10 Places Around Ireland To Go For Afternoon Tea That’s A Real Treat

Alana Laverty

While the idea of allocating a specific time to having tea might sound madness to many an Irish person, Afternoon Tea is defo an idea we can wrap our heads around. Tiny bite-sized sweet and savoury treats? A 100% of saying ‘feck it’ and throwing in a glass of prosecco? Yep, this is the dream.

Here are some gorge places around Ireland to enjoy Afternoon Tea in style:

1. The Rose Hotel, Tralee

Located in the heart of the Kingdom, The Rose Room at The Rose Hotel in Tralee is the ideal place to enjoy a celebratory Afternoon Tea.

Served every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 2.30-4pm, enjoy classic afternoon tea delights such as home baked ham, cheddar and relish sandwiches, open crab mayonnaise sandwiches along with a variety of sweet treats.

Prices from €18 per person or €25 with champagne!

2. Trinity City Hotel, Dublin

Trinity City Hotel has teamed up with Vintage Tea Tours to give guests the opportunity to explore the city in style – from the top deck of a vintage double decker.

Tea in hand, tour Dublin’s most famous sights while enjoying a quintessential afternoon tea spread on “Pauline”, the vintage 1960s Routemaster bus. Following your deliciously unique tour, return to the chic and stylish Trinity City Hotel to relax. Wander around the hotel and discover the fascinating décor before enjoying dinner in the Courtyard Restaurant, a night cap in the bar and a restful night’s sleep.

Their Vintage Tea Break package includes overnight accommodation with breakfast and a Vintage Tea Tour. Prices starts from €219 per room. The Vintage Tea Tour runs three times daily from Wednesday to Sunday.

3. The Lodge at Ashford Castle, Co. Mayo

The Lodge at Ashford Castle introduces an afternoon activity to look forward to – hail, rain or shine – with a scrumptious picnic in the form of an elegant afternoon tea served in Wilde’s at The Lodge.

Delicious bites include Kelly’s of Newport lamb sausage roll, Andarl Farm pork pie with apple jelly and Burren Smoke House salmon.

Available daily from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. prices start from €27.50 per person. Extend your perfect picnic to a perfect overnight stay from €210 including breakfast.

4. Lady Fitzgerald afternoon tea @ Castlemartyr Resort, Co. Cork

A luxurious and decadent experience in a picturesque setting, the Lady Fitzgerald Afternoon Tea at Castlemartyr Resort named in honour of one of Castlemartyr’s previous owners channels the vintage style and surroundings of the Downton Abbey era – a glorious way to spend the afternoon.

Using vintage style teapots and gorgeous Vera Wang china, Lady Fitzgerald’s Afternoon Tea at Castlemartyr Resort keeping with the style of a bygone time, and features all the delectable elements that have made Afternoon Tea so popular for so many generations.

Sweet and savoury treats served with your choice of tea, coffee or herbal infusion, Lady Fitzgerald’s Afternoon Tea at Castlemartyr Resort costs €32 per person, and there are also Coeliac and gluten-free choices available. Children’s Afternoon Tea costs €15 per child. Afternoon Tea is available daily from 1.30 p.m. until 4.30 p.m. in the Bell Tower.

Lady Fitzgerald Afternoon Tea Main Image

5. Fusion Tea @ Clontarf Castle, Co. Dublin

Discover the wonder of Clontarf Castle, a unique 12th Century castle hotel offering a perfect blend of Irish history and tradition with all of the luxuries of the 21st century and experience the delights of Clontarf Castle’s eclectic ‘Fusion’ afternoon tea.

Draw up a chair to the magnificent open fire in the stunning setting of the Atrium lobby and feel the warmth of centuries restore your soul as you enjoy Fusion Tea. Experience all the delights of an eclectic Afternoon Tea where the traditional is fused with modern inspirations through the culinary arts to create the perfect afternoon treat.

Served Thursday to Sunday 12:30pm – 16:30pm. Pre-booking is essential 48hours in advance.

6. The Savoy, Co. Limerick

The Library at The Savoy is a lush, pretty space with book-lined walls and distinctively elegant furnishings. Cosy and intimate, with plush brocades and vivid velvets, The Library is a chic and attractive setting for afternoon tea.

