With Halloween in the rearview mirror, I’ve been thinking a lot about nontraditional places where people dress in costumes while eating food: kids’ birthday parties, Renaissance Faires, and the circus, to name a few. Another such occasion is high tea—a thought at the top of my mind because my mom and sister recently treated me to tea for my birthday at The Courtyard of the Boston Public Library.
From the extravagant porcelain tea set to the finest aluminum chalice for your water, mediocrity is not on the menu at The Courtyard. What I hadn’t realized is that the lavish details do not end with the tableware, the food, or even the tea; it’s the performative outfits that take it to the next level.
I decided to dress modestly, as I had no basis for what to wear. I chose black jeans, a button-up shirt, and some nice boots; it was the library, after all. The balloons tied to the back of my chair would draw more than enough attention.
As I got closer and closer to the library, more and more people sporting parasols, corsets, and britches quickly passed by me on the sidewalk, as though it was some kind of race. Chalking it up to typical Boston tour guides or overenthusiastic tourists, I returned my wired headphones to my ears and let them pass as I strolled to meet up with my mom and sister. Much to my dismay, these outfit enthusiasts were not headed to the Freedom Trail, or even the Boston Harbor, but rather two tables away from mine.
Once seated, I was greeted by a lovely server and a handwritten birthday note on my place setting. I briefly glanced at the menu to get a feel for what was to come, and settled on my pot of tea—Blue Flower Earl Grey, which accompanied all the food quite nicely.
Before I could even lift my pinky to try my tea, the three-tiered classic tea tower was presented to the table.
The first tier is all about the scones, and they were nothing short of exceptional. While this was my first high tea at the BPL, back home in New York, I’d done my fair share of tea time investigating, so I know a good scone when I taste one. These checked all the boxes: they were warm, came in two flavors (blueberry and plain), and were accompanied by a syrupy-sweet orange marmalade and wonderfully silky clotted cream. A little of both slathered onto each bite made for a heavenly combination.
Above the scones was the sandwich tier, composed of classic finger sandwiches including tuna salad, egg salad, and cucumber and cream cheese, all of which exceeded my expectations. However, in true Courtyard fashion, just the basics would not cut it. Enter the lobster salad with chive, and the roasted turkey (aka Thanksgiving dinner) tea sandwiches, which, while impressive in looks, fell short in terms of flavor. We found ourselves wanting more of the aforementioned classic tea sandwiches and less ostentation.
With the scones and tea sandwiches polished off, we reached the top of the tower. Even though we were stuffed, the tiny desserts begged for attention. As I have unequivocally established by now, the Courtyard doesn’t do casual, and these little treats went large. From the Dubai chocolate tart to the tiniest square of lavender lemon cake with a mirror glaze, all of the desserts were beyond gorgeous, like something straight out of an American Girl Doll catalog. Looks aside— with the exception of the three French macarons (pistachio, vanilla, and chocolate)—the flashy desserts, much like their tea sandwich counterparts, missed the mark. The overall flavor of each treat (except one) fell short, and the appearance left more to be desired than what was actually there. Classic flavors are where the Courtyard really shines, and ending on a simple chocolate macaron was exactly what was needed to close out the afternoon of excess—not so much the lemon lavender mirror glaze situation, but I digress.
While high tea at The Courtyard does justice to the britches and corset crowd, it’s not the only game in town. If you’re looking for an excuse to wear that nice, but not over-the-top sweater you just bought, Beacon Hill Books and Cafe offers a slightly more down-to-earth take on the high tea experience. I have it on good authority that their double chocolate brownie may be worth a visit alone. Ultimately, if you want the glitz and glamour of high tea and don’t mind flavor being secondary to experience, make your way down Boylston and give The Courtyard a shot.