The Royal York Hotel – a real touch of class

Is afternoon tea just for groups of ladies that want to be civilised? My wife tells me not, in fact she tells me that an afternoon together, chatting and having tea and accompanying sandwiches and cakes is rather romantic, take note gents!

So what better place to head for an afternoon of indulgence than the The Royal York Hotel

IMG_1267Upon arrival you cannot help but be wowed by the décor and ambiance, it’s got that rather quite yet sophisticated sound as you enter, it’s kind of difficult to explain, I suppose the easiest way is to state that  the hotel has a real touch of class to it.

IMG_1269It’s this class that extends to the lounge area where our afternoon tea will be served, nothing as been left to chance here, the staff are beautifully presented in a contemporary uniform which matches their service levels which are outstanding, the lounge is perfectly decorated and as a real elegant feel to it, the furnishings match the ambiance and there appears to be no bad place to be seated, every chair and sofa seems to want to hug you.

A glass of Champaign is followed by the flowing supply of English breakfast for me and earl grey tea for my wife, which is very well revived, as is the way the tea is served, loose leafs and an array of tools to ensure the perfect brew, brownie points with my wife are growing by the minute!

Of course what really makes me sit up and take note are the sandwiches and cakes, we begin with a beautifully crafted entrée that includes amongst others a crab mousse and a cream cheese and pumpkin blini, all of which are an absolute delight, well crafted and full of layers of flavour, as things stand this couldn’t be better.

IMG_1273I have similar praise for the array of egg mayonnaise sandwiches that include just a hint of mustard and indeed the cream cheese and smoked salmon sandwiches.

The scones with clotted cream and jam are on another level and possibly some of the best scones I’ve had, I certainly don’t remember better!

IMG_1280The only disappointment for me comes on the top shelf and the selection of cakes, all are lovely and presented well but none are striking a cord with me, they seem rather lacking in flavour in comparison to what at this point we’ve become accustom to, I must emphasise they are good, maybe just below my expectations given the layers and depth of flavour we’ve experienced to this point.

IMG_1277There is no doubt that the popularity of afternoon tea seems to be growing by the minute, it’s certainly appears a very fashionable thing to do and lots of venues that you maybe wouldn’t expect to serve Afternoon tea seem to be  jumping on that band wagon.

If however you require an afternoon tea that replicates the experiance that may have been present the last time afternoon tea enjoyed this level of popular then I urge you to visit The Royal York Hotel, the look feel and taste to this place is simply stunning!

The Royal York Hotel | Station Road | York | North Yorkshire | YO24 1AA | www.HotelRoyalYork.co.uk