REVIEW | Annona at the Park Hyatt Yorkville - Afternoon Tea that hits all the right notes

 As a post-birthday meetup, my friend and I decided to go for some Afternoon Tea since we were meeting at an awkward mid-afternoon time.  Luckily for us, Annona at the Park Hyatt Yorkville had tea service starting at 3pm, which was perfect.

Park Hyatt is located on Avenue Road and Bloor St., which is one of my favourite neighbourhoods in Toronto.  There's so many shops and boutiques to check out before tea time at Annona.

Annona is the restaurant located inside the prestigious Park Hyatt Hotel.  The first thing I noticed was how friendly the staff were, starting from the Restaurant Manager who greeted us to our server who's explained everything about 'Afternoon Tea'.  It's exactly what I would expect from a Park Hyatt property.

In the Afternoon Tea Menu, there's a little story about how the concept of "Afternoon Tea" came to be.  It's a short & sweet summary for those who are trying this for the first time.

For tea, we chose the Lemon Mango Tango - The Zesty Lemons balance the sweetness of the Mangos and the White Tip Daejeeling - This "Champagne of Black Teas" is Treasured for its Ripe,
Complex Flavour & Floral Bouquet.

First, we got a flute of Santa Margherita Prosecco to start.  It's no celebration without some sparkling wine!

Then, the tea.  We're served our own pots of tea in beautiful teapot & cups. I loved the plate-wear, especially the floral plates.  It reminded me of my childhood playing with my mom's tea sets!

Our finger sandwiches & canapes were spectacular:

- Crispy Cone of Cranberry, Boursin & Chopped Walnuts
- Smoked Salmon & Chive Cream Cheese Torte on Pumpernickel
- Asparagus & Chicken Mousse Crepe Pinwheel
- Cheddar & Watercress Pinwheel on Wholewheat
- Cucumber & Carrot on White 

Both of our favourites was the Crispy Cone.  The different texture and flavours just exploded in my mouth!

Of course, tea time is not complete without our tiered plates of scones & tea pastries.  Not only do these delectable goodies are presented well, they tasted so good as well.  In this case, yes you can judge the book by it's cover.

M I N I A T U R E S C O N E S

Currant, Orange & Cream Scones served with

Classic Clotted Cream & Fruit Preserves

T E A P A S T R I E S

Lemon Crunch Cupcake

Fresh Berry Tartlet

Pastel Macaron

Peppermint White Chocolate Layer Cake

Pistachio Double Chocolate Eclair

Sugared Apple Rosette

The miniature scones were the best I have ever had.  The shell was soft and the inside was buttery and fluffy.  Such perfection!

Lastly, they surprised me with a Mini Strawberry Shortcake for my birthday.  It was really sweet of the Manager to do this! Such an impressive service there as they truly made us feel special for our very first High Tea experience.

In summary, Annona offers a great Afternoon Tea Service with quality tea , food and top level service at the best price in Toronto.  It's a must-go for tea-lovers or if you just want a nice place to chit-chat with a girlfriend or your family.