The British tradition of afternoon tea is experiencing a resurgence, and this time around, its popularity is about more than just indulging in a beverage. According to Heather White, owner of Midtown’s classic French bistro Tailleur, when her restaurant puts on one of its popular high tea events, “it’s all about the details.”
Attend high tea at Tailleur (3933 Main St., KCMO) on the last Saturday of every month and you’ll be greeted with an intricately polished white cloth table setting, complete with vintage teacups, saucers, teapots and silverware of all kinds. A variety of loose leaf teas have been carefully selected by White and her team, who get them from a tea supplier that sources from England (there’s also cocktails and coffee offered for those looking for something more stiff). White is from Vancouver Island, a “very British” province in Canada where tea services are common.
A high tea’s pièce de résistance, however, isn’t the steaming brews of lemon chamomile and Moroccan mint; it’s the food towers. These elegant displays have become a quintessential element of the modern craze. Tailleur’s fills theirs with sweet and savory bites. Egg salad, chicken salad and cucumber sandwiches are all served on delicate rectangles of white bread with the crust cut off. French macarons, profiteroles, biscuits, honey-whipped butter and rose water and raspberry jam are made by the pastry team at White’s bakery across the street, Soli Deo.
You don’t have to enjoy Tailleur’s perfectly posh tea time dressed in Sunday’s best, but you won’t stand out if you do. During a recent visit to Tailleur’s high tea, I saw some women dressed in flowing spring dresses and even a few wearing fascinators.
The success of her restaurant’s high tea events have encouraged White to host more. This summer, Tailleur will be hosting an even more elevated high tea summer series, Tea Jubilee, from June to August. Champagne, mini quiches, truffle deviled quail egg and hand-piped petit fours with edible flowers are just a taste for what’s in store. (tailleuronmain.com).
