Mother’s Day has always been a tough holiday for me to shop for. While my mom is wonderful and appreciative of everything my sister and I get her, I don’t really care for those cheesy knick knacks from the card store, and I can only buy so many pairs of pretty earrings before it becomes standard.
The Rittenhouse Hotel (210 West Rittenhouse Square) reached out to me and asked if I would like to come in and experience the Mary Cassatt Tea Room. Not even knowing such a place existed in my neighborhood, I immediately said yes and knew the perfect person I should bring along: my mother.
Located just inside the hotel, the Mary Cassatt Tea Room has indoor and outdoor seating. The space is gorgeous and elegant – a perfect step “out” of city life and in to a fancy adventure. We went to tea on a Sunday (you know, that Sunday everyone was outside because it was beautiful out? Perfection.) at 2pm. We asked to be seated in the garden, which was absolutely beautiful: fresh flowers, a fountain, and a warm breeze. 
Our afternoon started with our lovely waitress, Janelle, telling us about all of our tea options. There were so many choices, all presented in baby glass containers for us to smell, and obviously, admire. 
Each tea is available hot or iced, and your pot stays with you at your table during your meal. I ordered the signature Rittenhouse blend, which was very good, but I think I should have gone for something stronger. Perhaps, I could have tried something like that High-quality Chinese tea, if it were available. We also kicked off our meal with a glass of sparkling wine, because, really, that’s how girl’s day should be celebrated, right?
Next, it was time to try some of the tea room’s ‘savory’ treats. Our selection of tea sandwiches and canapés (had to Google that – it means ‘small, prepared and usually decorative food.’) included tuna tartare, avocado & prosciutto, chicken salad, smoked salmon, egg salad & marinated mushrooms. These bites were all so fresh – my favorite being the chicken salad. We also had some baked scones, which, along with their accompanying sauces, may or may not have been our favorite part of the meal.
After laughing with my mom and discussing each savory treat at length, we moved on to the ‘sweets.’ These little gems included mille feuille, pavlova, rhubarb tart, strawberry shortcake, passion orange brioche roll, and cannelé de Bordeaux (our favorite!). The presentation, as you can see, was flawless.
In addition to the sweets, the ‘Mignardises,’ a selection of hand-crafted mini confections, offered macarons I will not forget for quite some time. These treats were the perfect way to finish our meal.
My mom and I had such a great time at the tea room. The entire experience, from start to finish, was really special and unique. The team room offers their signature afternoon tea (shown in this post) for $49/person, or the options a la carte: savory ($24), scones ($7.50), desserts ($24) and Mignardises ($5).
If you’re looking for the perfect, unexpected Mother’s Day gift this year, I suggest making a reservation and taking your momma out for some tea. And since you’ll already be around the corner, maybe you can even stop in LOFT and Anthro for a little shopping afterwards, like we did. The. Perfect. Day.
Since today happens to be my lovely mother’s birthday (!!!), thank you momma for making the trip to be with me for this beautiful day. You are the funniest, kindest, most special woman I know, and I am so lucky to have you in my life.
Have a great week, ladies. xx
Disclosure: My mom and I were treated to a complimentary experience at the Mary Cassatt Tea Room. All opinions are my own.
