Dining Room at Dukes

Elegant Dining Experience with Courtyard Views

On my recent visit to The Drawing Room at Dukes Hotel for afternoon tea, I stepped through the well-worn revolving doors with hope. The grandeur of the setting—a symphony of polished silverware and subtly fragrant floral arrangements—whispered promises that your experience was about to unfurl into an unusual tale. Here, inside this serene haven, you expect clouds of cream on scones light as daybreak, sandwiches meting tenderness with every bite, and delicate pastries peeking from gilded tiers. Admittedly, first impressions were a misdirection. Sandwiches arrived in versions their makers might struggle to recognize, with one aloof bread corner exhibiting the tell-tale curl of neglect. My beloved scones rendered themselves more akin to baked gravel—a disheartening fate for such quintessential components of any respectable tea affair.

But all was not lost as the glimmer of afternoon delights awaited reticent seekers willing to savor the nuanced twists: a felty tranquility rendering time irrelevant in a way only English tea rituals can aspire to achieve. Staff, with their unflaggingly cordial temperament, played perfect footnotes to this afternoon composition—even if it hit some painfully universal flats along its performance. Their eagerness to make right what teetered towards wrong is the kind of language every service should master. Though the culinary notes largely faltered this time around, the promise woven within its exceptional ambiance and service provided warmth and solace. Perhaps it’s time The Drawing Room revisits its menu sheet music. Nonetheless, this makes it still worth keeping in the repertoire of sporadic splendors—at least until this affable ensemble gets back in tune. — Clarissa Cuisinier