This post was written by Hatchet reporter Ana Cvetkovic.
With cold temperatures taking over, your instinct may be to bundle up under your softest blankets and hibernate until finals. Resist that urge, put on your best winter coat and warm up with a hot pot of tea, finger sandwiches, scones and pastries at some of the best and most luxurious afternoon teas in D.C.
Tea Cellar at the Park Hyatt
This swanky hotel serves afternoon tea with a selection of mouth-watering savory and sweet treats on weekends. Enjoy finger foods and delectable desserts while sipping on a wide range of teas. From simple herbal teas starting at $8 to rare, vintage pu-erh teas that go for $300 a pot, the Tea Cellar has something for everyone.
1201 24th Street NW, Saturdays and Sundays 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. , $30 for buffet, teas start at $8.
Sunday Tea at the O Street Mansion
Dupont Circle’s O Street Mansion is part-museum, part-hotel and part-restaurant. The venue also hosts two tea times on Sundays. The Afternoon Dessert Tea consists of tea and a buffet of pastries with a range of side items and spreads including clotted cream, jams and jellies and fruits. Afternoon High Tea gives visitors the royal treatment. Butlers serve finger sandwiches, as well as the offerings from the Dessert Tea. Guests from both tea services are free to go on a self-guided tour of the mansion’s quirky rooms after tea time.
2020 O Street NW, Sundays 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., $30 per person
The Greenhouse Tea at the Jefferson Hotel
The elegance of the Greenhouse sets this afternoon tea apart from the rest. The Jefferson Hotel’s rounded skylight and engaged columns will make you feel like you’re having tea with the Queen. Guests choose from a selection of a variety of tea from the Ronnefeldt Company, which has been hand-manufacturing tea since the 1800s. Tea is served with sandwiches, scones and pastries.
1200 16 Street NW, Saturdays 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., $39 for Afternoon Tea, $55 with a glass of champagne
