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| - This review is based on my recent visit to Butter Avenue for their complete afternoon tea experience, promoted on the website as "you can taste a little bit of Paris and Tokyo all together in Toronto". It was a hot day, so I was impressed they offered fruit-infused iced tea as an option alongside their decent selection of classic hot teas. My friends and I were quite late, but staff treated us quite well and didn't make a fuss (that said, it wasn't very busy).
Afternoon tea here is pricey - just over $50, which is the same price as what the Fairmont Royal York charges. I get that its a hot trend and a bit of an extravagance, but that also makes me more particular about the details. The savoury selection is quite meagre and this is where they might improve. We had a mini quiche (complete with a quail's egg), which was on the dry side. This was followed by an impressive retinue of artisanal breads, sweets, and my choice of three macarons, which is where they really shine! Everything looked beautiful - so much so, that pedestrians outside repeatedly stopped to look in at us through the window.
To appeal to customers seeking a later lunch, they should round out the savoury selection with a bit more protein-containing foods. I arrived very hungry but left feeling somewhat queasy after indulging in so much sugar and bread. I'd return here for tea if they replaced some of the bread and cracker-type selection with something more substantial. Until then, I'll settle for dropping in just for their delicious macarons.
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