On my final day in Ottawa, April and I visited the Chateau Laurier for high tea. The Fairmont Chateau Laurier is a beautiful old hotel in the middle of downtown Ottawa, and it looks like something straight out of a fairy tale. After wandering the cavernous hallways, and checking out the wood-clad bathroom (straight outta the Titanic), we traipsed into the tea room to indulge.
Initially we were going to visit for brunch, but when April heard that they offer a gluten-free high tea, we were all over that. Usually high tea is all about sandwiches and scones, which obviously have gluten in them. April got the normal high tea, and I had the gluten-free one…and we both agreed that the gluten-free one was better!
To start we splurged on champagne to eat with our fresh fruit.
As we sat in the beautiful sunroom, watching the snow falling sporadically across the city, kept oohing and aahing over the beautiful details at the Chateau’s high tea.
We each chose a pot of tea. April chose the darjeeling, while I stuck with something more mainstream, an earl grey. Then it was time to daintily dig into the three-tiers of wonderful treats – freshly baked scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream, raspberry mousse, warm banana bread, and finger sandwiches made with salmon, chicken salad, egg salad, and cucumber. Everything was so delicious. The gluten-free tea was phenomenal, and the scones were a highlight. I kept wondering aloud whether it was actually gluten-free, semi worried that it wasn’t…I mean, it was just too good to be gluten-free!
We left with full tummies of clotted cream, and dashed through the cold on our way home. Then it was time to pack up, head to the airport, relax in the Porter lounge, and take my 45 min jaunt back to Toronto island. What a whirlwind trip packed with amazing experiences and so many new memories! Thanks April!
