afternoon tea at the pembroke room

Even though it’s almost always to a place I’ve never visited or even heard of, I always know that there’s a tasty meal in store when my friend N comes to town. Wherever it is we end up going. We used to meet up for a big Saturday dinner. That changed to Sunday brunch (easier to coordinate with the kids) before taking a new twist this time — a full weekday in the city instead!

I started the day at Rockefeller Center, enjoying some coffee and a bit of shopping (the Rock Center Anthropologie is my absolute favorite). I just barely missed getting to meet Hoda Kotb on the TODAY Show Plaza, which would have made for the most appropriate unplanned addition to my staycation tourist day. I’d planned to go simple on breakfast but instead indulged in coffee and cream cheese danish (my weakness) from the Rock Center location of Bouchon Bakery.

We met up at the MOMA and started the day with a visit through the museum. I haven’t been in quite a while and loved the excuse to gale some time to wander our way up through the floors. Some was awe inspiring and some, as always, a bit questionable. Both extremes made for some fun conversation!

From there, we made our way up Fifth Avenue to Bergdorf Goodman. I’ll admit, I’ve actually never seen their holiday windows. After visiting, I’m not sure how I’ve never been! They were amazing. Unique and delightfully over the top. Unlike any other holiday display I’ve ever seen, with the decoration building in layers and coming towards the viewer.

We had a bit of time before our afternoon tea reservation and the rain was just about to start up. We decided to make our way over to the Lowell Hotel early and start with a visit to the bar they have inside by the name of Jacques. There we were able to warm up a bit and try out a bit of their delightful cocktail menu. I suggest the “Marrakesh Express” – which is Tito’s Vodka, pineapple and St. Germain. (When in doubt, I always go with St. Germain.)

From the minute we walked into the Lowell, we felt at home. All of the staff were so warm and inviting I didn’t want to leave! This continued as we made our way upstairs for our reservation for afternoon tea at the Pembroke Room. We were one of the first tables to be seated for tea, so there were only two other tables occupied at the time. We watched the room fill almost to capacity during our time there.

The holidays proved a perfect time for a visit. We both opted for their “Royal Holiday Tea” which included a campaign pairing, homemade traditional scones, seasonal English tea sandwiches and, of course, a round of dessert. We always do some serious research before booking but worth noting that this is not your regular midday meal and, as such, does not have a regular midday meal price tag. Definitely one to save for a special occasion or splurge!

The champagne start was either a glass of Pommery Brut or of Nicolas Feuillatta Brut Rose. I opted for the Pommery Brut. We also had a choice of tea, with a full menu of options curated by their tea sommelier. There were Grand Cru teas, their featured holiday teas, black teas, green teas and infusions. 20 options in total. We both decided to go with holiday as I went with their Tisane de Noël (an herbal tea that’s an infusion of lemon balm, cocoa bean, cardamom and ginger) and N went with their Thé Vert Perfumé (a green tea flavored with vanilla, orange peel and apple pieces).

The tray of treats arrived with several layers — the bottom layers with the savory sandwiches and the top two tiers featuring the dessert options. After the tray arrived, they sent over our scones.

We learned that we could have as many rounds of those as we liked (which sounded fabulous until we realized we’d likely only have room for one visit!). We had plain scones and some with berries. They also provided us with Devonshire cream, lemon curd, strawberry preserves and orange marmalade. The cream and lemon curd were my favorites. I believe that lemon curd has me spoiled as it was the best I’ve ever had!

The tea sandwiches included smoked salmon & caviar, cucumber & dill, deviled egg salad, Old Bay lobster salad and turkey, cranberry, & arugula salad. I admittedly skipped the deviled egg salad (not my thing) but the others were outstanding. The chicken salad wasn’t my favorite out of those I had but I particularly enjoyed the Old Bay lobster salad. It didn’t photograph beautifully but it was so good, packing a lot of flavor and freshness in one compact bite.

For dessert (the favorite course for both N and I!), we got to try five different treats. We had an éclair, a seasonal macaron (a variation of sorts on vanilla), red velvet cake, a pecan tart and a crunchy chocolate mousse. The éclair was pumpkin – usually my favorite but was not this time around. It didn’t have much flavor. The crunchy chocolate mousse took my dessert crown, for it’s glittery facade and the balance of crunchy exterior and velvety mousse center. I mean, how can you not go with anything sparkle at the holidays?

When we left, the rain was coming down hard and the temperatures had taken a noticeable dive but we didn’t mind. It had been such a lovely very appropriate NYC day catching up with my birthday twin.

Lowell Hotel – 28 East 63 Street – 212.838.1400
Reservations Required