Bliss in a teacup

TOP TEAS:The ritual of afternoon tea is celebrated in tea rooms all over the country. LORRAINE COURTNEYsamples some of the best on offer

THERE ARE FEW hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as Afternoon Tea,” wrote Henry James. It’s so true. There’s something deliciously languid about afternoon tea’s elaborate rituals and treats. Here’s where you’ll find some of the titchiest sandwiches, the daintiest biscuits and the most jewel-like cakes.

MISS COURTNEY’S TEAROOMS

Way back in 1909, Margaret Courtney opened the doors of her confectionery, tea and grocery shop on College Street in Killarney. More than a century later her niece, Sandra Dunlea, has reopened the teashop. The interior has stripped floorboards, tables bedecked in embroidered tablecloths and everything served in mismatched china tea sets. Black and white family photos are on the walls and the waitresses wear vintage tea dresses and pearls.

Afternoon tea comes on silver tiered stands and includes trimmed sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and slices of Victoria sponge. The all-day brunch menu includes eggs Benedict, boiled eggs with toasted soldiers and porridge served with muscavado sugar and pouring cream. Dunlea does most of the cooking, from old family recipes and granny’s copy of Mrs Beeton.

Afternoon tea for two is €29.50. 8 College Street, Killarney, Co Kerry, misscourtneys.com

ACCENTS LOUNGE

If there’s a mellow antithesis to a wild night of drinking, it’s relaxing in a tearoom, but until recently Dublin didn’t have many late-night options. Accents Tea and Coffee Lounge stays open until 11pm every day. Owner Anna Young says: “In our modern lifestyle, we no longer just socialise on weekends and I wanted to create a cosy environment for people to meet as an alternative to a pub.”

The cakes here are sumptuous, the Danish pastries are all flakey and buttery, staff are charming and you can while away the hours in comfort. Seating is a laid-back mix of sofas and bean bags. The lounge is home to a plethora of hobby groups including a feminist book club, a knitting group and an alcohol-free comedy club.

Tea and a slice of cake starts at €3.50.

23 Stephen Street Lower, Dublin 2, accentslounge.wordpress.com

BALLINAHOWN TEAROOMS

Ballinahown is in Westmeath and the tearooms, perched above a quirky gallery, are a lovely place to stop off for a cuppa. The room is a higgledy piggeldy collection of mismatched furniture, with exquisite posies on every table, and the result is relaxed vintage with a twist. Menus pasted into old hardcover books are a pretty touch.

House breads include Guinness seeded, soda and treacle brown and the selection of cakes varies from day to day. The banana and pecan cake is highly recommended.

There are also organic veggie soups, plates of Irish cheeses and charcuterie, and mouthwatering tartlets with buttery pastry. There’s a fine selection of teas, as well as wines and Irish apple juice.

Slices of cake start at €1.95 and sandwiches from €5.95. Ballinahown, Co Westmeath, ballinahowntearooms.com

BALLYGALLY CASTLE

Ballygally Castle, on the Antrim coast, has a truly lovely setting. It may be of interest to ghost hunters as it was the home of Lady Isabella, who was locked away in one of the towers before tumbling to her death. Her sad spirit lingers on, it is said. This is a classy afternoon tea, served in a hushed lounge with logs ablaze in the fireplace.

It’s all very ceremonious and you can expect beautifully cut finger sandwiches and an array of homemade pastries, with a pot of tea. Punjani Tea is from Belfast-based Thompson’s and the variety includes breakfast blend, earl grey, peppermint, and organic.

Afternoon tea for two costs £24 and you can have a glass of champagne for £8. Coast Road, Ballygally, Co Antrim, hastingshotels.com/ballygally-castle

WALL AND KEOGH

Portobello is one of the coolest corners of Dublin and now it has a tearoom in a former hardware shop, that has been renovated and reopened for business. It’s a good addition to the area and inside you’ll find very pleasant staff, soothing teas . . . and sushi. Yes, really. It’s hand-rolled, tasty and friendly on the recessionary pocket too.

