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- Hours:
Mon-Wed 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Thu-Sun 12:30 pm - 6 pm
- Price Range:
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$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Valet
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
20 reviews for Windsor Arms Hotel Tea Room
20 reviews in English
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Review from Emilia M.
North York, ON
2/3/2012
I am a big High Tea fan and have tried very many in Toronto. Interestingly enough, I have never tried that one at Windsor Arms Hotel until a girlfriend of mine invited me. I have to say that thus far, this is probably one of the best high tea I have experienced.
The service is excellent! Superb ambience! The pastries are fresh and very tasty. Highly recommended! I am glad to have discovered it. -
Review from Tamara l.
Toronto, ON
5/18/2012
I had my first experience of High Tea at the Windsor Arms for a belated Mother's Day celebration. The place is really nicely decorated with lots of fancy hats to choose from ($5 donation to charity), and the food was great. However, the space was really crammed. It was very hard to back out of your table because there were so many tables set up around you. Also, we were a little put off by the waiter. He first asked us if we had any groupons or vouchers when we sat down. We didn't so we politely said no. Then my sister came to the table and he asked her the same question. Now, we're wondering why they keep asking us if we have groupons? can't we come to enjoy high tea without it? and we now feel a little stupid for paying full price when obviously they were selling discounted High Tea. I'm wondering if they had intended to provide poorer service to the Groupon/Voucher clients?
Now about the fun hats! There were lots to choose from! From gigantic furry white floppy ones, to the little Morrocan style you see monkeys wear. Another bizarre thing the waiter did: the hats had a very large sign actually on the hat stand itself that said $5 donation to take pictures with the hats. No problem. So we put the hats on and took some pictures, and the waiter came over to us and said "that's $5". Yes, we read the sign buddy, and we are planning on making the donation - thanks for unneccessarily pointing that out. This wasn't some kind of street vendor stand - we have a running bill at table (where we are wearing the hats), and it's only $5, it's not anything to worry about. Anyway, we ignored him and continued on with our tea, and the $5 appeared on our bill - exactly how we expected. So what's with asking us on the spot? The service certainly could have been a tad classier to match the tea and decor! -
Review from Karl R.
4/3/2012 13 photos
First make reservations. It was tight getting a Monday reservation! The King Eddie only does high tea on the weekend.
"High tea is a girl's thing. Seriously. I don't think men will ever understand the incredible fun in sipping tea in pretty teacups and eating finger-size sandwiches and pastries."
I'm not much of a man, but I do love high tea. As a little boy I just loved being "dragged" by my mother to bridal and baby showers. I loved the tea, the sandwiches with the crust cut off, and the sparkling conversation. About the only thing missing here at the Windsor Arms is the upholstery is not sealed in plastic covers.
Positives:
- Great tea and huge selection! I had the Bolivian black. Each person gets their own pot. Assuming you have bladder room to down a huge pot yourself, no having to leave the lid askew to signal more hot water. They're on top.
- The scones are like creamy pastries. Oh heaven.
- The jams and clotted cream are wonderful
- Vittles are typically good.
- Fun to people watch. The crowd is a mix of 20something Asian females and matronly older women who might be nuns.
Negatives:
- The goat cheese tart could have been a bit more goat cheesey but then my date wasn't a huge fan of goat cheese and enjoyed it on the milder side.
- This ISN'T all you can eat? Gah.
- More jam and clotted cream. I would have loved to cake that stuff on my scones. And more scones!
- Would have loved some pastries which you can self administer whip cream.
- The tea room is nice enough, however when you go up to the reservation desk, you see the hotel's grand dining room and think that's where you're having the tea. Impressive tease. -
Review from Tamarah S.
Scarborough, ON
You should go here if you are in need of some royal treatment. They definitely make you feel like royalty. Amazing tea selection, and even better food. The lemon scones were hands down the best scones I've ever tasted. The blackcurrant ones were so good as well. The sandwiches were amazing, as was the goat cheese tart and the petit fours. Yummy jams/preserves. Great service, love the feel of the room, especially the dark blue and purple colour scheme. I already want to go back!!
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Review from Precilla C.
Scarborough, ON
High tea is a girl's thing. Seriously. I don't think men will ever understand the incredible fun in sipping tea in pretty teacups and eating finger-size sandwiches and pastries. So when I bought a Wagjag voucher for afternoon tea for 2, I immediately decided to take my sister there. We've never had afternoon tea in Toronto before, and our experience at Windsor Arms was truly amazing.
The ambiance was absolutely lovely. The teacups and teapots were so pretty and totally made me feel like a princess.
