The open space and lighting of this hotel was the reason why I opted for afternoon tea here versus at Hotel Vancouver. The lobby is situated right in front of the entrance and there is a server who promptly assists you to your spot. It took a while for our tea set to arrive and even flag our waitress for our bill as the service here is incredibly slow, but I wasn’t too bothered as it gave us more time to enjoy our meal. If you are in a rush however, this is definitely not the place to try because you will find yourself being frustrated with your time restraint. 
I really like the spaciousness of the lounge and with the high ceilings and natural lighting, it really helps provide a relaxing and easeful atmosphere. This is definitely not your traditional setting for an afternoon tea party , but if you want a more modern approach, this is the place to try. 
These are the fixtures that come with dining at the Lobby Lounge. The tea pot literally weights a solid 5 lbs!
These had a nice firm, sugary crust that retained a beautifully light and crumbly texture, fundamental in dictating a scrumptious scone. The addition of the raisins added sweetness that complimented the dough. My only complaint is that they weren’t served warm. The cream and berry compote were displeasing as the cream was too hard and dry, while the berry sauce looked and tasted like it was just frozen berries poured into the container. 
The savoury items are asian-inspired, hence the sushi features. I give it a huge thumbs up for presentation because it definitely shows attention to detail, but there needs to be work done because the tasted pretty average.
- The cucumber roll with the dungeness crab on top smelled rather fishy, but taste wise it was alright. I personally would have preferred the traditional version.
- The chicken sandwich was nice and tender, but definitely needed a bit more punch in terms of seasoning.
- The tuna nigiri tasted fresh and had a nice lemon and cracked pepper taste.
- The shrimp on rye was delicious in terms of the spread as the zest was an interesting take, but the shrimp should have been marinated because it was extremely bland.
- My favourite was probably the egg salad sandwich because it delivered the most flavour without being too heavy. The white bread however, seemed stale.
Of course, my favourite part of afternoon tea is the desserts. The offerings here are quite tiny, but they are filling. Nothing was overwhelmingly sweet and their was quite a bit of variety. I would have loved if they incorporated a dessert that came in a personal size trifle though…
- The matcha tiered cake was moist and refreshing. The consistency of it reminded me of a cheesecake and I could really pick up on the green tea flavour.
- The almond cake was rather dry, but tasted similar to Thomas Haas’s almond croissant.
- The chocolate ganache jewel was extremely rich, but the little dots gave it a nice crunch.
- The lemon fruit tart was good, but definitely not as good as Faubourg’s.
- The macaron looked quite depressing but the taste was decent. The shell was firm to the touch, but once you bit into it, the consistency was soft and chewy. Unfortunately, the filling had not set and there was way too much so it completely oozed out after a few bites. This was definitely a sugar explosion though.
Though the experience was definitely pleasant, especially with the accompaniment of a pianist in the background, I was a little disappointed with the food given the price. Nothing stood out to me as everything was rather mediocre, with some of the items not seeming that fresh. The service we had was slow, but she was polite and courteous nonetheless. If you do have the money to splurge and are looking for a more stylish take on the typical afternoon tea, I would recommend checking out Soirette, Urban Tea Merchant, and Patisserie Fur Elise. If you are looking to find something more conventional with the china plates and grandmother-style treats, Kerrisdale will be your best bet.
Long Live Feasts 