Since I was a little girl, indulging in afternoon tea has been one of my favorite pastimes – an intimate and endearing tradition the women in my family passed down. Some of my most precious girlhood memories are of myself and my mom dressing up to devour tiny treats at luxurious establishments and pretending to be at the pinnacle of sophistication. Together, we would clink our tea cups before critiquing the moistness of scones and ranking the finger sandwiches and pastries.
When I first arrived in New York in 2021, I vowed to one day spend an afternoon sipping tea at The Palm Court at The Plaza Hotel – the city’s most iconic destination for the global enduring custom. Finally, for my 20th birthday, I got the opportunity to judge whether its wide acclaim is warranted. Between its intimate grandeur and communal delight, tea at the Palm Court did not disappoint.
The aesthetics of the Palm Court itself make it easy to understand its prevailing popularity and timelessness, especially among celebrities and aristocrats. When you step through the revolving doors, you feel like Kevin McCallister in “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” completely wonderstruck by the room’s magnetic aura. The Palm Court is evocative of the enormous opulence and wealth gushing from the shopping corridors lined down 5th Avenue. Past the glass doors, there hangs a crystal chandelier in between golden-stained marble columns. An incredible neoclassical domed stained glass ceiling encapsulates the room, and a grand bar serves as the centerpiece of countless glass tables and towering palm trees.
While the architecture is breathtaking, the most satisfying part is diving into the food. The Signature Tea with delicate sweet and savory bites was presented elegantly on a three-tier tray along with a steaming pot of my selected tea, vanilla rooibos. It was certainly memorable.
The sandwiches included applewood smoked pearl salmon, English cucumber, fire-roasted chicken salad, roast beef sandwich and a foie gras macaron. I am not usually an adventurous eater and made the dreadful mistake of not researching “foie gras” before putting the entire thing in my mouth. Though it is purportedly a popular French salutary indulgence, I am still traumatized knowing that I ingested duck liver. Thankfully, the roast beef and fire-roasted chicken salad sandwiches redeemed the savory portion of the tea for me.
The miniature pastries included a duals sesame choux, an oolong tea cheesecake, a mont blanc cassis, a pecan pie and a mango coconut tart with a passion fruit gel. My least favorite was the choux, a classic French pastry filled with cream. But if you are a black sesame fan, that one is for you. As a pecan pie lover, I gleefully devoured that one, but the mango coconut tart with passion fruit filling won every award for me. Three of my favorite fruits rolled into one. What more could I ask for?
To finish it off, they serve you one freshly baked warm cranberry spiced scone and one truffle scone with an assortment of spreads to enjoy: mixed berry, lemon curd and Devonshire cream. As someone who used to fanatically eat lemon curd as a child, theirs was life-changing for me and is something that I will be dreaming about for a long time.
Yet, the most notable part of afternoon tea at The Plaza was not the ornate architecture nor the array of delectables, but the mesmerizing sight of women and girls rejoicing with one another. My mom and I were surrounded by tables of moms with their little girls, adorned in matching Hill House dresses and sparkly tiaras, as well as older ladies, who filled the room with their laughter and chatter. I was overcome with a palpable wave of nostalgia, transporting me back to girlhood. Without exchanging words, my mom and I recognized how much time had passed since we started our beloved tradition. The Palm Court is uniquely special in granting little girls the space to dream and pretend to exist in a space of imaginative autonomy. Simultaneously, it encourages women to look to the past, reclaim their blithe spirits and collaboratively revel in how far they’ve come since. In a time of political upheaval for women nationally, the Plaza becomes a sanctuary of stability – a setting celebratory of womanhood that curates an experience of connective energy.
My day at the Plaza demonstrated that certain experiences remain significant and singular in their potent charm regardless of the passing of time. While it is impossible to dismiss the secular privilege of spending $155 only to receive such petite portions, the price is worth the experience, especially if you are in good company. Though I will be fawning over the lemon curd and the mango coconut tart for years to come, the true treasure was savoring the moments with my mom.