The soundtrack is one of funky tunes, and the loose teas stored in big glass sweet jars add to the pretty decor.

The staff will impress you away with their tea knowledge. Catch them at a quiet moment and they’ll spend as long as you like talking about teas and brewing techniques. There are interesting books to peruse and they also offer teas and a selection of food to go.

Eight pieces of sushi washed down by a pot of tea costs from €8 per person. South Richmond Street, Portobello, Dublin 8

CUPÁN TAE

Mary O’Leary’s motto is “life is like a cup of tea, it’s all in how you make it” and a visit to her tearoom in Kenmare most definitely makes life that bit lovelier. With a cinematic setting of sea and jagged mountains, and two streets of quirky shops, Kenmare itself is a lovely place to visit.

Inside Cupán Tae, it’s all very granny parlour chic, with a vast mahogany sideboard counter that’s the perfect display case for the homemade cakes. A piano adds to the ambience and you drink your tea from real china tea cups. There’s a decent selection of teas to choose from and sandwiches are also available.

It has an easygoing charm that makes it a real pleasure to visit, and the service makes you feel spoiled.

Afternoon Tea for two costs €28. 26 Henry Street, Kenmare, Co Kerry, cupantaekenmare.com

MISS KATIE’S TEAROOMS

Kay Weldon visited tearooms in Boston and London in order to come up with ideas for her own tea-drinking establishment. The research paid off handsomely and her Blarney tearooms have tables set with proper linen and china. The imposing china cabinet that is the focal point of the room belonged to Weldon’s mother.

Here you can order lavish stacks of finger sandwiches, scones and pastries, accompanied by hot, properly brewed pots of tea. Baked confectionary, and cupcakes in particular, are her speciality.

The storytelling mornings, with the stories of Beatrix Potter being told against the clink of china, are a very special experience for little ones. The open turf fire makes it all the cosier.

A pot of tea for one is €2 and a homemade scone is €1.80. Blarney Shopping Centre, Blarney, cupcakesbykatie.blogspot.com

HICKEY’S BAKERY CAFE

Ownership here spans four generations of Hickeys and they are still running a bakery which bakes proper bread, cakes and barm brack, along with an array of other lovely things. It’s a light, airy space with cottage-style furniture and big windows that take in views of the rolling countryside. Take tea and a homemade scone and jam or indulge in something a bit more substantial such as a chunky sandwich or a slice of cake.

If you’ve a hankering for something more savoury, the menu has small plates, such as a luxuriously cheese-laden roulade, or tortilla packed with layers of fresh spinach, potatoes and Gortnamona cheese. But it’s the brew that matters, so order one of the many teas or fresh coffee made from award-winning beans.

A pot of tea and a scone costs €4.25. West Gate, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, hickeysbakery.com

G HOTEL

You’ll feel like dressing up to enjoy a traditional afternoon tea in the swanky Pink Salon of Galway’s G Hotel. Milliner Philip Treacy gave his creative spirit free rein and the result is an interior that is all flounce, feather and drama.

Afternoon tea is served in the super camp Pink Salon. You sit on Andy Warhol camouflage print pink silk chairs and the carpet underfoot is all dizzying black and white stripes. The tea includes finger sandwiches with fillings like goats’ cheese and red onion, chicken and stuffing, freshly baked scones and a variety of sweet treats to finish. And of course, there is the optional glass of pink champagne. Yes, it’s all wow and glamour here.

Afternoon tea is €59 for two (including a glass of pink champagne). Wellpark, Galway, theghotel.ie

HAYFIELD MANOR HOTEL

Hayfield is Cork’s very own country house retreat in the city, a newly built house on period property that attracts the city’s suits and society women. The kitchen buys direct from artisan producers and fishermen, resulting in fresh and seasonal dishes.

Afternoon tea includes a selection of individual pastries, scones, petit fours and various blends of tea. The open fireplace makes it cosy. You can take afternoon tea in either the lobby or the drawing room as you pretend that you’re the lady of the manor.

Afternoon tea for two is €50. Perrott Avenue, College Road, Cork, hayfieldmanor.ie