Afternoon tea is something that my Mom & I fell in love with during our girls trip to London. Ever since then, we’ve been chasing the high of a great afternoon tea. For her birthday this year, I made reservations for afternoon tea at the Four Seasons in Boston, at their bar called Trifecta.
Getting There
The Four Seasons is located at 1 Dalton St. in Boston. It’s important to verify the address is correct when plugging it into a GPS, as there is another Four Seasons property 10 minutes away. If you drive into the city, you can look for street meter parking but note that it’s a 2-hour max (~$8). You can also pay $22 for valet parking at the Four Seasons for 3 hours. If you’re using public transportation, the Prudential stop on the Green line puts your 3 minutes walking distance to the Hotel.
Reservation & Cost
Afternoon tea at Trifecta is only offered on Saturdays & Sundays from 11am-2:30pm. It’s best to make your reservations ahead of time by calling the Four Seasons at least 1-2 weeks in advance. It costs $99 per person, but comes with champagne & a liqueur pairing with your tea. Please note that you only have a 90-minute seating window so it’s key you arrive on time to maximize your experience. For more information or to make reservations, check out: Trifecta Afternoon Tea.
Food & Tea
We were told by our waiter that the menu rotates seasonally, so the menu we had in March, may be different than a menu you would get a different time of year. They had a nice tea selection, with a mix of black teas, green teas & white teas to choose from. Each tea comes with a paired liqueur, depending on the type of tea you choose. (For example, Mark chose the One Dalton Black tea which came with Baileys).
The tea came with all the standard fixings – scones, sandwiches & dessert, but was definitely a more upgraded experience than other teas we had tried in the past. For example, to kick things off, the tea starts with a glass of champagne and a macaron.
They make their own clotted cream in house and you are given 3 different flavor scones to try with jam.
The finger sandwiches were some of the most impressive parts of the tea – including a truffle portobello mushroom sandwich, lobster role, smoked salmon with cream cheese and a traditional cucumber with feta. Everything was delectable and the presentation was beautiful.
For the desserts, we had a variety of sweets like a shortbread cookie, cognac infused chocolate cake (WOW), a lemon square and puff pastry filled with cream. If you’re unable to finish it all, you can ask for a box to take home the rest.
The Experience
Overall, the ambiance of Trifecta is very chic. It’s helpful to note that this bar is part of a hotel lobby, so there are guests walking through. Some spots are at tables, while other spaces include couches for a more relaxed feel. I recommend requesting a table closer to the bar area, to avoid high traffic of guests walking by.
The service was attentive and friendly at the Four Seasons in Boston. They took their time to answer questions about the tea, make recommendations and explain all of the sandwiches & desserts we got.
While the price tag is a little high, I do think the value is there in the quality of food. For other teas, the alcohol is an additional cost but the price also includes the champagne and liqueur tasting which adds to the overall value. I definitely recommend checking out afternoon tea at the Four Seasons in Boston if you’re looking for a place to celebrate something special!
Cheers, Amanda
