Afternoon Tea at Neverland Tea Salon in Kitsilano

After a very frustrating day of trying to find an afternoon tea place that was open on a rainy Monday in Vancouver, I chose Neverland Tea Salon on Broadway for myself and three girlfriends. To be honest, Neverland was not the first on my list. I had called L’Opera but it was closed for yearly maintenence, Rose House doesn’t open on Mondays and Butter Tea Room is closed indefinitely for filming of their second book. After I spent a few very frustrating hours looking up a good afternoon tea place that I haven’t tried yet, I decided to ask the IG community for recommendations. Neverland was suggested for its nice feminine decor and yummy savouries.

When we arrived, the space was indeed nicely decorated with various sized chandeliers in different shapes hanging against a crisp white wall. The Feature Wall was used to display a substantial collection of the teas that they offer and it was also printed with inscriptions from the novel, Peter Pan. The furnishings were sweet and modest with the exception of a few longer pink chaise lounges in different corners of the room. The general look inside was one of simple elegance and white. It was pretty but the overall ambiance was not as “enchanting” as a place like Patisserie Fur Elise since the space was small yet as many seats as was possible was crammed into it. The tea room was also located (although conveniently) directly on Broadway so you could still see cars whizzing by the main road as you sit.

We all decided on the Afternoon Tea Set and were delighted to discover that the teas were “endless”, meaning that we could try as many teas as we liked during our sitting. Although it sounded very enticing, I actually only ended up ordering one tea since I had three girlfriends with me and I had the opportunity to try all of theirs. I think it’s a nice offer that would actually be much appreciated if someone were to go there with just one other guest. Sometimes, I really do want to try more than just one tea!

The afternoon tea sets was brought out on a three tier tray displaying the traditional three courses of afternoon tea – savouries, scones and sweets. One thing that really stood out about Neverland was their food. I was especially impressed with the fresh and very delicious savouries. Compared to the desserts which can be easily prepared in advance, I find that one area which some afternoon tea places often have trouble is with their savoury selections. This was not the case at Neverland. There were five different items including three mini sandwhiches, one sconewhich and one croissant. The chicken salad sandwhich was very well seasoned and filled with refreshing salt-roasted pears, grapes and walnuts. The buttery croissant with truffled mushroom and a creamy ripe brie was also noteworthy.

The desserts were all very delicious and there were four different selections offered including a pistachio cupcake with raspberry buttercream, almond and cherry financier, espresso brownie with chocolate hazlenut pudding topped with hazlenuts and Maldon salt and finally, a classic lemon tart with blackberry pearls. I must say that the espresso brownie was very yummy and this was even after keeping it in my freezer for a week. (There was actually so much food that I had to bring several pieces home.)

The service was professional and we had a great time. We were even sent away with a small sample of tea for brewing at home. It was an enjoyable afternoon for the four of us. Kinda like Sex and the City sans the alcohol lol. Oh.. and sans the raunchy talk too… okie… so lets just say it was like Sex and City because of the timeless friendship between good girlfriends. So here’s to Neverland – the place where Peter Pan and friendships never get old.

XOXO,

Mimi

Whimsical Decorations at Neverland

Tea Brewing Station. Staff members work on brewing several pots at once.

Displays of Gifts and Take Away Items

One word description: Delish!

Ambience: Modern White and Chic. Quite cramped since many seats were jam packed inside the small space. Not ideal for large groups and less privacy.

Savoury: Excellent selection and fresh

Sweets: Very good! Espresso brownie was so yummy!

Tea: Very extensive collection and the teas are “endless”. You can try as many as you like.

Service: Very professional and knowledgable. Always on hand.

Location: Vancouver West, 3066 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6K 2G9, T: (604) 428-3066

Parking: Street parking right outside if you’re lucky. There are lots of other spots all along Broadway.

Macarons are 6 for $12

Other notes: Besides the usual Tea Sets, they have a pretty good selection of lunch offerings and desserts so you can stop by for something simpler if you like. Surprisingly, they also offer spirits and beers, “Tea Flights” and Tea Infused Cocktails are interesting options for those who want to take tea to the next level.

Afternoon Tea is $30,

Demi High Tea is $18 (comes with two mini sweets, three mini sandwhiches, a mini scone and Tea)

Macarons are 6 for $12