Tea Review #1
Location: the Jefferson Hotel, 101 W. Franklin St., Richmond, VA 23220
Players: Book/supper club (7 ladies)Date: February 10, 2024
Service: 4.5 out of five
The waiter printed a menu for us but kept reminding us how much time was left on our reservation.
Selection: 1 out of five
There was virtually no choice. This was a special “Valentine chocolate” tea. We could have only a choice of two different teas. During regular tea service, the best way to describe the tea selection is “paltry, at best.”
Food quality: 2.7
The Jefferson just does not serve a traditional afternoon tea and what they do serve is institutional and unimaginative fare.
Ambience: 5
No Doubt: the room is gorgeous. One cannot help but feel swept into a gilded age tableau sitting next to the staircase that served as the model for Scarlet O’Hara‘s iconic backdrop.
Notes: tea at the Jefferson is iconic. Having afternoon refreshments alongside the famous staircase is something that all true Richmond ladies do at least once in their lives. My impression of the experience was disappointing. The tea selection is pitiful. Perhaps because we were a larger group with seven, we were given only two choices for tea: an English Breakfast as their traditional tea or something described as “Christmas in a cup.“ The traditional tea was called the “Jefferson” while the jazzier tea was called the “Richmond.”
The server came around with two pots and asked our preference. It felt a bit like a wine service: “red or white?“ it took away from the whole experience of being able to choose one’s own tea: black, green, white, or herbal. There was no decaffeinated choice offered.
As for the food, the menu has not changed at the Jefferson since Michelle‘s friend visited there a few years ago. They are serving the very same menu as ever.
The food was brought out on a platter and served family style, and we had to pass plates to each other as if we were at a boarding house which left me feeling a bit put out. Indeed, the decor of the café is exquisite, and one does feel transported to a luxurious locale for a couple of hours (btw: we were constantly reminded “how long” we had left at the table). And, an extra perk: The Jefferson validates parking in the secure lot adjacent to the hotel.
However, the perfunctory cuisine and lack of tea options make the experience not worth the money spent.
The waiter printed a menu for us but kept reminding us how much time was left on our reservation.
Selection: 1 out of five
There was virtually no choice. This was a special “Valentine chocolate” tea. We could have only a choice of two different teas. During regular tea service, the best way to describe the tea selection is “paltry, at best.”
Food quality: 2.7
The Jefferson just does not serve a traditional afternoon tea and what they do serve is institutional and unimaginative fare.
Ambience: 5
No Doubt: the room is gorgeous. One cannot help but feel swept into a gilded age tableau sitting next to the staircase that served as the model for Scarlet O’Hara‘s iconic backdrop.
Notes: tea at the Jefferson is iconic. Having afternoon refreshments alongside the famous staircase is something that all true Richmond ladies do at least once in their lives. My impression of the experience was disappointing. The tea selection is pitiful. Perhaps because we were a larger group with seven, we were given only two choices for tea: an English Breakfast as their traditional tea or something described as “Christmas in a cup.“ The traditional tea was called the “Jefferson” while the jazzier tea was called the “Richmond.”
The server came around with two pots and asked our preference. It felt a bit like a wine service: “red or white?“ it took away from the whole experience of being able to choose one’s own tea: black, green, white, or herbal. There was no decaffeinated choice offered.
As for the food, the menu has not changed at the Jefferson since Michelle‘s friend visited there a few years ago. They are serving the very same menu as ever.
The food was brought out on a platter and served family style, and we had to pass plates to each other as if we were at a boarding house which left me feeling a bit put out. Indeed, the decor of the café is exquisite, and one does feel transported to a luxurious locale for a couple of hours (btw: we were constantly reminded “how long” we had left at the table). And, an extra perk: The Jefferson validates parking in the secure lot adjacent to the hotel.
However, the perfunctory cuisine and lack of tea options make the experience not worth the money spent.
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