Cherry Blossom Afternoon Tea-Waldorf Astoria, DC
Hello Steepers! As we’re kicking off cherry blossom season, I wanted to share my experience from last May at the Cherry Blossom Afternoon Tea at the Waldorf Astoria in DC. This happened to be one of my favorite afternoon tea experiences, and I can’t wait to share it with you!
A Little Bit of History: The Waldorf Astoria, Washington DC is housed in the historic Old Post Office building on Pennsylvania Avenue and has origins dating back to the late 19th century. Constructed between 1892 and 1899 by architect Willoughby J. Edbrooke, the structure originally served as the U.S. Post Office’s headquarters, complete with a 315-foot clock tower, the third tallest building in the city. After narrowly escaping demolition mid‑20th century, it was preserved and reopened as the Nancy Hanks Center in 1983, serving government offices and public spaces including a retail arcade and glass‑roofed atrium.
Following a $200 million renovation it was relaunched as the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, marking the brand’s grand entry into the capital. The majestic nine‑story atrium, now known as Peacock Alley, serves as a dramatic backdrop for the hotel’s refined Cherry Blossom afternoon tea during March through May.
The Experience: My experience at the Waldorf Astoria’s Cherry Blossom Afternoon Tea was BEAUTIFUL and undeniably BOUGIE, my favorite combination. From the moment I stepped into the space, I knew this was going to be a classy affair. You enter a beautiful atrium where a harpist was playing instrumental versions of both classic and modern songs. It reminded me of the soundtrack from the show Bridgerton. There was no tip jar though, and I would have gladly tipped. The venue had high glass ceilings that let in tons of natural light, stunning, though occasionally the sun did get in our eyes a bit. Still, it was beautiful.
The tea service takes place around a faux cherry blossom tree that, while artificial, looks completely real and occupies the central space. It’s the first thing you are going to notice when you walk in. The food and tea were served in golden bird cages, adorned with cherry blossoms, holding the traditional three-tiered tray. There were 10 tea options, plus a seasonal cocktail: the “Cherry Cotton Candy Kiss.” At $25, it was steep for a cokctail, but my family and I were celebrating, so we went for it. It was made of Grey Goose, cranberry juice, and cotton candy cherry, topped with literal cotton candy. It was a fun, whimsical, pricey add-on. I’m not a big drinker, but I really enjoyed it.
The cherry blossom theme carries out throughout the whole tea service. The savory selections all featured a cherry component: cherry ricotta toast, cherry chicken mousse, a prosciutto and cherry slider, and cherry shrimp cocktail (the only item I didn’t care for).
Desserts included a pistachio macaron, mango meringue tart, cherry cream puff, chocolate cherry financier, and a strawberry sakura shortbread. But the real standout were the scones! They were massive, perfectly crispy on the outside, and gooey on the inside. The lemon poppy seed scone was my favorite, but surprisingly, the chocolate cherry one blew me away. It tasted like a fudge brownie and I’m not even a big chocolate person, but I loved it. We were celebrating a birthday (mine!) and the waiter surprised me with a slice of chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting and a sparkler on top! It also came with four macarons. I had noted online when making the reservation that we were celebrating a birthday, but I’m sure this is something you could mention on the spot and they would accommodate as well. It was a lovely, thoughtful touch and it was a big slice of cake! And again, I am not a big chocolate person but I really enjoyed the cake!
Our waiter, Elmo Moustafa, was great! He was friendly, attentive, and even took multiple pictures of us by the cherry blossom tree. We didn’t even ask. He volunteered to take pictures for us. I appreciated the small details of this tea, like sugar cubes instead of packets of sugar, and the fact that even though there’s a stated 90-minute seating when making the reservation, the experience was not rushed nor did we ever feel rushed. I believe we stayed for about 2 hours and it was a Saturday, so it was not like it was a “dead” time, but our waiter never made us feel like we needed to leave. All in all, this was a luxe, memorable experience that delivered on every level.
As of Today: Waldorf Astoria offers seasonal themed afternoon tea all year long, but the Cherry Blossom tea is only offered from March to end of May, Thursdays through Sundays at 12 pm and 3:30 pm. It is expensive, (but surprisingly not the most expensive tea I have been to!) It came to $120 pp PLUS a 20% surcharge that needs to be prepaid. Any additional drinks outside of tea are extras.
My Rating: 5/5 teacups! For me, this was worth doing at least once, even with the price tag. I had an AMAZING birthday here! Service, ambiance, food, all 10/10! One of the most memorable teas I have been to. I absolutely loved it.
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