The Princess of Afternoon Tea

Fairmont Empress Hotel // © 2010 Fairmont Hotels

Nothing makes a little girl feel more like a princess than sitting down for some afternoon tea and, at the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, B.C., young girls — and boys — can live out their ultimate tea-time fantasies. Starting at noon, children are welcome, along with adults, to enjoy high tea in the hotel’s restored Tea Lobby.

A special menu is tailored to younger guests, and will make your young prince or princess feel like royalty. Children receive their own tea service, and items include seasonal fruit in a mini glass cup, a raisin scone, strawberry jam, Empress cream, a sweet-dough teddy bear cookie, a mini chocolate cupcake topped with vanilla icing, a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, a cucumber sandwich, a smoked turkey breast brioche and Pringles served on a tiered tea tower. To complement their food, younger guests also receive Kea Lani Orange Pineapple tea — or juice.

When my daughter visited, she was treated like royalty. Our waiter made sure her every desire was catered to, and he even demonstrated how she should serve her guests at a tea party, which she practiced until she had her tea service perfected. A hint to parents: There is no way that the hungriest prince or princess can eat everything on their tea tower, so keep that in mind when you are ordering. 

At the completion of the tea, children receive a certificate indicating that they are, indeed, the Princess (or Prince) of Afternoon Tea.

Fairmont Empress Hotel
www.fairmont.com