For my tea, I chose Passion & Envy, which was a green tea with passion fruit infusion. It smelled wonderfully fragrant, but tasted pretty much like typical green tea. My sister opted for Earl Grey with Roses, which was really delicious with a little milk and sugar. I didn't even know that I liked Earl Grey tea until I tried this one. The rose flavour was really delicate and nice.
After awhile, our tower of goodies arrived to our excitement! The server immediately served us the goat cheese and caramelized shallot tart and encouraged us to eat it first. The tart was marvelous. Even I, who hates goat cheese, really enjoyed this savoury tart.
Next, we dabbled on the two types of scones- plain and black currant! These were so soft and delicious, with a tint of citrus flavour. Knowing that the scones were filling, my sister and I ate half of each and packed one to go.
Next up, we have 3 varieties of finger sandwiches: Smoked Salmon and Wasabi Sour Cream with Salmon Caviar, Cucumber with Sundried Tomato Paste and Dill Cream Cheese, Grilled Chicken, Granny Smith Apples Citrus Mayonnaise, Greek Yogurt & Chives. My favourite was the cucumber sandwich with cream cheese, because it was really moist. The grilled chicken was too dry.
On the top of the tier were petit fours, which included a white chocolate concoction, strawberry cheesecake, caramel mousse chocolate cup, and mini lemon meringue tart. I loved the fact that we got to try everything in small quantities, because I don't think I would enjoy the sweets too much in their full-size versions. My favourites were the strawberry cheesecake and caramel mousse cup.
Lastly, we ended with fresh strawberries with whipped cream. The strawberries weren't very sweet, but I still finished the whole thing.
I absolutely loved my high tea experience at Windsor Arms. Most of the food was actually good! Above all, the intimate ambiance and pretty teacups almost made me feel like royalty! We drank refills after refills of tea, chatting away for two hours (would've sat even longer if there wasn't a time limit). I really regret not buying another voucher, as I probably wouldn't be willing to pay full price (high tea is not exactly cheap). But for special occasions, it's really a great treat to enjoy with girlfriends, moms and sisters. -
Review from Laura C.
Toronto, ON
Thanks to a good friend, my mom and I had gift certificate to the Tea Room. We came here on a Saturday night (6pm) which was their last seating. I get that it was the last seating, but there were some things that were unacceptable. Granted, we were seated for 6pm (why so late, who knows) but there is still no excuse.
When we walked in, I found the small room with high ceilings, There was a feeling of pretentiousness, but they seem to be trying to hard and yet doesn't succeed.
It's not our culture in North America for High Tea, and I think it's seen as something people 'try' rather than go to on a regular basis. If you go to Hong Kong, almost every restaurant has afternoon tea, that can go from buffet style, casual snacks or 'high'. Instead, we have few places that do this, and when they do, it's considered a delicacy, rather than just another meal. We put something like this on a pedestal, and when you try to hard, it become awkward.
Regardless, part of the experience with high tea is the service. For $38 for sandwiches, scones and some pastries and tea, you aren't just paying for food. The service should be impeccable.
Let's see:
- my napkin was tattered (see photo)
- our tea should have arrived before the food set, instead came after
- pouring my tea, the waiter reached over in front of me causing me to sit back, whereas he should be pouring from the other side.
- pouring my mom's tea, it was overflowing over the tea strainer, and the loose leafs into the cup.
(my mom exchanged looks and started laughing)
The food itself was mediocre at best. The scones were okay, but my mom was not pleased and insisted that they should be denser like a biscuit. We should have had a cue from when we entered. The 'preserves' and devonshire cream had been sitting out already. I say 'Preserves' because that's what it should have been; instead we got some sort of melted compote. The blueberry one was so liquidy, you wouldn't use it without making a mess.
The rolled sandwiches looked like someone had manhandled it too much, and the bread was dry.
The petit fours (pastries) were so artificial it sat in my stomach for the next few hours. And I love sweets, but the only thing that tasted good was the brownie.
Not sure if it was after hours or what, but we were given complimentary prosecco with the meal. As well as thawed frozen strawberries with some cream that was overly sugary, heavy, and not fresh.
I felt like the servers were not trained enough at all, inexperienced and not all there, and on top of that the food was subpar. It is unfortunate.Listed in: NOV 2011 - 30 days Yelp…, Stay away.
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Review from Anabel L.
Toronto, ON
8/31/2011
The princess in me comes out when I hear the words "high tea". I have a fascination, appreciation and love for it. The root of this ultra sophisticated ritual lies in England (afternoon tea) and Scotland (high tea). My basic understanding is that this ceremony was created to cater to a hungry Duchess. But of course.
