Tea on the Veranda returns to Laurier House for summer
Working Title chefs bring gourmet high tea back to the iconic Sandy Hill gardens for a third year.
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Laurier House and Working Title have brought back Tea on the Veranda for the summer, a gourmet high tea experience on one of the city's most iconic settings. For the third consecutive year, the partnership offers a fully covered veranda in the heart of Sandy Hill surrounded by lush Laurier House gardens, with comfortable cushioned wicker seating and low glass tables set with classic blue and white patterned china.
The tea selection is curated with loose-leaf options in black, green, white, rooibos, and herbal varieties, presented in a tea box with tasting notes. The triple-tower service begins with savoury bites on the bottom tier—expect offerings like crustless egg salad tea sandwiches, cold quiche, and mini croissant chicken salad sandwiches. The standout savoury offerings include caprese bites with soft cherry tomato and balsamic drizzle on house-made bread, and a flaky, buttery deep-dish sweet potato quiche.
The middle tier holds scones—either sweet or savoury depending on the pastry chef's daily choice—served with clotted cream, butter, house-made jam, and bright marmalade. The top tier showcases patisserie-quality desserts: a generous slice of layered Opera Cake with buttercream, dark chocolate, espresso, and moist sponge; a bright and juicy lemon bar; chocolate-dipped shortbread; and a delicate macaron. The meal balances fresh and rich, savoury and sweet across all three tiers.
One note: because of the nature of the service, they are unable to accommodate serious food allergies or vegan diets. The seatings are carefully booked, and the rain-or-shine fully covered veranda makes this an all-weather outing.