There is a really quaint English Tea room in the back where they serve a Prix Fixe offering at lunch.  Since it’s Friday a few co-workers and I decided to check it out.  We left with mixed feelings, mostly because it really could be a great $10 lunch experience.

Best Service Ever

Before I get into the food, I wanted to say that the service was fantastic. The server was polite, engaging, and knew when to take my stuff away. This is important when you’re serving three separate courses to a group of people, and is in line with what I’d expect at a “tea house.”  If you plan on being generous with the tip, the stupid debit machine is not set up for tipping.  It’s a small thing, but it turns me off when courtesies like that aren’t extended to the staff.

Sequentially Worse?

Onto the food. The $7.75+ Prix Fixe lunch seems like a great deal, especially given the environment (an upscale chocolate shop).  As each of the three courses came out, each was sequentially less impressive. The coffee, tea, and hot chocolate selection got us excited, and the people who got the hot chocolate won. The hot chocolate was delicious, not too sweet, a good Friday winter starter.  I got coffee like an idiot (also really good).

Look How Good the Menu Looks!

The soup, home-made ginger squash, was fantastic.    After that, the salad was fine but very barren. I commented that some walnuts or cranberries would dramatically improve the course.

The sandwich selection looked amazing on paper. It was tasty, but the presentation was poor (little sandwich, huge plate, following a meek salad). Looking around the table as the sandwiches came out, everyone had on that “Oh, that’s .. pleasant” face.  But once again, the service was great.

Put it Together

If I were to make one suggestion to the restaurateur: just serve the salad and sandwich together. They’re nothing special individually, but together it’d feel like a serious meal. Especially if the hungry plan on having a quick lunch.

Feel free to check out The Silver Spoon, and let me know your thoughts.  Everyone there seemed to be loving the atmosphere, as well as the slow and steady pace of a Friday afternoon.