Afternoon tea at Corinthia St George’s Bay because we all need a treat now and then.
Let’s be straight here, the old-fashioned high tea, with a selection of scones, cakes, sandwiches and, of course, a refreshing cup of tea is great. Any chance to go to an afternoon is a chance to grab. So afternoon tea at the Corinthia St George’s Bay was no different.
There’s something magical about going to an afternoon tea early afternoon on a bright and sunny day. Afternoon teas are pleasant for a romantic daytime date, meeting up with friends and also has been a popular option for quiet family bachelorette parties or baby showers.
Afternoon tea is thought to have been the unintended creation of the Duchess of Bedford in the 18th century. It is believed she used to complain of a ‘sinking feeling’ during the late afternoon, so she would have a snack, accompanied of course by a pot of tea. Soon she began inviting her friends to enjoy these snacks and tea with her, usually around 3pm and 5pm, and so the tradition was born.
These days, food establishments and hotels have been recognizing the public interest in afternoon teas and have really stepped up their game. Each establishment is now trying to offer unique and interesting options, but staying true to the staples we have all come to expect.
Afternoon teas need to be good and rewarding because they are often reserved for special occasions, whether it is to meet a special friend, a family gathering or simply a way to reward yourself for something. Most importantly, it should feel satisfying, and send you back home with a smile on your face knowing it was time well spent.
Jon and I had been invited to a lovely afternoon tea experience at Corinthia St George’s Bay. Afternoon tea was served to us in the foyer of Corinthia St George’s, which notwithstanding its age, remains quite imperious looking. It is an aesthetically pleasing sitting area, with colourful and bright furniture and huge windows, which let in a lot of bright and natural light.
We sat down and were promptly greeted by some very friendly staff at the Corinthia St George’s Bay who informed us that we could choose between two afternoon menus; classic and chocolate lovers. Both Corinthia St George’s Bay afternoon tea selections were fairly similar.
Both options offered a selection of three types of fine sandwiches. The notable ones were filled with smoked salmon, sour cream, cucumber, and dill, as well as brie cheese and piccalilli. Another on the menu list is the Parma ham sandwich with pecorino cheese and rocket leaves.
The real differences were in the scone and dessert selections. Whereas the Classic afternoon tea had fresh classical English scones with clotted cream and berries and fine tea pastries, the Chocolate Lovers’ afternoon tea had a selection of fresh chocolate chip English scones with clotted cream, berries and chocolate sauce and mini chocolate muffins, chocolate truffles and chocolate coated orange peel.
Seeing the number of chocolate items in the Corinthia St George’s Bay Chocolate Lovers’ afternoon tea, there was no debate. The choice was obviously the Chocolate Lovers’ afternoon tea.
We liked that the scones had chocolate chips in them, true to the chocolate lover’s choice, whilst the chocolate dip was a nice touch, if not very traditional. The same thought was reserved for the orange peel dipped in chocolate, which Jon enjoyed very much. We were not too enthusiastic about the rest of the sweets, particularly the chocolate muffins, which we thought were a bit bland.
Overall, whilst we think there is room for improvement we enjoyed the experience at the Corinthia St George’s Bay. The price for this afternoon tea is €19.00 per person with unlimited coffee, tea or hot chocolate, going up to €23.15 if you decide to add a glass of Prosecco.
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