Mr. FFID was intensely reading about some lady waving a baguette around the streets of Dublin. Oh la la, that was me! I couldn't believe the size of the feature about my French Food and Wine Tours of Dublin in the Sunday Times last week. Himself was so proud that he decided to celebrate my little bit of fame with an afternoon tea at the Westbury hotel.
We didn't have a booking but were lucky enough to get a table at the perfect spot, overlooking the busy streets below.
The traditional afternoon tea at the Westbury cost €30 but what's the point of an afternoon tea if you don't drink a glass of Moët champagne? It's an additional €6 if you want a glass of bubbly.
The sandwiches are brought to the table first: baked Limerick ham on malt harvest, smoked turkey breast fresh herb and butter stuffing with cranberry jelly on milk pan, crab and prawn with lemon aioli on malt harvest and free range egg and chive mayonnaise on milk pan.
The sandwiches are good but they aren't as exciting as the arrival of the cake stand. The glutton inside me thought it looked a bit small at first.
The setting was lovely, we could read the papers, look out the window or just soak up the cosy, posh atmosphere of the Westbury.
The miniature handmade desserts are always going to be the best part of any afternoon tea and these ones were particularly colourful.
There was a delicious pistachio cake with chocolate mousse, so moist and intense with flavours.
A dome-shaped light strawberry mousse on shortcrust pastry, bursting with fruity flavour.
A decadent little chocolate lollipop that went down a treat.
And finally my favourite sweet treats in the whole world, some exquisite French macarons. Believe it or not they were my favourite flavours, salted caramel and pistachio, as if they knew I was coming! They were absolutely perfect, crunchy outside, soft in the inside, some of the best I've had in Dublin.
After this sugar indulgence we were full and contented. The room started filling up nicely with tables of ladies enjoying afternoon tea or families having lunch, you could really fill it was Sunday afternoon. The service was professional and not rushed, leaving you time to enjoy the experience fully.
The Westbury is a Dublin institution for afternoon tea, it may sound like a lot of money for eating sandwiches, scones and petits fours but it's so worth it, whether you 're celebrating a birthday, treating your mammy or trying to impress your other half. There was no better way to celebrate my feature in the newspaper!
Blog post update: Please note that prices have increased to €42 (without champagne) and €48 (with champagne) per person since my visit.
The Westbury hotel
Blafe Street,
Dublin 2
(01) 679 1122
http://www.doylecollection.com/locations/dublin_hotels/the_westbury_hotel.aspx
