A Very Proper Tea at Culloden Estate & Spa, Belfast

Afternoon tea at Culloden Estate and Spa is the real deal. The former Bishop of Down’s residence and 19th-century manor house boasts classic elegance, sweeping views of its 12-acre grounds and Belfast Lough.

I happened to be there on Mother’s Day. This was my first time in Belfast, and I was already in love with this bucolic sanctuary, perfectly located on the outskirts of the city yet just 10 minutes from the action. You can read the full account of my stay here.

This was a special tea, to be sure. Afternoon tea is normally served in Vespers, the elegant dining room which doubles as the main restaurant, but on Mother’s Day the demand was such that tea was also being served in the drawing room and gallery. Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year for afternoon tea in any establishment that offers it, and the kind folks at Culloden were more than ready for us.

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Afternoon Tea at The Chancery Rosewood, London

For someone who is well educated, I have my moments of utter idiocy.

Most recently, I was standing in London’s Grosvenor Square awaiting my tour and tea at The Chancery Rosewood, musing that the US Embassy was located somewhere in the vicinity. I looked at all four sides of the Square, trying to identify the embassy, before finally realizing that I was looking directly at it.

And that The Chancery Rosewood was, indeed, the very same building.

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