Many people love to go to New Orleans to enjoy the great cuisine, to take in all there is to do, or just to let the good times roll. However, sometimes you just want to sit back and be pampered a little bit. For those occasions, the traditional afternoon tea service at Le Salon in Windsor Court is just the ticket.
Recently, we took our family to New Orleans to celebrate my daughter’s sixteenth birthday. We wanted to do something special for her. So, we made reservations for tea at Le Salon. Upon arrival, you are greeted with the British charm of Windsor Court, a well-known luxury hotel in NOLA’s Central Business District. Off the main lobby is Le Salon which is a combination of formal dining tables and intimate seating areas. With seven in our party, we had a large round table pristinely set with fine china, ready for us to partake in tea service. We were welcomed by our server, Jean, a very sweet lady who was full of southern charm. She was very knowledgeable about the tea service, as well as New Orleans in general.
We started off with a cocktail from a selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic offerings. While we enjoyed our cocktail, we sampled an assortment of tea sandwiches that included curry chicken salad, smoked salmon topped with cream cheese and caper, egg salad, cucumber and cream cheese, and turkey. Next, Jean took our tea order from 26 of the finest loose-leaf brews (available in green, black and white tea varieties) available. As we were being served tea, we enjoyed several different types of homemade scones that were accompanied by Devonshire cream, raspberry preserves, and lemon curd. Lastly, a selection of decadent sweets topped off our tea. All the while, we were enjoyed live piano music with both classical and contemporary selections.
Even though the little tea sandwiches, scones and sweets may not sound like a lot, the quantity was enough to count as a meal. The whole tea service is very laid back and takes close to two hours from start to finish. It runs approximately $50 per person including tax and gratuity ($35 for 12 and under), and reservations are required. The dress is business casual, but you can certainly step it up and make it very dressy, which I recommend if you are celebrating a special occasion. They did celebrate our daughter’s birthday by bringing out one of the plates of sweets with “Happy Birthday” written in chocolate on it and a candle as the pianist played the birthday song.
Tea is only available at 2pm on Fridays and 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
So if you are looking for a way to appreciate New Orleans in a relaxed, unhurried setting, to celebrate a special anniversary or birthday treat, or to enjoy a ladies gathering or whatever the occasion may be, give the afternoon tea at Le Salon a try. You won’t be disappointed.