Afternoon Tea at Ladurée Georgetown
Over the Father's Day weekend, I went to have tea at Laduree. I've been going to the Georgetown location at least once or twice a month since they opened in 2017. Since then, I've watched as some of my favorite items go off the menu (RIP, St. Honore, morel omelette, and Marie Antoinette mocktail). I was hopeful that there would be a special pastry out for the holiday like last year; alas, no such luck for me!
I usually go to Laduree for their brunch menu (I recommend their rose French toast and avocado toast). This time, I decided to make a reservation for a table during their tea time (2 PM - 5 PM daily). I also wanted to get their signature chicken vol-au-vent dish while I'm at it as well.
Tea time menu:
I enjoy the tea served at Ladurée and have tried quite a few of them. I had Joséphine this time because I was craving something more citrus-y than my usual Marie Antoinette. I'm not sure you can go quite wrong with any of their blends (unless you're allergic or don't like a particular note). I know that they use loose leaf and steeped them in a bag. Once, I had the bag left in the pot, but most of the time, the bag was taken out. They also will serve you your first cup; leave the paper on the handle because the pot is hot!
I've come to expect afternoon tea to be served in a tiered stand, but it's not the first time I've been served the items in a series of plates. The first thing to come out was this savory madeleine; I'm not sure what's in it, but I thought I saw some paprika flakes. Maybe some cheese? It's fluffy and warm; I enjoyed this quite a bit.
My choice of pastry is Ispahan, the closest I can get to my beloved St. Honore. Lychee and raspberries with cream, sandwiched between macaron shells and topped with a rose petal and raspberry.
My choice of macaron flavors were yuzu, Marie Antoinette (the tea flavor), and rose (the flower). Ladurée is well known for their macarons, but I often find that they're too sweet for me. Nevertheless, I will still eat them.
My choice for my two sandwiches was smoked salmon, but they only had one salmon left. I opted for tuna cucumber for my other sandwich. They're okay; I think the tuna had a better taste than the salmon.
They almost forgot to give me the guimauves (probably because I had ordered the vol-au-vent and they thought that it was too much). These were really soft marshmallows, but I admit that I'm not a big fan of them. They're probably very tasty with their hot chocolate, though.
The biggest complaint that I know a few people had was that service wasn't particularly great at any US Ladurée location, and I can echo that. Georgetown, imo, is one of the better locations for service, but even that's hit or miss. The people that recognize me no longer work at the location (or at least not at the times when I go there), so the service I've gotten has been pretty average. I.e. I get ignored and have to wait to ask a question / get refills / make an order. Nothing will beat the experience I had at SoHo where I had to wait 30 minutes for a scoop of ice cream in an empty restaurant. I did go back to the SoHo location since and had better service.
Visit date: June 15, 2019
I usually go to Laduree for their brunch menu (I recommend their rose French toast and avocado toast). This time, I decided to make a reservation for a table during their tea time (2 PM - 5 PM daily). I also wanted to get their signature chicken vol-au-vent dish while I'm at it as well.
- Cost: $39.
- Reservation needed? If you have a big party. I'm usually able to get a table as a walk-in.
- Dietary restrictions? A lot of their menu is a la carte for the tea, so ask ahead if they have anything that can accommodate your needs.
- Would I go back? Not for the tea time but for their other stuff, sure.
Tea time menu:
- Ladurée coffee, tea, or hot chocolate
- 3 macarons (choice in their display case)
- 1 pastry (choice in their display case)
- 2 guimauves (marshmallow)
- 1 savory madeleine
- 2 finger sandwiches (my choices were cheese, tuna cucumber, ham, or smoked salmon)
I enjoy the tea served at Ladurée and have tried quite a few of them. I had Joséphine this time because I was craving something more citrus-y than my usual Marie Antoinette. I'm not sure you can go quite wrong with any of their blends (unless you're allergic or don't like a particular note). I know that they use loose leaf and steeped them in a bag. Once, I had the bag left in the pot, but most of the time, the bag was taken out. They also will serve you your first cup; leave the paper on the handle because the pot is hot!
I've come to expect afternoon tea to be served in a tiered stand, but it's not the first time I've been served the items in a series of plates. The first thing to come out was this savory madeleine; I'm not sure what's in it, but I thought I saw some paprika flakes. Maybe some cheese? It's fluffy and warm; I enjoyed this quite a bit.
My choice of pastry is Ispahan, the closest I can get to my beloved St. Honore. Lychee and raspberries with cream, sandwiched between macaron shells and topped with a rose petal and raspberry.
My choice of macaron flavors were yuzu, Marie Antoinette (the tea flavor), and rose (the flower). Ladurée is well known for their macarons, but I often find that they're too sweet for me. Nevertheless, I will still eat them.
My choice for my two sandwiches was smoked salmon, but they only had one salmon left. I opted for tuna cucumber for my other sandwich. They're okay; I think the tuna had a better taste than the salmon.
They almost forgot to give me the guimauves (probably because I had ordered the vol-au-vent and they thought that it was too much). These were really soft marshmallows, but I admit that I'm not a big fan of them. They're probably very tasty with their hot chocolate, though.
The biggest complaint that I know a few people had was that service wasn't particularly great at any US Ladurée location, and I can echo that. Georgetown, imo, is one of the better locations for service, but even that's hit or miss. The people that recognize me no longer work at the location (or at least not at the times when I go there), so the service I've gotten has been pretty average. I.e. I get ignored and have to wait to ask a question / get refills / make an order. Nothing will beat the experience I had at SoHo where I had to wait 30 minutes for a scoop of ice cream in an empty restaurant. I did go back to the SoHo location since and had better service.
Visit date: June 15, 2019
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