Where: Nassau, Bahamas Style: 18th-century Georgian colonial Tea Selection: 8 loose leaf teas Teatimes: Daily, 12 to 3 Reservations: Reservations required Contact:Reserve here Cost: $75 Traditional Afternoon Tea Destination Tea Tip: If you are driving yourself to this tea, you will find a small parking lot for visitors past the hotel entrance, on West Hill Street.
Destination Tea Notes: Have you ever taken tea in a pirate’s mansion before? We did — on our trip to Nassau in the Bahamas, visiting the Graycliff Hotel and Restaurant to experience afternoon tea in a place that’s lived many lives. Originally built in 1740 as the private home of Captain John Howard Graysmith (a famous pirate of the Caribbean), over the years Graycliff has been a Revolutionary War-time garrison for the American Navy, Nassau’s first inn (in 1844) and a Prohibition era gin joint owned by friends of Al Capone. In the 1940s, its new owners completely renovated the mansion as their private residence, adding the lush tropical gardens that today add a Caribbean ambiance to your teatime. We’re guessing that afternoon tea was first served here in the 1960s when British royals Lord and Lady Dudley purchased the property. In the 1970s, Graycliff was converted to a hotel and restaurant by Italian hoteliers and current owners Enrico and Anna Maria Garzaroli, which may explain the delicious Italian dessert we didn’t expect to find at this Bahamian afternoon tea.
Stately door and window moldings face stone steps at the hotel’s main entrance.
A long dining room done in soft corals and warm wood tones is brightly lit by wall-to-wall windows.
This would have been our favorite room to be sat for afternoon tea, aloft and surrounded on all sides by tropical gardens.
High ceilings with exposed beams, natural woods and arched doors are Tudor Revival style design elements, popular in the 1940s when the house was renovated.
We are seated by open windows, truly feeling we are at a Caribbean afternoon tea, listening to strong winds that sound like ocean waves as they rush through the courtyard trees.
Our tea table overlooks this beautiful courtyard.
Tea Selection
I really wanted to choose the Caribbean Delight, but hibiscus isn’t my favorite. So we were unadventurous, ordering the Darjeeling and Earl Grey Ceylon Black, both very delicious.
While pouring a cup of tea, the server holds a plate beneath the teapot, we guess for catching drips.
Scones & Spreads, Savories and Sweets
We were very proud of ourselves for waiting for the tea to arrive before diving into this three-tiered tray of homemade treats.
The savories here are satisfying and tasty: Egg Salad, Pimiento Cheese, Tuna Salad and Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Bagel. A bagel at afternoon tea? It was too yummy for us to object.
The homemade fruit scones have a thin crust that gives way to a soft inside, and are served with jars of strawberry jam and house made mock clotted cream, made with heavy cream and sour cream.
And there she is! If your Italian aunts make a grain pie every Easter, you’ll be happily transported to your family parties when you bite into this dessert (at left), made with ricotta and wheat berries. The dessert course here goes overboard (excuse the pirating pun) with TEN items. We’d keep the stars in this and omit the rest. Our favorites were the Grain Pie, Carrot Cake, Coconut Cake, Brownie and…
Spicy Chocolate Truffles – wonderful! This top tier also included fresh fruit and cookies.
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