Barbie Afternoon Tea at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth

The one thing Anna and I were most looking forward to on this trip – aside from seeing each other, of course – was getting dressed up and going to high tea. We had already narrowed down our options, but a last-minute web search landed us at the Barbie Afternoon Tea at the Rosélys restaurant, located inside the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth.

Decked out in as many pink accessories as we could manage, we checked in at the podium and were promptly taken to our seats.

Before arriving, I assumed an area of the restaurant had been set up and decorated for the tea, pop-up style. Instead, the tables designated for those who booked this tea were marked with a Barbie pink table runner, Barbie chocolates, and a special printed menu.

Our server went over the menu thoroughly, explaining every bit and sharing his favorites, then took our tea orders which came in the cutest pastel teapots that I now need for my house. Chai for Anna, jasmine for me.

On the tray, there were a total of 26 immaculately decorated bites plus 2 scones with Devonshire cream and a few jams for each of us. Every shade of pink that you could imagine finding in food was here.

Anna might be the only human I know that not only understands but shares the… particular way in which I tend to eat. And who also has the patience for the number of pictures I take. So one by one, we tried each bite, comparing notes, favorites, and adjustments we’d make.

For simplicity’s sake, I organized the photos of the food in a gallery with the descriptions and comments for each dish in the caption.

Turmeric crisp, salmon tartar and caviar, and light cream – The turmeric doesn’t have a strong flavor which works well with the rest of the bite. There’s a tiny bit of lemon zest which is just enough to brighten the entire bite.

Devilled egg, Northern shrimp, and fine lace crisp – I love that even the egg is pink. Never would have thought of this combination, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Gougère with Louis d’Or cheese and raspberry crisp – The Louis d’Or cheese pairs perfectly with the raspberry. And gougères are always a solid choice.

Potato Cromesquis and saffron emulsion – Has goat cheese in it. Comfort food rolled into a little ball and elevated a smidge.

Almond and hazelnut macaroon, foie gras and seaberry jelly – The best bite here. The foie gras mousse is just flavorful enough to not outshine the rest of the components. And a perfect transition from savory to sweet.

Cranberry scone – The cranberry flavor is subtle, which I’m personally grateful for. The color scheme is on point, though.

Plain scone – The best scone I’ve had hands down. Soft but sturdy.

Pistachio and exotic fruits mini club – The pistachio is very subtle, but the passion fruit flavor really shines with the vanilla bean.

Melilot and red fruits mini club – I’d never had sweet clover before, but I liked it. Especially with the berries.

Little Ruby petit écolier – The lowest effort of all the bites, but the biscuit is good.

Raspberry and white chocolate macaroon – Quite possibly my favorite fruit + chocolate combo, here the white chocolate overpowers the raspberry.

Red fruits tartlet – it’s ok. The flavors have started to get a little repetitive at this point.

Lemon and yuzu tartlet – A delicious lemon meringue pie but make it yuzu. Not overly fragrant as yuzu sometimes is.

Financier vanilla, melilot and raspberry confit – The raspberry is strong with this one. Melilot, not so much.

Fourteen small bites may not seem like much, but by the time we were done, we were quite full. I knew I’d be hungry again as soon as we left, but that was a problem for future Andrea.

Not that I ever questioned the popularity of afternoon teas, but I actually get it now. A social hour with delicious food and great company? Say less.

The Barbie Afternoon Tea cost $75 CAD + tax and service, which came out to $100 CAD or about $72.50 USD per person. For the amount and quality of food, the ambiance, the service, and the attention to detail, I’d say it is well worth it. I know several teas elsewhere in a similar price range that don’t come anywhere close to what we had today.

The Barbie Afternoon Tea is part of a series of experiences dreamt up by the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth as part of their collaboration with Mattel. You can also experience the Barbie Dream Suite in a variety of different packages such as the Fabulous Barbie Party and the Barbie Spectacular PJ Soiree or visit the Barbie Sweets Shoppe & Boutique located right next to the Rosélys restaurant in the lobby.