Looking for a sophisticated high tea experience in Amsterdam? Look no further. Last month I had a lovely afternoon tea with my friends at The Duchess. It was my birthday and I wanted to celebrate my new age in an extravagant way. Restaurant The Duchess is by the way in itself a beautiful place where you have to go eat sometime. (See my blog post about The Duchess here) It was once the KAS bank. The building is a lust for the eye with a high, ornate glass ceiling, handmade floor tiles, gold details, and black marble. It oozes mid century glamour, old money and class. I just couldn’t wait for the high tea experience.
There are several menus you can choose, with or without champagne. We started with yoghurt scones because what is a high tea without scones? They are served with vanilla clotted cream and raisins jam. Instead of choosing our own tea we opted for a ‘tea tasting’ experience where each ‘course’ was paired with two different pots of tea. The teas at The Duchess are Mariage Frères teas so you’ll get a top notch tea tasting experience with the water cooked at the right temperature and different tea blends ranging from green teas, rooibos, to black teas.
We started with a small amuse: golden eggs filled with potato foam and Belaga caviar. The potato foam melts on your tongue.
Savoury
Next were the savoury sandwiches and quiche. The quiche is tasty with zucchini and Belper Knolle cheese. I loved the savoury truffle Brie waffle but then again, I love everything with truffle. The smoked salmon rolls with cream cheese and horseradish were not that surprising and a bit cliché if you ask me. A vol au vent with Bonito salad and the airbread filled with chicken and guacemole were beautifully presented and full of flavour. The Caprese sandwich wasn’t special but I did like the presentation as a pastry.
Blue tea?
The assortment of Mariage Frères teas were exquisite! The one more fragrant than the other and with delicate notes and so well balanced. Most impressive was the Marco Polo Blue; a blue oolong tea with fruits and flowers from Tibet and China. Another favourite is the L’Opera; a fruity green tea with the fragrance of red berries and sweet fruity notes. A must try is the Paris Provence; a white tea with floral notes, lavender, rose and mint.
Sweet
When the sweet delicacies came, we were already quite full. It was however a feast for the eyes as you can see on the photos. Madeleines, a mini apple cake, merengues, or Guave Pâte De Fruit with Hisbiscus. There was a lot! It was accompanied by two tea blends with vanilla notes. A sweet finale of a lovely afternoon tea with friends.
The Duchess
Spuistraat 172, 1012 VT Amsterdam
Tel +31 (0)20 811 3322
