It’s ironic, right? Having a British-style tea service in the capital city of the United States is the ultimate irony. But don’t we love it? Of course we do! I’m a huge fan of afternoon tea (different from high tea!), and so is my cousin, Emily. So, when she came up to visit, I knew I wanted to treat us both to a special one, but also a really unique one. Luckily for us, her trip coincided with the start of the D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival, and the St. Regis Hotel’s Cherry Blossom Afternoon Tea! They have multiple afternoon tea options throughout the year, but I was thrilled to be able to do a little girls’ day out with the Cherry Blossom Afternoon Tea. Here is everything you need to know to have your own afternoon tea at the St. Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C.!

The St. Regis Hotel

This was my first time inside the historic St. Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C., which dates back to 1926. It has maintained so much of its original grandeur and splendor, you will think you’ve walked back in time. Many presidents (U.S. and international), prime ministers, royalty, and other famous people have stayed, dined, or attended events here over the years. I loved the feeling I got just walking into this gorgeous building.

Keep reading: Legendary Hotels of the World

The Service

Afternoon tea is served in the hotel lobby. We dined and sipped on plush chairs and couches, with delicate, beautiful, matching tea sets. I love the quirky quaintness of mismatched tea sets at many afternoon tea shops, but this occasion certainly called for a bit more refinement, including real silver silverware. Adding champagne was an option, but neither of us drinks, so we enjoyed the tea as it was intended. It was a ton of fun to surprise my cousin with this!

More here: Afternoon Tea at the Willard Intercontinental, D.C.

The Teas

The unique tea blend selections included two black teas, two green teas, two herbal infusion teas, and one decaffeinated option. In addition, there was a special “St. Regis Cherry Blossom Blend” called the Passion de Fleurs: An “emblematic creation Dammann Frères, based on a beautiful Pai Mu Tan tea, this subtly scented tea evokes rose, apricot and passion fruit. Its infusion delivers a delicate cup, with a beautiful balance between fresh vegetal and floral notes.” My cousin chose the Cherry Blossom Blend, and I selected the Citrus Rooibos, pictured below with our sandwiches.

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Cherry Blossom Afternoon Tea

Now for the part of this article you’ve all been waiting for: The meal! It was delicious–truly over-the-top in its flavor combinations. The smoked salmon came with wasabi caviar cream and Kyari pickled vegetable. The duck finger sandwich came with foie gras mousse and macerated mandarin. The sirloin was so tender it practically melted in my mouth, and included sudachi, shitake mushroom duxelles, and black truffle. The real surprise, however, was the quail egg tart, which came topped with a slice of cherry blossom-pickled quail egg and asparagus. It was perhaps the prettiest, most colorful plate I’ve ever had the privilege of devouring.

But the absolute star of the show was the dessert tray! Our assortment of desserts came both hanging on and surrounding a cherry blossom tree display! The desserts on the tree were nestled on a bed of pink-white chocolate curls, and the others were delicately arranged at the base. Each one tasted better than the one before, despite each one being almost–almost–too pretty to eat!

Read on: Where to Celebrate the Cherry Blossom Festival in D.C.

Want more? Get everything you need to plan your D.C. trip on my dedicated Washington, D.C., Page!

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