Ahhhh… one of life’s guilty pleasures is savoring traditional English afternoon tea with scrumptious finger sandwiches, fruit breads, scones, and French pastries with my beautiful wife & Tea Sommelier-in-waiting, Kathryn. Hence, during our recent trip to Chicago, the Drake Hotel’s high tea service was on our hit list. Kathryn enjoyed the service so much she proclaimed The Drake was "one of the finest places I have ever dined."
A Chicago landmark, the Italian Renaissance-styled Drake hotel was founded in 1920. If only these hotel walls could speak as Queen Elizabeth enjoyed high tea at The Drake in 1958 and other notable hotel guests include Winston Churchill, Prince Charles, Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, Hugh Hefner, Frank Sinatra, and the Empress of Japan. Diana, Princess of Wales was a guest here during her only visit to Chicago in 1996, one year before her untimely death. Baseball legend Joe DiMaggio and Hollywood screen legend, Marilyn Monroe, carved their initials into the wooden bar of the Drake’s Cape Cod Room.
Afternoon Tea takes place daily in The Drake’s traditional “Palm Court” Tea Lobby, and features live harp music performed 365 days a year. There are several seatings per day from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Each seating lasts approximately an hour and a half and reservations are recommended.
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