13 Sep

AFFORDABLY CLASSY TEA SERVICE AT LE RENOIR

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Sometimes all one craves is a little nibble. After a day of sight-seeing, city-strolling, shopping, spa-going, or museum-visiting (all in one day if you’re lucky), I need a refuel. A bit of something sweet, a taste of something savoury, plus a hit of caffeine and I’m good to go ‘til dinner. Just recently I discovered the perfect spot to satiate a late afternoon hunger. Here’s the lowdown on high tea service in the heart of downtown…

Did you know that Le Renoir at the Sofitel offers a tea service every day from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.? No? Neither did I. In the Golden Mile district, it’s just steps away from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and haute department store Holt Renfrew. I’m so happy I found it!

It’s not your ordinary British high tea, though. But don’t panic Wills and Kate, there are those yummy little sandwiches with toothpicks pierced through the top and the crusts cut off. There are also fancy-schmancy teabags served with dainty individual pots and matching teacups! But in place of scones and clotted cream, you get hot Belgian waffles – just as comforting – served with a sinful whipped cream and local maple syrup.

Also, being a French hotel chain, the Sofitel added their own Gallic twist: French pastries by Pastry Chef Olivier Potier. So you can stuff your face – politely whilst maintaining ladylike composure – with moist-as-heaven madeleines, sweet canelés, melt-in-your-mouth macarons, nutty chocolate clusters, plus a few other things added depending on Potier’s whim. I dipped into a heavenly light “tirami-fraise” (layers of cream and strawberries), as well as a choco-peanut-caramel beauty, which is dubbed “Snickers” – like the candy bar, not “Sneakers,” even though that’s what it sounds like the server is saying. You gotta love those French accents.