dessert

Afternoon Tea at the Dorchester

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Afternoon tea at the Dorchester was one of the most relaxing, delicious and elegant experience. They only offer afternoon tea on the balcony on weekends. It is a must. The service and food were unlike the other tea services offered.  I highly recommend this specific service on the balcony. The ambiance is much more intimate, bright and exclusive. With only 4 tables on the balcony, it offers a peaceful and relaxing setting with very intimate one on one service. The hotel resides conveniently across from Hyde Park, slightly away from all the tourist hustle. 

Food

The food was very good. The artisanship put into the sandwiches, scones and dessert were noticed. Each piece was perfectly crafted. The food was not only visually appealing, but its quality and taste were on point. The best part was the unlimited servings. However, that was not needed as I was beyond stuffed half way through.

Ambiance/Service

The service was absolutely impeccable. The attention was on point. The servers were so polite and courteous but not overly pushy or fake. Instead of serving a three tier plate, you received each course individually with unlimited servings. This was honestly one of the best high tea experiences. The combination of the setting, exclusivity, elegant decor, quality of food and service made it a five-star experience. Not a single place I've been to in New York or the Pacific Northwest can compare.

Reservation

You will need a reservation far in advance as it is a popular spot. I reserved almost two months in advance! The earlier the better, especially during tourist season. Also, note that you are allotted 1 hour and 45 min. 

Price

The afternoon tea on the balcony is fixed at 59 pounds per person, not including the 12.5% service charge.

 

Dough

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Dough probably serves some of the best doughnuts I've ever had because they not overly sweet (okay it is sweet but it's a doughnut, what do you expect?!?) and are high quality. Most doughnuts I've had tend to be on the sweeter end of the spectrum. The emphasis of these doughnuts is not on the sweetness but on the different flavours of natural ingredients used such as hibiscus or lemon poppy seed. They actually taste like the flavours claimed because.....they use the ACTUAL real ingredients (I think). Who knew. They also claim to use organic ingredients. That is not to say these doughnuts are healthy but probably the better alternative in the world of doughnuts. 

They have two locations, one in Flatiron and the original location in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The original location is much smaller and calmer—also slighlty cheaper. The Manhattan location is a lot brighter—has a large seating space but is a lot more crowded. There is always a line!

You can't go wrong with any of the doughnuts really. My personal favourites are the grapefruit (seasonal), apple jam (seasonal), passion fruit, lemon poppy seed, toasted coconut, Nutella and hibiscus. The salted chocolate is also delicious. Honestly, they are all pretty good it just depends on your mood. My advice is to go with your initial instinctive choice. If you are in the mood for something fruity go with fruity, don't be tempted by the chocolate options. The other day I was determined to either get the grapefruit or passion fruit, but got distracted and got the dulce de leche. It was good don't get me wrong, but I wasn't fully satisfied. Something was missing. So trust your gut and don't get distracted. An alternative would be to get two or three flavors, that way you can satisfy your true craving while satisfying your faux craving. However, this may not be the most bikini body-friendly choice. 

Apple jam

Dulce de leche

 

Hibiscus

Lemon poppy seed