The Tower Brasserie and Tea Room, Windsor

My first day in Windsor was spent touring one of the official residences of the Queen, Windsor castle. It is a very impressive castle, and the free audio tour will provide you with detailed accounts of the history of each part of the castle. The doll house and the state apartments were my favourite. My friend, Mos, joined me on the tour, and on our way there, our taxi driver told us that the Queen actually likes to spend most of her time at Windsor castle. After the tour, we headed across the street to The Tower Brasserie and Tea Room for afternoon tea and a snack. The Tower is located in the trendy Harte & Garter hotel with great views of the castle.

Their tea list is quite extensive. They only list a select few on the main menu, but if you ask, they will pull out an extended list of their blended black teas and herbal infusions. Here are a few that I was debating on:

Sencha Kyoto/Cherry Rose Festival - A blend of high quality green tea with sweet cherry and morning rose flavour

Organic Bancha - From Japan, a green tea with fresh flavour which explodes in your mouth tempered with hints of sweet pear

Queen Elizabeth - Piquant flavour from tea estates in south India and Ceylon is superbly combined with malty Assam and toasty Darjeeling. Royally suited for afternoons

It was a hard choice but I finally chose the organic hibiscus tea. The words 'tangy' and 'enriched with vitamin C' caught my attention. It was a beautiful deep red color, and it had a sour and tart taste. Very fresh tasting.

I ordered the somerset brie and vine tomato sandwich to go with my tea. They ran out of malted brown bread, so I had no choice but to go with the white bread. The sandwiches were served with marinated olives, marinated capsicum, and regular potato crisps.

Mos, for some reason, was stuck on orange pekoe tea. They didn't have it on the menu, so he ordered a coffee instead. The coffee came with milk, sugar, and two festive shortbread cookies that were shaped like Christmas trees...how cute. He had a piece of carrot cake to go with his coffee.

We had a great afternoon, and the slow European pace was especially enjoyable for me. Windsor is a very charming little area that is great for eating and shopping.

The Tower Brasserie and Tea Room

High Street

Windsor, Royal Berkshire, United Kingdom

Telephone: 0844 855 9131

Sample Menu