Tea at Windsor Court Hotel

Now that the holiday season is over (sadly), I wanted to do one post related to the holidays to keep the spirit going for just one more week. My favorite Christmas tradition as a child was always going with my mom and her friends (and their children) to Christmas tea at the Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans.

The Windsor Court Hotel is a luxury hotel near the French Quarter in New Orleans. It was developed in 1984, which for New Orleans is actually pretty new! More than 80% of the hotel rooms are suites, one of which we actually stayed in the weekend of my wedding. It always ends up on all of the "Best of" lists by the various travel publications. The main restaurant in the hotel, the Grill Room, also ends up on all of the "Best of" lists by all of the best foodie publications. The main bar in the hotel, the Polo Club Lounge, is also a swanky affair that is definitely worth a stop for a martini or a glass of champagne.

But, the best reason to go to the Windsor Court is for tea, especially at Christmas, at Le Salon. Tea at Windsor Court is delightfully old-fashioned. All of the women and children get all dressed up -- the women in their dresses and hats and the children with their little patent Mary Janes. There is always wonderful music in the background from a harpist or a string trio -- classical year-round, but Christmas tunes during the holidays. You get to choose from a large variety of different teas and eat cute little tea sandwiches. For those of you looking for a more adult experiences, Le Salon also offers numerous champagne cocktails. After the sandwiches, you are served incredibly delicious scones, yummy little pastries and truffles and chocolate covered strawberries. All of which is just incredibly decadent. If you want to be even more decadent, you can even order smoked salmon and caviar! For children, they have a separate tea service with children's items like peanut butter and jelly. All of this food is served on tiered little platters. Very precious!

TIP: The Windsor Court Hotel has a fantastic art collection. Before or after tea, I would make time to take a tour of the hotel to check out this collection. 

Christmas tea at the Windsor Court Hotel is a really delightful experience. It is a great excuse to get dressed up and celebrate Christmas in style. If you ever spend Christmas in New Orleans, I would highly recommend making a reservation for tea at Windsor Court.

Windsor Court Hotel
300 Gravier Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Telephone: (888) 596-0955/ (504) 523-6000
Email: resv@windsorcourthotel.com