Out & About #203 | The Old Curiosity Tea Shop

Afternoon Tea is an unarguably indulgent pastime.
This specific type of dining is difficult to come across in the GTA, and even rarer to find a menu of that suits the taste buds of all members of one's party. Though a tad pricey at times, a "truly Victorian" experience serving up proper "English fare" in a serene environment with impeccable service is well-deserving of its proposed fees.

The Old Curiosity Tea Shop is located in an unobtrusive section of Main Street Markham, featuring a coppery brown brick exterior and olive-hued wooden frame.

Quite the popular weekend brunch option among locals, I made a last-minute reservation the day prior for afternoon tea for two, only to be left to one table option - the "display" in the window. (Majority of the tea shop had already filled up before noon!) Not that I minded, to be honest. Despite the lack of room for bags and coats, the lace-lined table had the best access to indirect natural lighting - a factor possessed by very few other tables in the vicinity.

Along with their classic Victorian Afternoon Tea, lunch sets featuring Shepherd's Pie and side salads were also available. Many of the diners had opted for these lunch sets while comfortably conversing over non-circular tables lined with shimmery burgundy and forest green.

Each Victorian Afternoon Tea set included a small pot of tea and a two-course tiered meal. From their extensive tea menu, an extremely fragrant Tropical Fruit Cocktail and relaxing Oolong variety by the name of Kyoto Cherry Rose were selected. Each was served in a cup and saucer with a relevant theme but contrasting colour - an attention to visual presentation that I enjoyed immensely.
Tropical Fruit Cocktail was refreshing and somewhat tart, with gentle notes of berries and citrus, while Kyoto Cherry Rose was a floral Oolong bearing hints of lemongrass. Both paired exceedingly well with the food items that arrived shortly after. 

View the full album HERE !

The first course of the Victorian Afternoon Tea comprised of an interesting array of tea sandwiches, crust-less of course. On the lower tier were Ham and Mustard on multi-grain bread and Cucumber, Cream Cheese, and Mint; several carrot and celery sticks were arranged at acute angles to the axis of the tier for, what I assume to be, added pops of colour. On the upper tier lay open-faced squares of hard-boiled eggs and cherry tomatoes; symmetrically placed between were diced celery and walnut sandwiched between cinnamon raisin bread copiously slathered in butter.
Although the ingredients were of high familiarity, the combinations formed were of exquisite innovation. Ham and Mustard paired well and wasn't particularly peppery; the flavours were further enhanced with a slight bit of graininess from the textured bread. The Hard-Boiled Egg Square was simplistic in nature, but presented in such a grand manner that it almost tasted unlike a common household breakfast item.

The remaining two styles of sandwiches were items that really impressed me. Mint is a common addition to infused water, but seldom a staple in sandwiches. The fresh mint leaf-and-cucumber hybrid was lovely and of utmost perfection.
Celery and walnuts are another two that are unthinkable to combine: both exhibiting equally crunchy properties, they came together astoundingly well when finely diced and placed between two sweet slices of bread.

By the time we had devoured majority of the tea sandwiches, the morning round of diners had vacated. For about ten minutes, the tea shop was as tranquil as could be. Not long after came the second influx of (late) lunch-goers, once again proving the tea shop's outstanding popularity.

Not possessing the stomach capacity to finish the entire first course, we requested for some of the sandwiches to packed away in order to save room for the second round of edibles: a full-fledged selection of desserts and proper English scones.

I popped one of the gloriously gooey chocolate fudge bites into my mouth before making my way onto the currant scones, which were as crisp as they were uniformly golden brown. Roughly splitting the scone in two, quarter-sized amounts of apricot jam, clotted cream, and berry jam were distributed onto the fluffy interior plane for the optimal scone experience. The flavours of each condiment were distinct, yet all three came together to yield perfect harmony.

After consumption of the scones, we realized we were much too satiated to enjoy the remainder of the treats. The maraschino cherry-filled mini cupcakes, pecan snowballs, jam-filled shortbread cookie sandwiches, and blue sprinkle-coated, teapot-shaped shortbread were packed away and saved for later.

The Old Curiosity Tea Shop was an incredible experience, unrivaled by any other English tea room I have visited thus far. The teapot-adorned quaint little space provides a calming getaway for leisurely conversation and high quality fare. All items emerged within a reasonable time frame, the service was welcoming and friendly, and, let's be honest, free parking is always a bonus. I shall definitely be making another visit to this lovely space - perhaps I'll make my reservation a bit earlier next time!

As the weather was forgiving (windy, but still forgiving), I suggested taking a short trip to the end of the street and back.

We passed by the ever-so-Instagrammed Love Gelato along the way. Already filled to the brim, we entered with the initial decision of simply checking the shop out.

Heart-shaped fixings were abundant: in every nook and cranny was some form of red, love-themed interior decor element.

We were greeted immediately upon entering the wooden plank-lined shack, though not with the friendliest attitude.

Numerous photos were captured, and several glances were cast at their rotating selection of gelato flavours. There was no menu behind the cashier. Instead, their offerings and respective prices were stenciled along an entirely red wall, from the floorboards to the ceiling. Oddly enough, this text surrounded one lonely white door, which happened to be the bathroom.

The caffeinated drinks looked somewhat appealing to me at that moment, so I resolved to ask the curly-haired man behind the cashier about their most popular beverage.
"The Nutella latte!" came the reply. Thus a Nutella Latte with 1% milk and a single shot of espresso was ordered.

To be completely frank, the drink did not differ vastly from any espresso-based specialty beverage I attempted in the comfort of my own home. If anything, I actually preferred my own rendition - the beans are more fragrant.
Had my order been a bit more spectacular, I may have considered making a second trip to Main Street Markham to try their gelato. However, my first visit was entirely average; I would probably only return if I happened to be in the area with nothing else to accomplish on my schedule.


And so concludes another munching adventure in Markham!