An Afternoon Tea Party

The words I hear the most at my internship: "Would anyone like some tea?"

I find that Brits laugh when they hear Americans stereotype them as proper, tea-drinking individuals, but it's so true! At least 3 times a day, someone in my office makes a round of tea for everyone. If you want to take a quick breather from your tasks, it's referred to as a "Tea Break," regardless of whether you consume the beverage at that time or not. It is also unusual to opt out of milk in your tea. I always get a funny look when I ask for no add-ins to my cup.

Besides the milk thing, perhaps I am really rather British at heart...because I love tea. Forget morning coffee; I'm content with some boiled water and an herbal tea bag. Of course, I had to participate in the English tradition of afternoon tea.

The custom of afternoon tea supposedly began in the 19th century when the Duchess of Bedford started serving a light meal with tea to her aristocratic friends between breakfast and dinner (apparently lunch was beneath these posh people). Although the ritual seems to be enjoyed more by tourists than actual Brits nowadays, it is still a very English concept. 

Tea at the Ritz is a bit out of my preferred price range, but Jess, Jina, and I were able to find an excellent alternative for our afternoon adventure: The Court Restaurant at The British Museum!

British Museum

The Court Restaurant Traditional Afternoon Tea Menu includes a pot of tea with a stacked tray of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and a selection of pastries...per person. Holy yumminess. I was looking forward to our 3:30 reservation all week.

Glammed up for Afternoon Tea

I ordered the green tea infused with apple, and even got my English on by adding some cream. Tasty!

Can you spot my reflection in the flower pot?

Next I enjoyed a very English dish: scones with clotted cream and jam. Not the healthiest treat, but definitely approved of by my tummy.

I think my favorite finger sandwich was the simple cucumber-and-cream-cheese, although the smoked salmon one was a close second. Funny how cutting up sandwiches into little crustless strips makes them seem so much fancier. Maybe I should start doing that with my PB&Js...

The dessert part was heavenly. I liked the little almond cake thing the best (formal description, I know), although the pink macaroon was pretty gosh darn adorable.

We took our time, spending an hour and a half making our way through our trays and teapots. A lovely afternoon with lovely company. 

As a bonus, I finished with a half hour left before the museum closed, so I was able to check out another exhibit. The Egyptian rooms were calling my name...

Mummy!

Mummy cat!

Speaking of sandwiches...side note: At work today, one of my coworkers and I got into a discussion about Whole Foods, leading to me mentioning how much I love peanut butter, leading to her asking the following question: "What is the name of that sandwich Americans like to eat? The one with peanut butter on one side and jam on the other side?" Just thought that was pretty entertaining :) Oh British people, I will never understand how you don't consider the goodness that is peanut butter a staple in your diet...