Afternoon tea is one of the most relaxing ways to spend the afternoon, and here in Ottawa, you can enjoy afternoon tea at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier. The Chateau Laurier is one of Ottawa’s most iconic buildings and inside the newly renovated Zoe’s is a chic and contemporary space with plenty of chandeliers! While Chateau Laurier is named after Canada’s 7th Prime Minister, Zoe’s is named after Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s wife.
Zoe’s is famous for its opulent afternoon tea. Tea is available from Monday to Friday from 2:00 to 5:00 pm or on Saturday & Sunday from noon to 5:00 pm. Reservations are required for tea and can be done online here.
I was excited to return to Zoe’s for Afternoon Tea to see the new space and was impressed by the changes. The updates are fantastic with the entire are feeling more sophisticated.
Afternoon tea begins with selecting your tea, from one of the 21 options available. There was a nice diverse range of teas, and I opted for the Grand Bazaar Spice, a chai tea that was perfect for a fall day. One feature that I loved was if you loved the tea you had you could purchase it, or a kit with all the teas so you could later enjoy the tea at home.
Tea service began with the arrival of our 3 tiered trays of finger sandwiches and desserts along with a tray of wonderful scones. Scones are one of my favorite parts of afternoon tea as Iove to top them with clotted cream and jam, and I was delighted to find the scones at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier were so delicious and moist.
Two of the sandwiches platters were exactly the same, so each person could have one of the sandwiches. Some of the sandwiches included a prosciutto and peach, smoked duck, and a turkey, apple and brie sandwich with a custom F on the brioche bun.
For dessert, there was a variety of desserts including a lemon tart, pistachio financier cake, a lavender cookie, a jam filled cake, and a lovely chocolate macaron.
The entire experience was outstanding and one I can’t wait to repeat soon. No matter if you are a tourist or an Ottawa local, afternoon tea at Fairmont Chateau Laurier offers a luxurious and relaxing experience you are certain to enjoy.