afternoon tea - the fairmont empress hotel

overpriced and really not that elegant. i went to the empress forafternoontea with my husband last week while we were on our babymoon vacation. we had been to the butchart gardens forafternoontea the previous day and had been thoroughly impressed. i was still really looking forward to the empress experience, and for $60pp (twice what we paid at butchart) i thought that the tea service would be even more amazing...but it wasn't. first of all, the service was rushed - it seemed like customers are churned out of there, factory style. our server barely had time to explain anything to us. the table setting and ambiance were also far less elegant what we had at butchart gardens for half of the price. at butchart we got to sit outside and overlook the beautiful garden, and we had lovely table linens and proper silverware - none of that at the empress, just a noisy dingy dining room. the tea itself was poorly prepared with far too much water and not enough tea leaves, producing a very watery tasting tea. the food was ok, not as good as butchart gardens, but edible. it's a shame because with some love and attention this place could be magnificent, and maybe it once was. for now it is just hyped up to be a lot better than it actually is.

absolutely wonderfulafternoontea! sure it might be expensive, but it was worth every penny to do it! service was outstanding and there was so much food i wasn't sure i could finish it all. the food was super delicious and so was the tea.

paying equal amounts for the historical experience as for the actual tea.. i went forafternoontea with my wife on wednesday, 1 april, 2015.

theafternoontea at the fairmont empress is an icon. what victoria experience would be complete without it? we were seated at a nice corner table by a window, the view of the harbor only marred by the bobcat with a jackhammer front hammering loudly directly outside the window. i suppose the 3 emails sent before my arrival and the 2 letters given me upon check in were ample warning...still was unfortunate.

the server asked us our tea selection and returned promptly with our chosen teas (empress blend and darjeeling), then pouring the tea for us both ( minor infraction, she poured the cream first into my wife's cup. not that i particularly care, but in victorian tea culture, the milk/cream always goes in after.

the strawberries were fresh and not the giant strawberries often found at the grocer, but nice small ripe ones. the cream was lightly sweetened and whipped to perfection.

the three tiered tray came out with the sandwiches, scone, and small deserts.

cucumber & ginger mascarpone on butter brioche - ok, white bread wasn't that great, but a small hint of sweetness from the mascarpone helped add interest.

free range egg salad croissant - i certainly make a more flavorful egg salad at home, it could use a little spice (maybe some paprika). the croissant it was on was quite nice. all this said, i suppose victorian high tea isn't really about strong flavors, is it?

smoked salmon pinwheel with dill cream cheese - fine enough, though again, a little on the bland side, could use a little more dill cream cheese. couldn't actually taste the dill at all.

moroccan spiced coronation chicken on marble rye - probably the best sandwich of the lot. good flavor, and nice moisture. much better bread.

roasted bone-in ham with tarragon dijonnaise - quite nice. well balanced.

in addition, they provided vegetarian options for my wife.

shredded carrot ginger - the sweetness of the carrot and spicy of the ginger were nicely balanced.

roasted red pepper and artichoke - fairly simple in the end, not very complex, but nice

curried eggplant on marble rye - basically the same as the chicken. the best of the bunch.

freshly baked raisin scone with strawberry jam & empress cream - this was easily the best item of the afternoon. the scone was wonderful, lots of flavor and not too dry. the strawberry jam and empress cream were a perfect topping.

the deserts (grande marnier white chocolate cake, chocolate tea cup with matcha cream, vanilla bean shortbread, salted caramel coffee delice, lemon curd tartlet) were all enjoyable, but nothing truly special.

overall you really are paying equal amounts for the historical experience and the food and that's really how they advertise it anyway. that said, there's stains on some of the chairs, little details here and there that could use some attention. it's clear thatafternoontea at the empress is still riding on it's own historical coat tails rather than looking to improve. it was worth going, but would maybe be a once in 4 or 5 year thing...at most.

love the empress. went forafternoontea on friday december 19. i must say i thoroughly enjoyed myself. wife and mil also had a good time. i love the empress...such a lovely old building, elegant and regal. our tea, sandwiches, scones and desserts we all very good. especially liked the fresh whip cream!! very yummy. if you sign up for a free friends of the empress membership you get 20% off your bill. not bad at all. would recommend theafternoontea at the empress!!!

would not recommend. i would like to start off by saying that the fairmont empress is a beautiful, historical landmark that is worth visiting. however, theafternoontea was a major disappointment. although our server was kind and attentive, the food was definitely not up to par. to begin with, the metal teapots were old and stained. it ruined the atmosphere and did not fit well with the other floral china pieces we had. it would be nice if they invested in new teapots since they charge a good $60 per person before tax and gratuity. secondly, about a few dozen tea sets were already sitting in a long table in the middle of the tea room waiting to be served. it looked like it had been sitting there for a while and did not look appetizing. next, too much water was poured into the huge metal tea pot so our tea tasted like mud water when the milk was added in. it was so diluted that it had no flavour whatsoever.