I welcome any quintessential ceremony that allows me to channel my inner B (as in Blair Waldorf. I don't watch Gossip Girl, but if I did, I'd want to be her. I fracking love Leighton Meester). The best place for me to do this is at the Windsor Arms Hotel. They have three sittings on the weekend: 12:45, 3:30 and 6:00 pm (my favourite is the first because it leaves you the day to go shopping).
Their puprle tea room is elegant and inviting. (They also have a Russian tea room.) They serve the best sandwiches - one bite bursts of deliciousness - and the most amazing scones - I love, LOVE their scones.
If that doesn't convince you to stomach the cost (Full Tea at $38 per person or Complete Tea at $45 per person, on weekends. Less during the week, but what working woman has the time), then maybe this will: I, a DIEHARD coffee lover, will give up my coffee. That's right; I will forgo coffee for tea in the name of high tea. And as any of my friends will tell you, in any other circumstance I turn from beauty to beast in 60 seconds if I don't get my coffee. This is the power of high tea.
P.S. You can supply your own tea and get a blanket and have a picnic and get their tea-to-go: scones, sandwiches, petit fours - read here. -
Review from Pauline W.
Markham, ON
6/24/2011
Just love it!!
Deducting 1/2 star because I found the dessert cakes were a little bit too sweet for me. However, the sandwiches and scones were really good. Oh and I like the tea (once upon a tea) I chose.
Deducting another 1/2 star because we were given the bill without asking for it at 3ish. Very obvious, we were expected to settle the bill and leave soon. Well, I know we had been there for 2 hours but we still wanted to hang around a little bit more lol. -
Review from Karen S.
2/15/2011
The Windsor Arms tearoom is just so much fun! Located inside the first floor of the Windsor Arms hotel just off Bloor, it is a sunny, cozy space that is so fun for people watching. We came here early for a 12:30pm sitting and had our choice of seats. Having never been to an afternoon tea before, we had no idea what types of people come to these places and were pleasantly amused at all the characters that showed up from dressed up older ladies out for a jaunt to tourists on a day out. We were in a room decked out in purple cushy chairs a bit past their prime with tiny tables that was just so cute and adorable.
The Full Tea came with our choice of yummy teas and a three tier tower of scones, dainty bread roll wraps and dessert. The meal may look small, but it is more than filling. The afternoon tea ends with a strawberries and cream dessert - as if the afternoon tea itself wasn't already rich and delicious enough.
The service was efficient and there were no issues with us redeeming our http://wagjag.com offer. Washrooms are outside the tearoom upstairs on the second floor.Listed in: A good time with friends
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Review from Julianna B.
Toronto, ON
1/27/2011
When the slush is everywhere, when Christmas is gone, when a grey unending series of days descends on late January, when February looms ahead like a tombstone made of brownish ice, my soul yearns for certain things. Stationary. Fountain pens. Big hats and gloves. Most of all, afternoon tea.
Yes, it's expensive, but forget that, honestly. It does you more good than dinner at a midrange restaurant, and you can see where the costs are - multi-layer petit fours don't just assemble themselves, and they must lose a bunch of those elegant teacups every year to breakage and kleptomaniac ladies.
Our usual haunt for tea is the Library Bar at the Royal York, which is very nice, but I figured Windsor Arms deserved another chance. Last time I'd found it hectic and crowded, with invasive service. This time, all was different.
This time, we were directed to the new Red Russian Room - red in colour, not politics, as the walls are covered in Romanovs. It's very pretty, and a good antidote to the taupe palette on the winter streets. It was relatively dim and very, very chilly (caulk the windows! caulk them now!), but pretty and otherwise comfortable. It was also quiet; it's fairly solidly separated from the constant chinking and clanging of china and teaspoons in the main room. The service was wonderful.
We had the cream tea - my cunning plan involved coming on a weekday when it was available. The sandwiches that come with the full tea are a little rarified for me (smoked salmon and caviar really aren't my thing) and I always leave feeling entirely stuffed. Well, I still did, but this time it was just two scones and two creamy petit fours that did it, as well as the utterly delicious rose earl grey tea. I blame my consumption of Devonshire cream, which flows like thick buttery water.
I left lighter of step, happier of mein, and more satisfied with the world in general. Also, Devonishire cream is an excellent insulator against the cold. -
Review from Christina C.
6/12/2011
This is the place to go if you want to feel dainty. I can't say I get that urge too often, but when the opportunity arises, I won't pass it up!
