A Pleasant Afternoon Tea Find in Mount Pleasant
After taking tea at over 30 of Vancouver’s afternoon tea salons and restaurants, I finally had the chance to visit La Petite Cuillère which had been on my list for the longest time. I must admit the establishment was close to the bottom of my list since there were always new, “flashier” spots which caught my attention. Finally, two weeks ago, purely by chance my friend and I were both free for an impromptu afternoon tea date that coincided with a free gap she had in her workday. La Petite Cuillère was chosen due to its proximity to the Main Street Skytrain Station (about 3 min. away by car) where I picked her up since she was coming from her office in Downtown Vancouver. Although the location of the tea salon led us to choose it that day, I was actually pleasantly surprised that it exceeded all my expectations for its value and quality.
La Petite Cuillère is a dedicated tea salon that was established in 2012 in the hip and unpretentious neighborhood of Mount Pleasant. Last year, the interiors received a new revamp and according to my blogger pal, Maggie, the outside storefront no longer does the inside justice. No wonder! I remember passing by many times and never felt a strong urge to take tea there since it didn’t look like it would be particularly attractive on the inside. Right when we walked in, I was surprised that the space was so much more charming than I had imagined. In terms of style and ambiance, its shabby chic vibe reminds me of the Neverland Tea Salon, The Secret Garden and Adonia Tea House. It should be noted that some seats are more inspiring and comfortable than others. Take a look at the photos below and request for a table accordingly when you book.
The tea salon as viewed from the front entrance. Every table is brightly lit with natural light coming in through the windows.
The only 2 single canopy chairs for a little more privacy since this area joins the two main parts of the room together.
The room is set up in an L-shape. Turning right after walking down the long side of the room is a brightly lit area (even more windows here) with plush canopy sofas. There’s also one small table on the very right hand side which is right outside of the washrooms.
A Tea Salon with the Whole Package
Overall, La Petite Cuillère exceeded my expectations for an afternoon tea with a price point of $35 which has now become a lower-middle price point for afternoon tea in Vancouver. For tea itself, they serve Murchie branded teas with blends they created on their own. The food was mostly well prepared and served on traditional 3-tier trays alongside mismatched vintage teaware. It’s so terrifically charming and a nice reminder of traditional tea services before the swankier hotels and restaurants in this city started offering their more modern interpretation of afternoon tea. There is no one particular “wow” factor here like at some of the themed afternoon teas at the Trump Champagne Lounge or the Fairmont Hotel but it also doesn’t need it, the whole package speaks for itself. I would recommend it for those who prefer a traditional afternoon tea service served in an unpretentious atmosphere at a reasonable price point. For this reason, it’s also very conducive for parties and group get-togethers as well.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and you will as well.
Until our next tea date!
XOXO,
Mimi
These insulated kettles kept the tea very hot.
Notable Points:
- Great overall value
- Hot tea pots
- High quality tea selection from Murchies including blends that they created themselves
- Treat sizes were of a good size
- Beautiful traditional vintage teaware
Ambience: Shabby chic furnishings along with a few plush canopy chairs and sofas which make you feel like you have your own little nook in the restaurant. Some seats are more comfortable than others. The room can be separated into two distinct areas for private groups. Every table is next to a window providing ample natural light.
Scones: Although generous in size, the scones were not crumbly and had the texture of a gummy cake loaf. Served with Devonshire cream and preserves, the cream was tart like cream cheese. The scones and the cream were a miss for me.
Savouries: The two notable items from the savouries were the egg salad croissant sandwich which was a good size. I also enjoyed the shell for the chicken tart because it was nice, buttery and crumbly.
Sweets: This is one tea set which I found both the savouries and sweets were equal in quality and taste. Of note was the mini cupcake which was topped with a nice smooth meringue buttercream instead of the gritty American buttercream. It says a lot when a restaurant takes the time to prepare a nice quality frosting that is also piped into a beautiful rossette design. The creme brulee exhibited a nice thin carmelized top.
Tea: They serve the Murchies branded loose leaf teas (not tea bags) and some proprietary blends which they create themselves. If you want something unique for tea, I would try one of their blends. 11 black, 6 green, 6 caffeine.
Tea Ware: Traditional 3-tier tray with mismatched vintage tea ware. All very beautiful and thoughtfully chosen. Tea was served in insulted kettles that kept the tea hot (even the outside was extremely hot to the touch when served). The infuser could be taken out and placed on the resting plate provided after steeping. The server took time to inform us how many minutes to wait.
Alcoholic Beverages: none
Service: The server took time to tell us when to stop infusing our teas and to introduce each item on the tea tray when she brought it out. There was only one server in the whole tea salon with over 8 occupied tables. She was kept very busy so she wasn’t very attentive but she was still very helpful and friendly when we were able to get her attention. If you expect a lot of attention when dining out, this may not be the most ideal arrangement for you.
Other notes:
♥ Afternoon Tea Set
5 sweets and 5 savouries with premium tea pot $35/set
High Tea Set
3 sweets and 3 savouries with premium tea pot $26/set
Savoury Tea Set
5 savouries with premium tea pot $21/set
Sweet Tea Set
5 sweets with premium tea pot $20/set
Petite Tea Set for Children
5 treats with premium tea pot or hot chocolate $18/set
Brunch and Lunch
À la carte brunch and lunch items available on the menu. However, when I booked a table on the same day, they told me they were only serving tea sets due to staffing issues. You might want to make a phone call to the establishment beforehand since many Vancouver restaurants are facing a staff shortage now resulting in cutbacks to operating hours and changes in the menu.
♥ Parking: Free parking underground. There are a few free 2 hour parking spots on Kingsway right outside the salon. Closest skytrain station is Main Street (4 min. away by car, 7 min. away by #008/#019 bus, 14 min. away by foot).
♥ Hours: Mon closed, Tue – Friday 10-5:30, Saturday 10-6, Sunday 11-6
La Petite Cuillère
A: 55 Kingsway, Vancouver, BC V5T 1R9
T: (604) 298-0088
Reservations
SudsEats says
That looks great. Especially like the creme brulee.