Enjoy afternoon tea from €27 person with options to add some bubbles.

7. Floral Afternoon Tea @ The Shelbourne, Dublin City Centre

Continuing in its tradition of exquisitely themed afternoon teas, this summer The Shelbourne adds a sweetly seasonal Floral Afternoon Tea to the menu, available daily in the Lord Mayor’s Lounge until the end of September 2017.

The talented pastry team at The Shelbourne have created a delightful bouquet of pretty blooms that taste as good as they look with the new Floral Afternoon Tea, with four deliciously elegant flower tributes. ‘The Flower Pot’ has light mascarpone cream, coffee soaked Savoiardi biscuit and a chocolate sable crumble, ‘The Rose’ is a macaroon filled with rose and strawberry paté de fruit with pistachio ganache, ‘The Daisy Chain’ brings together lemon mousse, a raspberry jelly insert and poppy seed shortbread, and the ‘Cherry Blossom’ is a chocolate pecan brownie with cherry cheesecake, cherry jam and chocolate mousse.

Available daily at The Shelbourne for €49 per person for Classic Floral Afternoon Tea and €64 per person for Champagne Floral Afternoon Tea.

8. Ballynahinch Castle Hotel, Connemara, Co. Galway

A traditional high tea and modern showcase of the finest Connemara produce.

At Ballynahinch Castle, the focus is always on doing things as well as possible, and afternoon tea is no exception. Head chef at Ballynahinch Castle, Pete Durkan, has designed his menu with tradition in mind, using the best seasonal produce available.

To compliment the finest local flavours, Ballynahinch Castle has partnered with Galway-based master tea blender Jörg Müller of Solaris Tea who has helped compile the loose tea menu at Ballynahinch, including the signature house tea blend using foraged herbs from the Twelve Ben Mountains.

A combination of traditional finger sandwiches and signature open sandwiches, the menu changes with the seasons, currently, the Afternoon Tea menu at Ballynahinch Castle features truffled chicken, puffed rice, on walnut & treacle loaf, organic egg mayonnaise, radish, soda bread, lamb rump, seaweed crème fraiche, semi-dried tomatoes, sourdough and pink prawn & citrus mayonnaise, cucumber, sourdough.

Probably our fave on the whole list.

Prices from €25.

9. Farnham Estate, Co. Cavan

One of the most soothing and enjoyable rituals, Afternoon Tea is a lovely way to catch up with friends, celebrate a special occasion, or just indulge in a little treat to share. At Farnham Estate, Afternoon Tea is also a way to experience the handsome period rooms in the original main house, as the Music Room and middle Drawing Room are the venue for this leisurely tradition from 1pm to 3pm every day.

Served from a pretty art deco style cake stand, afternoon tea at Farnham Estate has an elegant selection of dainty savouries, with finger sandwiches including tomato bread, vine cherries, goats cheese mousse, pistachio crumb, olive, rocket leaves, roast Cavan Hereford beef, horseradish crème fraiche and sour dough, Porterhouse cheese, hand carved McCarren’s ham, Ballymaloe Relish. There are also freshly made, plain and fruit scones with traditional clotted cream and preserve, along with a daily changing selection of pâtisserie, such as Opera Torte.

Prices from €25.

10. The Heritage Killenard, Portarlington, Co. Laois

Classically elegant and comfortably luxurious, The Heritage Killenard is a spacious and sophisticated contemporary 5-Star Resort set in the countryside just outside the picturesque village of Killenard in County Laois, less than an hour drive from Dublin city.

Spend time with someone special in the stunning surroundings of the Lobby Lounge, which is the venue for The Heritage Killenard’s renowned and indulgent Afternoon Tea – a selection of sweet and savoury treats all served in the prettiest of china, with two sittings every day, at 1pm and 3pm.

Some of the savoury treats are a zingy crayfish cocktail; classic ham hock and pickle on sourdough and a mini roast beef baguette. No Afternoon Tea would be complete without warm homemade scones with clotted cream and jam and the delectable selection of sweets include praline profiterole, berry macaroon, lemon tartlet and rhubarb and apple crumble with crème patisserie.