Pet’s Plates

Palazzo Parisio
Naxxar
Tel: 2141 2461

Food: 6/10  
Location: 9/10
Service: 6/10
Value: 5/10
Overall: 6/10

I am a shameless tea drinker. Furthermore, I adore the idea of breaking off from the day, sometime in the late afternoon or early evening in order to enjoy a light meal of afternoon tea – a timeless ritual that is up there with the best of British exports.

The British Empire was instrumental in spreading British tea culture and customs across its colonies and dominions.  A traditional, old-fashioned British cream tea is served at Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar, a place synonymous with sumptuousness and understated elegance, wherein you can find not only a gorgeous cocktail bar and splendid fine dining restaurant, but also a tea room. The weather was pleasant and so we made our way through the splendid Palazzo interior and entered the enchanting walled garden where we sat.

I had taken afternoon tea there a few years back and it had been a wonderful experience. I was thrilled to be back again.

The palazzo, originally a hunting lodge, expanded to palatial proportions upon acquisition by the Marquis Scicluna. Together with its manicured gardens, the palazzo is an oasis in an overbuilt, little town. An atmosphere of tranquillity pervades, inviting even the biggest of tea snobs, Rob included, to relax and savour the joy that is afternoon tea. At the opposite end of the spectrum you find my mother. She completed our small tea party and is, like me, passionate about British afternoon tea. I strongly suspect that she would like nothing more than to move to Devon in order to feast exclusively on cream teas.

The concept of afternoon tea owes its inception to a certain Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford, who, sometime in the early 1800s found herself getting rather peckish between luncheon and dinner. Something had to be done and so she proposed the introduction of a late-afternoon meal. This ingenious idea caught on like wildfire among the elite and very soon afternoon teas were being enjoyed up and down the country in every fashionable circle.

They certainly take tea-making seriously at Palazzo Parisio, offering guests a beautiful range of loose-leaf teas including Jasmine Tea and Rose Tea

In its most elaborate form, afternoon tea will involve a serving of dainty finger sandwiches, some warm scones served with jam and clotted cream and an assortment of little cakes and pastries – all presented rather grandly on a magnificent tall, tiered stand.  It is this sophisticated, formal level of afternoon tea that is celebrated at Palazzo Parisio... the kind that makes an occasion of it. In fact, our tea commenced with glasses of crisp, sparkling Prosecco.

The British imported tea from China. Originally considered to be an exotic, luxurious drink appertaining solely to the aristocracy and upper classes, tea was first sold publicly in 1657. However, by the 18th century, this once genteel drink reserved for the upper echelons of society, gradually became ubiquitous, much to the disdain of the rich. They certainly take tea-making seriously at Palazzo Parisio, offering guests a beautiful range of loose-leaf teas, including Jasmine Tea and Rose Tea. We opted for the Earl Grey blend which was warm and fragrant and scented with bergamot. They had brewed a perfectly steeped cup of tea and it was most unfortunate that we were ‘allowed’ barely a cupful each!

As traditional tea etiquette dictates, our tea was divided into three distinct courses. We started off with the sandwiches, before moving on to the scones and, at length, the pastries. I was eager to tuck in to the teatime spread. Although invented in the 18th century by the eponymous Lord Montague (fourth Earl of Sandwich), the sandwich really came of age in the Victorian era. The Victorians were extremely eager to show off their sandwich-making prowess and came up with a variety of new and fashionable fillings. At Palazzo Parisio, the typically crustless bread was spread with a variety of traditional sandwich fillings: sliced, cold beef, smoked salmon, cucumber, cream cheese and chives and an extremely dry egg and curry filling. Unfortunately, far too much butter had been thickly spread on the sandwiches, rendering them rather unpalatable. Even worse was the fact that the bread used to make the tea sandwiches was not fresh. Shockingly, it was, in fact, quite stale!

Lightly sweetened and crumbly, the scones at Palazzo Parisio tasted good enough, yet they did not feel in the slightest freshly baked. Moreover, they had been served cold. They were accompanied by sweet little pots of strawberry preserve and some thick clotted cream. The selection of little cakes was far better than the sandwich and scone tiers. The macaroons were by far the finest of all the sweets emerging from the Palazzo Parisio Patisserie. Picture-perfect and well executed, the passion fruit macaron left an agreeable tang on the tongue while the pistachio one was equally as exquisite.

Likewise, the Battenberg cake, a British teatime classic with its typical brightly coloured chequerboard of pink and yellow sponge covered in a layer of jam and marzipan, was light and fluffy and quite delightful. The chocolate brownie was far from great while the tiny lemon meringue tartlets were just about satisfactory.

Formal afternoon tea is the epitome of social grace and elegance. It is a treat, a little luxury that, if prepared well, can be a glorious affair. The cream tea at Palazzo Parisio had not met my expectations. Some refinement is required in order to perfect the tea served here. Apart from the questionable freshness of particular food items, certain attentions to detail were sorely lacking.

Although the china was pretty, our table had been set up rather clumsily before our eyes. The tablecloth itself was absurdly large for the table and was slightly stained in places. The menu provided was tatty and very worn. The Italian-strong army of staff, while friendly, appeared rushed and service was slow and slightly slapdash. The tea at Palazzo Parisio should have been exquisite. Regrettably, what I experienced did not even come close. It certainly failed to do the beautiful surroundings justice. At €30 a head, this pricey afternoon tea simply wasn’t good enough. It definitely did not cut the mustard!