via carrie lewis
william broome for wedgwood via wedgwoodusa
I had the chance to go for afternoon tea at MoRoCo in Toronto (99 Yorkville Avenue) across the street from the newly located, Teatro Verde, a couple weekends ago. I have not one complaint or criticism about this place and for me, that says a lot. I pride myself on being a bit of a foodie and a bit of a pastry snob. I know good pastry when I taste one and believe me, I have tasted a lot of good and a lot of lousy over my travels and adventures in afternoon tea!
In fact, MoRoCo wins several “BEST” awards from me including the following:
1. BEST macaron in Toronto. Hands down, they got it right. Their only rival in the city as far as I am concerned is Patachou (where I purchased the maracons for a wedding I planned in March). What is great is that in the front of MoRoCo the restaurant, they have MoRoCo the macaron and truffle store so you can stock up on macarons and truffles until your hearts content! Beautiful packaging- love the purple take-away purses. Bravo on a stylish retail interior.
2. BEST overall afternoon tea offering: There were four of us who went to tea and not one pair could finish their three tiered menu. Not only were the bite sized sandwiches, scones and desserts flavourful and delicate, they were rich and sweet. I so badly wanted to try a little bite of everything but I just couldn’t power through all the sugar surging through my system despite the fact that I think I drank three pots of tea. For someone who doesn’t eat a lot of sugar, MoRoCo’s tea is a deadly sugar shock, but well worth it!
3. BEST decor: I don’t want to botch the adjectives to describe their interior decor but what comes to mind is the space evokes a Victorian/Baroque Modern/Elegance with a touch of Goth. So cool. The greys, the purples, the blacks, contrasted with white. I love it all. A beatiful atmosphere to entertain or to dine. Very cool vibe with the DJ spinning at the front.
Moroco Afternoon Tea Service
The sinful desserts!
Love their little desserts (and the bee!)
Topping the creme pots are little chocolate moroco branded ovals
Moroco Interior Shot (photo via fashion magazine)
Beautiful Presentation (via dine.to
I just read about this sparkling tea from Golden Star Tea Company in Metropolitan Home this month and it looks like bubbly champagne but it’s jasmine tea. I think this is a great idea if you are looking for a non alcoholic alternative to offer your guests at an event. After doing a bit of digging, I read that Golden Star Tea is available at Whole Foods in California and in couple other states. The other great thing is that the website offers pairings for all you event enthusiasts out there.
I am heading down to NYC next month and hope to find a bottle to taste, otherwise the shipping costs are super expensive and I don’t think I want to foot the bill to ship a four pack to Toronto. Has anyone tried this?
Someone messaged me to say that Golden Star Tea is available at Pusateri’s in Toronto but I wasn’t able to find it at its Yorkville location.
via elixir design
Tea is my water. I drink gallons of loose leaf tea and would call myself somewhat of a fanatic. Perhaps it was the five years I spent travelling back and forth between Toronto and China that did it! I was engrossed by tea culture from a young age and now make it a part of my daily life and travel. Actually, make a point of looking up local tea houses or places that offer afternoon tea when I travel to sample local interpretations of the delightful afternoon pass time.
What I am enraptured by the most is the creativity that hosts inject into designing afternoon tea menus, tea party table design etc… It is a wonderful way to relax, enjoy some bite sized treats and share good conversation with your guests.
One great place (of many) to experience afternoon tea is at Crown and Crumpet in San Francisco. They have done an excellent job designing their store to reflect the nuances of tea culture. This brightly coloured space will be sure to ignite the senses.
Crown and Crumpet Store SF (from Crown and Crumpet)
Afternoon Tea Service (from crown and crumpet)
Inside the salon (from Crown and Crumpet)
Other honourable mentions in SF go to :
Honourable mention in LA:
Royal T in LA (from Royal-T)
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