Afternoon Tea chez Daniel

"There were masked balls at the Opera, races at Longchamp and Auteuil, and tea at the Ritz..." declared the Baronne de Stoeckl in her memoirs set in Paris' Belle Epoque.

Slightly overdue, but special birthdays call for special celebrations and as I approached my 21st in Paris I wanted nothing more than to go for a traditional English afternoon tea, thus ruling out the obviously French Ladurée and Angelina's. My initial desire was to take high-tea at the Ritz, but much to my dismay {yet probably very thankful on my pocket} the hotel is under renovation until 2014. This lead me on a quest to find somewhere that would offer me the afternoon tea that I desired on a budget that I could afford, a hidden place off the beaten track, and resulted in reserving a table at Hotel Daniel, located just off the Champs Elysées. 

The décor? Exquisite. The ambience? Endearing. The afternoon tea? Parfait.

All photo's taken and edited by myself unless otherwise stated.
Right photo taken by myself on Orla Pentelow's SLR

The decor was as some might say, a bit like Granny's... yet this is the perfect style for afternoon tea this way. Cosy velvet sofas, armchairs, china plates, floral centre pieces, rugs...the list goes on. The wall paper was cute, floral with birds that matched lampshades and cushions...and it was so comfy lounging back sipping on tea and champagne.

First up, drinks. As it was my birthday I went for a Champagne Tea so I was offered a glass of bubbly followed by my choice of tea. I went for the traditional Earl Grey served in a cast iron tea pot with a funky tea timer stating the strength of said tea...not sure if this is intended for a Brit, I think we know our stuff! There were various other beverage choices made by my friends from Cappuccinos, various other flavoured teas, coffees and hot chocolate which was apparently amazing, like melted chocolate in a mug.

This was then followed by a cake stand of sandwiches and scones served with a variety of jams and marmalades with clotted cream. If there was one downfall of the whole dining experience, I would say the sandwiches didn't live to please me, the bread was a bit stale and the fillings a bit bland, however the scones were gorgeous, soft, fresh and tasty!

Photo taken by myself on Orla Pentelow's SLR

Photo taken by myself on Orla Pentelow's SLR

Final round? A choice of French patisserie as seen above, I chose an orange tart and my friend a white chocolate dessert.

Overall I would definitely recommend Hotel Daniel for afternoon tea in Paris, it's quaint, hidden thus not touristy yet in an ideal location just minutes from the Champs Elysées.

E x