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Traditional British high tea has its charms, but Victoria offers plenty of lower-key options for those willing to look.
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Tourists love shelling out bucks for the traditional Victoria high tea experience, but locals like to take their tea in a more low-key style. Victorians love the vegetarian sandwiches and organic teas at Venus Sophia ($21) or the diet-busting Big Muckle Tea for Two at White Heather Tea Room ($22), which typically includes scones, sandwiches, quiches, pastries, a fruit cup, and sconewiches. At Jagasilk, settle in amid funky mismatched furniture for a Japanese matcha flight ($20), selected by a host who will fill you in not only on where your tea came from but on the farmer himself. Even local cocktails now incorporate the traditional drink: sample Hotel Grand Pacific’s “Spicy Mandarin,” made with tea-infused bourbon, elderflower liqueur, and black walnut bitters ($8).