There’s a lot to love about Silver Dove Afternoon Tea in Downtown Boston, including the fact that you can pop in fora tea service, Wednesday through Sunday. While the weekends book up often, it’s much less competitive (and less stuffy) than other services
around town. This is also the best deal around, coming in at $48 per person for a full service, with some fees.
The tea menus are pre-set and change seasonally. The menu includes two courses: a scone service and a three-tiered tower of savory canapes and sweet treats. These are a few standout bites from a previous service.
What to order
- The smoked duck canape really raises the bar from the classic cucumber sandwich. The duck is mixed with rutabaga-miso butter and red currant coulis for a blend of tart, sweet, and umami flavors.
- The co-owners of Silver Dove have bartending backgrounds, which come through in the Stem & Leaf cocktail, made with vodka, spiced pear, pear cognac liqueur, black tea, honey, lemon, and an optional egg white.
- The pear butter tart blends sweet and savory with whipped goat cheese and pistachio, complementing the pear.
Take note
Alert your celiac loved ones: everything in this tea service is already gluten-free 100 percent of the time. The staff is also very accommodating to vegetarian, vegan, and dairy-free dietary restrictions.
Insider tip
Silver Dove does a brisk, low-key takeout business. You can order a mini-tea service for takeout ($19.00 for one person), just the scones with clotted cream and jam ($4), or best of all, snag a jar of any of their house-made jams, including lemon marmalade ($7) and red pepper jelly ($12).
