Welcome to Downton

“I don’t argue, I explain.” - Violet Crawley

This was just one of my favorite quotes from the new Downton Abbey movie:

Last weekend I surprised my parents with a signature afternoon high tea in true British fashion at the lovely Mary Cassatt Tea Room in the posh Rittenhouse Hotel.

Located at the western corner of Rittenhouse Square, the tea room lives up to the prestigious Impressionist artist of its namesake. We found ourselves in a luxurious and relaxing oasis complete with a harpist. The seats overlooked a charming garden terrace too. The menu offered so many delicious smelling teas, from a creamy Earl Grey called Duchess First Love to a classic organic Chamomile. I chose their new Azul tea, which with a lemon squeeze changed color from blue to purple in a fascinating chemical reaction with the butterfly pea flower tea ingredient.

Of course, what is tea without some crumpets? We thoroughly enjoyed the assortment of canapés and tea sandwiches curated by executive chef Jon Cichon of the hotel’s restaurant Lacroix. Selections included tuna tartare, egg salad, a trio of scones (with strawberry jam, Devonshire cream, and lemon curd), verbena raspberry tart, and more. Needless to say, we were quite satiated afterward.

But while our stomachs were full, our hearts were still yearning for the characters of our beloved show, Downton Abbey. Lucky for us, the tea included three advanced screening tickets to the movie!

We had a blast watching the revival of our favorite story lines. The show ended so beautifully we worried the movie might not live up to the rest of the series and we were happily proven wrong.



 If you are a Downton Abbey fan, which if you aren’t you should be, then do not miss this movie! And for the full experience, check out the Rittenhouse Hotel’s Afternoon Tea at the Mary Cassatt Tea Room.

(PS: thank you to my friend Mimi for the recommendation)