Mom and I went in for high tea after being gifted a WagJag coupon (like many of the other patrons, it seemed). We ordered the full tea and they accepted our coupon without a hitch. Mom went for the house breakfast blend and I ordered a traditional earl grey. One of the most charming things about this place is that every tea comes in a unique teapot - and it's delicious to boot! Our full tea tray came shortly after, stacked with scones, mini sandwich rolls, and petit fours.
The scones were melt-in-your-mouth lovely, paired with devon cream and different flavors of Greaves jam...mmmmm. The sandwiches were adorable - cucumber was refreshing, chicken so-so, but the salmon and roe to die for! We were surprisingly full after the scones and sandwiches, so I only had room for one petit four - a lemon meringue tart that packed lots of punch in a little bite. They kindly let us take our leftovers home (though my little brother gobbled them up shortly thereafter, not so daintily).
If you want the high tea experience, the Windsor Arms Tea Room won't disappoint. It's definitely beyond my price range, so I don't know if I'd come here without the coupon - but Mom and I had a lovely time! -
Review from Clinton C.
Toronto, ON
2/27/2010 1 photo
Taking high tea, to me, is a little like how I think women must think of going to the spa: it's indulgence and luxury, oh, but how nice it is to sit back, relax and enjoy a couple hours pampering yourself.
In this regard, the Windsor Arms Hotel team room didn't disappoint. Guests can actually choose from two different but adjoining rooms to take their tea; the first is Edwardian-styled while the second is more contemporary, with dark purple walls giving the impression of lushness and passion.
There are about a dozen teas to choose from, ranging from darjeeling, to Earl Grey with different blossoms to something they call a dessert tea, Tibetan Tiger, which is creamy in texture and had notes of butterscotch and caramel. Choose this if you want to be reminded of warm hugs and intimate conversation.
It was too early in the day, I thought, for the Complete Tea which finishes with a glass of Sherry or sparkling wine, so we chose the Full Tea, which includes scones, sandwiches and desserts.
The quality of the food was excellent, especially the delicately-made sandwiches of which there were three types, my favourite of which was the grilled chicken with citrus essence, though my tea partner enjoyed the smoked salmon and salmon caviar with roasted tomato cream cheese best. These weren't just your run-of-the-mill tea time sandwiches, mind you. They were made from very thinly sliced pieces of bread and then rolled up into something resembling maki rolls, enfolding wonderful flavours in these small packages.
Oh, but don't forget about the scones with a healthy dot of Devon cream. Indulgence indeed.
Needlessly to say, we thoroughly enjoyed our tea time. The hotel itself is full of charm and it's worth taking a short stroll around to take a look--it isn't a very big space to begin with. It's also nestled in an oasis just off of busy Bloor Street, a nice place to visit just to enjoy a respite from your hectic schedule. -
Review from Leona L.
Toronto, ON
1/6/2011
Doing high tea at the Windsor Arms felt surreal in many ways. The first surreal experience was "am I really paying this much for TEA?" (although I was treated to the experience but still). The second surreal moment was walking into the hall and seeing hats that you would wear if you were going to an English horserace and the queen was sitting four rows away from you.
But once I got over the surreal moments, I really enjoyed the experience. They have so many different types of tea to choose from - some that aren't easily available elsewhere - and really great finger food. The scones were delicious and the macaroons were yum!
The tea came in really cute teapots and the decor was whimsical. Overall it was such an enjoyable moment. To sum it up, in the words of a decadent woman, "let them eat cake!" -
Review from Richie S.
3/15/2010
Every once in a while I'm dragged here for "Afternoon Tea". But once I arrive, I'm glad I came.
Little waiters ask each member of your group which tea they would like and off they scurry to get everyone's order. The little, tiny sammiches on three-tiered displays accompany our tea orders. Each little morsel is delicious. What? Sister in-law can't eat fish? Oh dear, well I'll take your salmon sangwiches then.
The actual teas are nice as well. Various fruit-based and mint type teas are fragrant and arrive in individual china pots. Beautiful surroundings, as the Windsor Arms is a hotel as well as residences. People that live here must hate the amount of people that come and go every weekend. I've witnessed a few weddings here too.
My paws don't fit the tea cup handles so I burn my fingers each and every time I take a sip. Makes it hard to continually keep my pinky pointed, but I soldier on.Listed in: Best Places to Get Some, Fine Dining Establishments
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Review from Tanya N.
3/14/2011 6 photos
My favourite place for high tea. I've been a few times and enjoyed it each time. It is expensive ($38 on the weekend) but hey, you're worth it! *hair toss*
It's fancy inside without the snooty atmosphere and quite cozy. They have a number of teas to choose from so you'll definitely find one (more likely a number of them) that you'll enjoy. I still don't quite understand how a three tier tray of finger sandwiches, scones and petit fours can be so fulling but I'm stuffed every single time.
