Chicago Eats: Holiday Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula

Over the last few years, Ashley, Gigi, and I have bonded over our love of the holiday season. Not only are we all hardcore proponents of anything sparkly, twinkly, or girly, we also love to go all out for our celebrations (so really, it should come as no surprise that this time of year speaks to our glitter and festivities-loving souls!). When we sat down back in October to make our holiday plans, we knew we wanted to do something extra special this year, both to celebrate a few incredible changes (including Gigi's long-awaited heart transplant) and to soothe our souls after some devasting losses and unexpected life changes. As soon as Gigi and I mentioned that we had never done the Holiday Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula, Ashley knew that it was time to introduce us to one of her all-time favorite traditions.

While The Peninsula offers a gorgeous afternoon tea service year-round, they really take it to another level during the holidays. Along with the soaring two-story tree in the middle of the dining room and the bird's-eye view of the ice rink above Michigan Ave., there's also a string quartet and strolling carolers to get you in the festive mood. On top of the opulent setting, there's the lavish tea service that kicks off with a champagne toast and includes tiers and tiers of perfectly done sandwiches, scones, and special pastries. As Ashley mentioned, the decorations, service, and bites at The Peninsula are unparalleled!

Just look at this swoon-worthy tree!

How cute are the Peninsula-themed ornaments?!

The Holiday Afternoon Tea menu includes a variety of options from the full service (which we selected) to smaller trays.

We firmly believe every good celebration begins with glasses of bubbly!

The tea service includes over twenty options, ranging from classic, traditional flavors to specialty teas only offered during the holidays. Based on our server's recommendation, I selected the Chai Imperial, a fragrant blend of cardamom, ginger, and pink pepper. I also sampled the Festive, a robust tea with notes of cocoa, orange, and grape.

The tea service tray includes a variety of sandwiches (the Cucumber Sandwich with allspice spread & radish and the Catsmo Smoked Salmon with cinnamon cream cheese & trout caviar were my favorites) and sweets. While you may think of tea service food of being dainty/not filling, trust me when I say that you will leave absolutely stuffed, thanks to the endless and hearty sandwiches!

The full-service tray also includes a basket of Traditional and Cranberry Orange Scones served with clotted cream, raspberry jam, lemon curd, and seasonal spiced apple jam.

The whole experience is so lovely and it's absolutely my new favorite tea service in Chicago. Whether for an afternoon with girlfriends, a work outing, family time, or a romantic date, I highly recommend adding an afternoon at The Peninsula to next year's holiday plans! I cannot wait to do it all over again!

You can try all of this deliciousness and more at The Peninsula Chicago: 108 E Superior St, Chicago, IL.