Afternoon tea at the Biltmore Hotel, Miami

We drove a long way from our Delray home to have tea at the Biltmore in Coral Gables. But even the ride through the Coral Gables neighborhood was enjoyable. The homes were affluent “Old Florida,” and we passed two stately churches on our drive. It was exciting to catch our first glimpse of the Biltmore Tower spire as we approached by car, and after we parked, the view was magnificent walking up the hill to the front entrance.

The Biltmore’s external facade was gorgeous. There was everything you would expect from an opulent old historic hotel. The expansive entrance led into an airy high-ceilinged lobby. Huge marble columns extended up to the ceiling which was accented with arching gold support beams. The interior of the ceiling arches was painted blue and dotted with small, golden stars.  Large marble tiles covered the floor. The tea area was off to one side of the lobby with elegantly arranged tables already set with water and China. A huge gold harp sat at one end, and soon a lady in an elegant black dress came, sat down, and begin playing. The music filled the entire area with peaceful, floating rhythms. We arrived early, so rather than getting seated, we wandered about the hotel. We enjoyed looking outside at the beautiful grounds and tables that dotted the back patio. Overlooking the side balcony was an enormous blue, shimmering pool. We went back inside and took an antique wooden elevator all the way up to the 10th floor where we wandered halls carpeted with oriental rugs and looked at the old historic photographs framed in gold that lined the walls.

When it was time for our 2:30 reservation, we went back downstairs and were immediately seated. The waitresses came with menus and we selected our teas. I chose a spicy chai, that they suggested would taste best with cream and sugar, and they were right. Michelle selected an English breakfast tea. The tea arrived quickly, each in its own individual, little teapot. Immediately following that, they brought a three-tiered tray of food. Michelle had noticed all of the food trays lined up on a cart in the back. This was nice in that we didn't have any wait, but we wondered if the food would be fresh and warm.

The bottom tray held savory scones, a salmon cupcake dish, and a couple of other delicacies. We started with that tray. The first item we tried was a sweet cornbread cupcake topped with smoked salmon and caviar. That was utterly delicious. Next we sampled the deviled egg. Michelle did not like the taste of hers. So I tried mine. We agreed that something must have been wrong with the egg. It had a bad flavor and actually left an oily, slimy taste in your mouth. We called over the waitress and brought this gently to her attention. She apologized and brought us each another of the salmon cupcakes. Yum. After the salmon, we tried a piece of bread with dried fruit. It had an element of sweetness, but not quite sweet enough to be called a cake. It was tasty. Next, there was what looked like a scone, but seem to have some herbs and pepper in it. Never mind, we still covered it with clotted cream and jam. Although we would have preferred it warm, we still enjoyed it.

After finishing up the bottom tray we moved onto tier two, which was mostly finger sandwiches. The first item we had was a delicate little finger sandwich with cream cheese, cucumber, and dotted with a small cherry tomato. That was delicious and tasted light and fresh. Next there was a small finger sandwich  with turkey, guava preserves, and cream cheese on white bread. That was okay, but the top crust of the bread felt dry and a little stale. We could tell it had been prepared earlier and sat out for a while. We did not finish that item. Next, we each tried a tasty little cheese roll which was stuffed with bread, other cheeses, and olives. We drank our tea throughout, which complemented the food nicely. Our waitresses came by and refilled our pots with hot water.

Finally, we were ready for the top tier of desserts. We started with a little puff that looked like a mini cake with a dollop of whipped cream and a little square of chocolate. When you bit into the cake, you learned that it was filled with a creamy chocolate pudding. This was absolutely delicious. Next, we bit into the small little chocolate looking squares which turned out to be tiramisu with coffee flavored cream and a little golden coffee bean on top. I found this treat to be delicious. The coffee and chocolate flavors were wonderful together, but as Michelle isn’t fond of the coffee flavor, this dessert wasn’t among her favorites. Then, we moved onto the top tier scone, which appeared to be a sweeter version of the first and was dusted with confectioner’s sugar. This meant more clotted cream and preserves were in order and we applied them liberally. The last item was a small fruit tart which, was beautiful and delicious. We really devoured almost all of the food on our tray.  And, we were stuffed when we left. We were glad we had asked the waitress to take our picture before we started eating.

It had been a long, leisurely lunch,  and  we’d lingered over conversation and tea for quite a while. Overall, this was an absolutely enjoyable experience. When you think about making a reservation for an afternoon high tea, you’re thinking of an extraordinary experience. There are so many places to have lunch or dinner. High tea has the connotation of elegance and sophistication. The Biltmore had this in spades. There were so many wedding parties passing by, I lost count of how many brides and beautiful bridesmaid’s dresses that we saw along with lovely bouquets of flowers, and elegantly dressed couples. It felt very much like the setting you imagine as a girl playing with a dress up tea party. The setting, atmosphere, and food all made for a full and lavish experience.

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