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| - A friend once told me about being at a pub in Scotland, where shortly after a round of drinks was served the bartender yelled, "Closing time! Push it down and get the f*ck out"! It's part of the charm of a rough and ready Glasgow pub, I suppose, but I wouldn't expect to receive essentially the same treatment having afternoon tea at the Fairmont Royal York. My friends and I had reserved a 2:45pm seating to celebrate a special occasion. Several people in our party had not seen each other for a long time, and we had guests from out of town, so we would have loved to linger and chat leisurely over our tea. It was barely 4pm, however, when we were informed that the dining room had to close to prepare for 5pm dinner, so we had to pack up our unfinished pastries, pay, and leave. Yes, our sandwiches were exquisitely crafted and delicately flavoured, and the scones and cakes were picture perfect and well executed, on par with afternoon tea that I've had elsewhere in Toronto and the UK before -- but none of those other venues booted us out before we decided we were ready to go.
Another sticking point: we had a "large group" gratuity added to our bills...it indicated 18% but the amount charged on $50 was $12.37, which is closer to 25%...and tax was applied not just to the food bill, but to this surcharge as well.
I've been to the Library Bar at the Royal York on prior occasions, although not for tea, so I knew that I would be paying a premium for the venue and the ambience. Too bad we didn't get to enjoy it for very long. Why even bother with a 2:45 seating if guests have vacate the premises by 4? I also thought that if you really want to follow tradition, afternoon tea happens around 4pm, but that's another matter. The next time I want sketchy math on my bill and "push it down and get the f*ck out" ambience, I'm heading to the pub.
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