Where: Roswell, Georgia Style: French contemporary Tea Selection: 5 loose leaf teas by Harney & Sons Teatimes: Seasonal tea events, check our Atlanta directory Reservations: Required, events sell out well in advance Contact: 770-993-1156 Cost: $40 High Tea à La Bistro Destination Tea Tips: Expect a uniquely themed tea menu at each bistro VG tea date. Because all parties are seated at the same teatime, arrive early to avoid the crush at the hostess stand.
Destination Tea Notes: Having ogled scrumptious photos of previous “high teas” at bistro VG, we come to this $40 tea expecting to be impressed. Unfortunately, though we arrive on time for our reservation, we wait ten minutes to be seated, 30 minutes before tea is poured and a full hour from our arrival time before food is served. Unsurprisingly, the sandwich breads have begun to stale, as if the tea trays had been assembled and sitting out for too long, and the frittata we guess would have been delightful were it not a deflated room-temperature version of itself. At this Mary Poppins themed tea, there is a festive excitement that you can feel, and hear, as the attractive vaulted ceilings and open spaces amplify teatime conversations. We do appreciate bistro VG’s interior of sophisticated white-on-white palette, artisan tea sets by South African designer Carrol Boyes, always delicious Harney & Sons teas and accommodating, friendly service.
Triple arches and curling railing give character to the foyer.
This Poppins tea heralds the new Disney Mary Poppins movie out this month
Large dining area brightly lit by the wall of windows
Giant lantern-like pendants and beautiful field of flowers painting accent the room
Colorful balloon bouquets hover throughout the space
Tea Service
We are invited to try as many of the offered teas as we like. Spying the telltale Paris tea on the list, we confirm these are Harney & Sons teas, and know they will all be fabulous.
We admire the artisan silver teapots with curlicue handle. Servers refill tea cups upon request. Although our server graciously makes many repeat visits to our table to allow us to sample the variety of teas throughout the meal, we agree we prefer teapots kept on the table, to avoid cups sitting empty or growing cold and interruptions to our teatime chat.
Scones & Spreads, Savories and Sweets
Tea sandwiches include walnut cream cheese on white with chive ribbon; prosciutto with French onion on spinach bread; and baked ham with ash-rolled goat cheese and watercress on tomato bread (a delicious concoction). These would have been better appreciated at our table if the breads had still been soft.
We like the idea of this spinach, leek and egg frittata cup as a mini savory, but find ours lukewarm and chewy.
Strawberry preserves and Devonshire cream accompany traditional and festively flavored cranberry scones.
Dessert includes candied apple (pictured one above), vanilla bean mini cheesecake, Victoria sponge cake with chocolate ganache and the clever “Spoonful of Sugar” French yogurt cake
