When you have found someone with whom you enjoy taking tea, then you will have found a friend for life
- Earlene Grey
The Mount Nelson Hotel is found in the heart of Cape Town and is an iconic hotel steeped in history. The glamorous English colonial style hotel was opened in 1899 and still holds that charm and history as you enter through the doors opened by doormen in top hats and tail coats.
Mount Nelson is known for its Afternoon High Tea and is popular with both visitors and local Capetonians alike.
Dressed to the nines, Georgette and I stepped into a piece of history. Driving up the drive lined with large palm trees and Lion statues you could feel the history, the elegance and the charm that makes Mount Nelson an oasis in the centre of a vibrant city.
Entering the double doors to the High Tea Lounge, there were two tables filled with cakes, sandwiches, Melktert (traditional Milk Tart), quiches, tarts and other delights. We were greeted by our friendly waiter who directed us to our table, where he explained to us the experience of High Tea at the hotel.
My sister and I being the avid tea drinkers that we are, the thought of having unlimited tea from across the world was simply heaven on earth for us. They had a wide selection of teas from different countries around the world. Teas spanned from China to Taiwan to Japan to Kenya to India to South Africa.
With all the teas we did try that Saturday afternoon, we still could not even manage to try half the teas that were available to us. We both fell in love with the Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel Blend which is a blend of 6 different teas and the petals of the Hotel's roses. We tried to see if we could buy some but with no luck but we guess that is their reason for us to come back again.
The High Tea was complete with the traditional two tier stand filled with the scrumptious mini cakes, roast beef sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches and onion tartlets accompanied by freshly baked scones with cream and strawberry jam.
All I can say is that we found heaven on earth within the grounds of the Mount Nelson Hotel.