was easy to select a tea based on their detailed descriptions, which made up for the lack of tea sampler. I chose the Lemon Mango Tango, while Joseph went for the White Tip Darjeeling.
The Lemon Mango Tango was refreshing and smelled divine! Look at all that fruit inside the pot. 😀
Delicate hummingbird details.
Finger sandwiches and canapes (descriptions taken from their menu): crispy cone of shrimp mousse, smoked salmon crepe pinwheel with cream cheese and dill, chicken mousse and mushroom fingers on brioche, cheddar watercress pinwheel on whole-wheat, and albacore tuna tartlet with capers and green asparagus.
The bread wasn’t dry!! Freshly made without a doubt, this made me very happy :D. Everything was delicious – the smoked salmon crepe pinwheel was my fav, while Joseph enjoyed the crispy shrimp cone the most. It was nice to have an assortment other than bread.
And then came the tiers of sugar: miniature scones (currant, orange and cream), mini red velvet cupcakes, white chocolate dipped strawberry cream profiteroles, cheesecake with apricot compote, cherry clafoutis tartlette, hazelnut buttercream layer cake, and mini madeleines. This was served almost immediately following the sandwiches, so we got to enjoy both the savoury and sweets together. The dainty 3-tiered silver tray looked so cute next to all of the teaware.
GREAVES (again)! I’m starting to notice a pattern here. We had 2 greaves jams at King Edward, 3 jams at the Ritz, and now 4 jars at the Park Hyatt.
The scones were a wonderful means to eat the clotted cream. Toasty warmed, we topped them off with strawberry jam and sweet cream.
Dreams of Velvet has to have red velvet cake, and this one was moist and delectable. Adorned with cream cheese frosting, it was the perfect bite size. Just when you think you’re full, there’s always, always room for dessert.
Throughout the afternoon, I thought these lights looked oddly familiar and then it hit me: they resemble the ones at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Vegas (where we also had tea, no less, lol).
Regarding parking at the hotel, you can only park valet for $50 (which is reduced to $20 if you have afternoon tea), OR instead you can easily park at the Yorkville parking garages for less that amount and walk over (a 5 to 10 minute walk). Overall we’re happy we discovered a high calibre afternoon tea experience in Toronto. At $36 per person, it was great value at such an elegant restaurant. The level of service was superb – the servers were attentive and experienced and really know how to make your day. Also equally important, the food was delicious and fresh! As Noel explained, they don’t overbook the room and believe in focusing on quality and comfort. This is one classy place, and we know where we’ll be bringing our friends next ;).
Cheers,
Melissa
Annona Restaurant at Park Hyatt
4 Avenue Rd
Toronto, ON, M5R 2E8
(416) 324-1567
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Disclaimer: The opinions and claims reflected in this blog post are my own and not those of Park Hyatt Toronto. No compensation was received to write this review.Â
