My knowledge of New York City really comes from the movies. My first view of the the world-renowned Plaza Hotel was 20 years ago (WOW – am I getting that old!?) when the movie Home Alone 2: Lost in New York came out. Kevin McCallister, aka Macaulay Culkin, made me want to go to this hotel.
His recording into his TalkBoy to book his hotel room with his voice changed inspired me to ask for a TalkGirl for Christmas. “Howdy-do. This is Peter McCallister, the father. I’d like a hotel room, please, with an extra large bed, a TV, and one of those little refrigerators you have to open with a key. Credit card? You got it.” And yes, I did get a TalkGirl and it was pink!
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| Me outside the Plaza Hotel! |
More recently within the last couple years, as I preparing to get married, I watched every wedding movie imaginable! Bride Wars, with Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson, also highlights the Plaza Hotel. When they are little girls in the movie, their mothers take them to afternoon tea at the Palm Court in the Plaza. It is here after witnessing a bride on her wedding day, that their characters dream of finding “that one person who would stand by them no matter what.”
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| My aunt and mom enjoying their afternoon tea! |
So when going to New York, we HAD to plan a day to go for afternoon tea at the Palm Court in the Plaza Hotel! My mom, aunt, and I got dressed up for afternoon tea! It was a lovely and enjoyable afternoon. We really got a chance to sit, relax, and enjoy each other’s company. Sitting down to tea was just the thing we needed to slow down the hustle and bustle of a busy New York trip!
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| The “Classic” and the “New Yorker” |
The Afternoon Tea menu has a large variety of teas and then four main selections for food. Each selection of food comes on a three-tiered serving tray with a sampling of sandwiches, scones, and then desserts on the top tray! We chose two different samplers to share between the three of us: The New Yorker and The Classic. The scones were my favorite, served with different tasty jams!
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| One of our mini dessert samplings at the Plaza! |
It was fun to have so many different tastes of dessert! Because each one was just a bite, I kept diving in for more! While a trip for tea at the Plaza can be pricy (at $50 a person) it is totally worth it for the experience. And the service was top notch!! When we were getting ready to leave, our server brought us a box of about 10 extra mini desserts to take home!! He certainly knows the way to a girl’s heart (or to a good tip!)
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| Wonderful Afternoon in the Palm Court! |
I’ve had afternoon tea at both the Palm Court and Lady Mendl’s (located inside the Inn at Irving Place) and I’ve found that Lady Mendl’s is a more peaceful, relaxing experience! I hope you have a choice to try that next time.
Thanks so much for the tip! My whole family loves tea (my bridal shower was actually a Bridal Tea Party)…so we will definitely have to check out Lady Mendl’s next time we make the trip to New York!