in my opinion, the savoury items were better executed than the desserts. the bite size sandwiches were generally flavourful, with the moroccan chicken on marble rye tasting the best. the bread was soft and had a good texture and the chicken was served with green grapes to bring acidity to the spiciness. in comparison, the desserts were mediocre. the pistachio dacquoise was bland, while the tropical fruit lamington was too dry in the centre and overly sour. i had to spit it out and no one in our party finished theirs. the earl grey mascarpone served in a chocolate tea cup was my favourite. the mascarpone had a rich, creamy texture and the tea flavour really shone through.

i would not revisit this tea room as i did not have a pleasant experience. this is all based on my amateur opinion.

very casual dining experience.the server we had was very friendly and always made sure our teacups were full.ive hadafternoontea at yvr fairmont and its just night and day.i had a way better experience at the empress, worth going once haha, very pricey at $59.99 a person. we had 2 boxes of organic tea to take home(complimentary), we loved everything served on the platter, and dont be shy to ask more from your server.we had extra sandwiches coz i was still a wee bit hungry haha cheers!

to be honest, it is actually really overrated. i'be been to a couple otherafternoonteas and it's way better and less cheaper. just because it's at the empress, people think it's good. though one thing i must admit was the service is not bad but the foods are quite average. empress tea is best, others average.

...we decided to visit victoria’s iconic empress hotel for their famedafternoontea (the sameafternoontea that serves these scones). it had been years since either of us had been there, and i think the last time we’d been there together was lynette’s eighteenth birthday – over a decade ago! (gah!) even so, this was not a decision we made lightly, because in july at the height of tourist season is also when the price goes up. way up. but more on that later. (at this point, i’d like to apologize for the photos – i forgot my real camera so these were all taken

finally, we settled in at the empress hotel for a nice luxuriousafternoontea, which we actually ate as lunch.

at $49.95,afternoontea at the empress hotel is a steep proposition; it is a further +$15 to try one of their more interesting teas. if paying for heritage ambiance and to literally dine as the royals did, then you will not blink at the price. if a tasty and interestingafternoontea is your sole aim, then look elsewhere.

it’s a “been there, done that” kind of thing, but i would recommend any visitors to victoria to go to the empress and haveafternoontea there. we had a great time!

i have many childhood memories of going forafternoontea at the fairmont and it is still one of my favourite things to do on special occasions! many people make the irritating error of calling this high tea as they think it sounds fancier, when in fact high tea refers only to the height of the table and is usually a much less formal, supper-like meal. as for complaint about the price, your are paying for the experience, the white glove service, the china gifted by the queen, the intricate carvings on the banister and yes the wonderful food and tea. if that is all you care about however, go to one of the other tea rooms around victoria with very little ambiance, and prices to match.

ever since my firstafternoontea experience at hotel vancouver , i've been on a constant search for the bestafternoontea in the lower mainland. though located all the way across the georgia strait in victoria, fairmont empress is well-known for its traditional tea service which has been enjoyed by the queen herself in the famous tea lobby overlooking the harbour. i finally got the chance to try it over the long weekend, and was absolutely in awe upon entering the venue. i could tell the place was aged, but the general ambiance was just so grand and regal. the price forafternoontea is $58/person for the summer months and quite a bit cheaper at $47/person during the winter. but for december 23-26, the hotel offered a special carolafternoontea for $58/person. as we enjoyed our tea, 7 carolers moved around the lobby singing christmas carols a cappella. as we browsed through the list of teas, our server brought each of us 2 chocolate-covered strawberries to munch on. while i enjoyed

overpriced. we were visiting victoria for the weekend so we did one of the main touristy things and went toafternoontea at the empress. the experience was nice, but not one i would repeat. the furniture and decor were elegant and very appropriate for the empress and the food and tea was good. they even accommodated our diet (pescetarian) with no advance notice. and the service was certainly very good. however, in retrospect it was definitely not worth $60 per person. i like expensive meals, but not meals that cost more than they merit, and for $60 i expect to be treated as the empress victoria herself. the experience definitely fell short of that. with so many tourists in the tea room coming and going, there was a constant clatter of dishes on tables, and the live piano advertised on their website was conspicuously absent. it felt like almost as much a diner as a tea room.

luckily though i wasn't thinking of the cost at all while i was there so i still had a good time.

lovely, but not "high tea"!. i've been forafternoontea here twice ("high tea" is pretty much "dinner". it's a common mistake in north america, and it bugs the hell out of me.) i love imagining people taking tea here in the early part of the twentieth century! the service is attentive but unobtrusive, the atmosphere is great, and the food and drink are very nice indeed. they will also accommodate guests with dietary restrictions. i'm vegetarian and my daughter is allergic to nuts, and they've always taken that very seriously. i believe they even have gluten-free sandwiches if one asks. it is expensive, but once in a while, as a luxury, it's fun to imagine one's self a pampered edwardian!