Another day, another afternoon tea review at Lovin.

  Any excuse to try afternoon tea, I'm there. As it so happens this time I had an occasion; my sister is getting married soon and what better way to discuss wedding details than over some macarons and Prosecco? Ladurée seemed like the perfect location as such for an afternoon of discussing wedding shoes, makeup, hairstyles, and jewellery, and not to spoil the review before I even get started, but they did not disappoint.

Why you should go?

Whether you're partaking in afternoon tea or not, Ladurée is a lovely spot to go on your own for serious main character vibes. There was a lady dining alone when I went, reading a book and enjoying a hot beverage (I didn't stalk her enough to know whether it was tea or coffee) and a pastry on a casual Saturday afternoon. I aspire for my self love activities to be that luxurious.

Who to book with?

I booked with my sister who is getting married in a couple of months as I thought it would be a stunning setting to discuss last minute wedding details. You wouldn't need an occasion like that necessarily, but I can attest that it suited our needs down to the ground.

Set the scene

The setting for afternoon tea is quite small, but that makes it intimate. Ladurée transports you to a small corner of France, with plush pink curtains and chairs. It's exactly what I imagine a Parisian tea room to look like, as if it came straight out of the 2006 Marie Antoinette film.

The backstory

The Ladurée website has a detailed account of the history of Parisian tea rooms:

"The history of Parisian tea rooms is closely linked to the history of the Ladurée family. It all started in 1862, when Louis Ernest Ladurée, a man from the southwest, created a bakery in Paris at 16 rue Royale. At that time, the Madeleine was a rapidly developing business district where the greatest French luxury craftsmen were already installed."

You can read more HERE.

The food

Personally I felt like we got the perfect amount of food. Included in the price was one scone, two macarons, two sandwiches, and one pastry per person. One sandwich was cucumber, the other was smoked salmon; both were delicious. We got to choose which pastry we wanted; I opted for the chocolate eclair, which had chocolate filling as well as cream. We also got the lemon tart and the caramel tart - the caramel was fave but the other two were lovely as well. As for the macarons we got a mix of lemon, pistachio, and salted caramel. And finally, we each got a mini scone. We sort of mashed the raspberries into the scone to act as jam, and then added our clotted cream. I can attest that we were all stuffed by the end of it. Sometimes you can get too much food at afternoon tea but Ladurée, but not a bit of our afternoon tea went to waste.

The drinks

As someone who is predominantly a coffee drinker, out of habit I nearly always go to choose coffee. However, I'm a firm believer that you should have tea at afternoon tea, so I went for their Roi Soleil blend, which was a more flavoursome version of green tea. We also each availed of a glass of bubbly which afternoon tea is never complete without.

What did you want to try?

Upon reviewing the photos I took, I wish I'd gotten either the raspberry or strawberry tart, as the caramel and lemon tarts were so good, but I guess that's just a good excuse to go back sometime soon.

The highlight

As someone who is often disappointed by the desserts in restaurants, I can say all the pastries we tried at Ladurée were top tier and fresh.

The service

I couldn't fault the service; we were given ample time to look at the menu and choose our tea and pastries, and our server was very knowledgeable about everything on offer. We were allowed to enjoy each part of our meal, as well as given the option of Prosecco or tea first. Overall the service was extremely polite, exactly what you'd expect of an afternoon tea service.

Accessibility

While there's certainly wheelchair access into the dining area, there's only a narrow stairs down to the toilets.

Where is it again?

Ladurée is based on South William Street.

How to keep up with them?

You can keep up with Ladurée on Instagram HERE. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cdku-eEKmJW/

Prices from?

Afternoon tea at Ladurée costs €80 for two people, €120 for three people, and €160 for four people. Compared to other Dublin afternoon tea spots, Ladurée's price is quite reasonable (other places go for as much as €50/60pp). You can make a booking HERE.

Would you go again?

I'd definitely go again. The setting is lovely and intimate, and there's a perfect amount of food. You won't leave rolling out of the place which sometimes is for the best. As I said earlier, even if I wasn't returning for afternoon tea, I'd return to Ladurée for a relaxing coffee and pastry, and perhaps an hour with a good book, or a more glamorous catch up with a friend. Header image via Instagram/ladureeireland READ ON: REVIEW: Van Gogh Immersive Exhibition at the RDS