My favourite finger sandwich is the grilled chicken with granny smith apples, mayo, greek yogurt & chives. I can have a whole tray of them. However, the scones with the devon cream is absolutely the best thing of the whole array of goodies. I came here with 3 of my friends and we all agreed...and wanted another serving of the devon cream but figured it would be inappropriate. Towards the end they serve strawberries with whipped cream - it's light but by this time we were all so full and had to wait awhile to let our stomachs digest a bit more before finishing it.
I'll be back for another high tea session...and by that I mean for their scones and devon cream.Listed in: Pinkies Up! It's High Tea…
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Review from Dardana M.
ON
11/28/2008
I must say, I am a fan of novelty. As a technically "white" person, who comes from a more "ethnic" background, the notion of centering a whole evening around tea-drinking is about as novel as you can get.
So of course, I was intrigued to be invited to a birthday party at the illustrious Windsor Arms Hotel. A place so fancy I couldn't even find it though I walk by it almost every day (the implication being that overly classy joints are invisible to students whose school occupies the same area- the reality closer to me being very directionally-challenged), so swanky that I wore heels in its honour. A place so fancy that their "Twilight Tea" service cost more than I usually spend on a three-course meal.
The verdict? I had a smashing good time, and was endlessly amazed by the master-crafted and elaborately-displayed finger sandwiches, warm scones and Devon cream, and how much I actually loved the tea I chose (Tibetan Tiger-- did I mention I don't drink tea? Cuz I don't.). It was beautiful and classy and unbelievably filling for the type of fare offered.
Though my WASPiest friend swears that her mom creates spreads like this on a regular basis, I honestly have never experienced anything like it, and truly am looking for an excuse to do it again. -
Review from Justine M.
Toronto, ON
12/29/2011
Went to the spa and was told I could order full tea there. After waiting almost an hour it didn't come so had to postpone until after my massage. When it did arrive, the tea was cold, the scones were like rocks (they gave me the vegan ones for some reason) and they forgot another item. I told them they could try to rectify it down in the tea room. Which they did but the food was beyond mediocre and they had the audacity to not only charge me full price but to charge me the "holiday price" of $43 even though the menu said $30. Personally, this is inexcusable in my books and I will never go back.
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Review from Ann C.
Markham, ON
6/19/2011
This is as good as it gets when it comes to Afternoon tea or High Tea in Toronto. The room is beautifully laid out with plush purple velvet Victorian style chairs and loveseats. The service is impeccable and the sandwiches are excellent, scones are light and fluffy coupled with devon cream and a selection of jams. The desserts were beautifully presented and you'll make room even if you're already full from consuming scones and sandwiches. You can take your time, they do not rush you and the service is so attentive; making sure that your tea is hot. etc. The $43 price tag is well worth it. It is better than the Afternoon Tea at The King Edward. And I enjoyed tea at the Windsor Arms more than the Afternoon Tea at the Fairmount Royal York.
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Review from Noreen K.
Thornhill, ON
6/9/2010
My daughter took me to afternoon tea and the experience was wonderful. The doorman was an added bonus. The waiter was very attentive and removed the chicken sandwiches and replaced them with our request of asparagus and smoked salmon ones. The scones were the lightest/richest I've ever tasted with mouth-watering devon cream. Tea was excellent and so many choices. I'd return in a flash.
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Review from josh w.
1/9/2010
The Windsor Arms Hotel tea room is one of the higher end tea rooms in Toronto. The hotel itself is beautiful hotel hidden away off the high end Bloor shopping hub. The tea room has sittings at 3:30 and 6:00pm only. Against my better judgment I took the 6:00pm sitting this evening. Of course tea at 6:00 pm is a bit too late unless you plan on eating dinner at 11:00pm however I heard great things about this tea room so gave it a whirl. Unfortunately there are not many people taking tea at 6:00 pm so there was not much of an atmosphere. In fact there were more waiters than patrons at one point. The tea service itself was nice. The cups are of the plain variety but made by high end French manufacturer Limogues. The teapots however are decorated in the design of tea that you chose and make a wonderful contrast with the plain teacups. The silverware is EPNS but still still nice. Anyway the food itself was exceptional, my only complaint is that it had obviously been made earlier on in the day and had been sitting out. My petit cake therefore had a hint of crust. Don't get me wrong it tasted delicious but when you spend $100+ for tea for two I expect nothing but the best. In summary I would definitely recommend this tea room but make sure you go to the 3:30pm sitting.
