Afternoon Tea at FYVE Restaurant Lounge, Arlington VA
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to dress up, put on a fancy headpiece, drink champagne, and snack on scones and caviar while having afternoon tea? Me neither, but that’s exactly what I did (minus the headpiece) when I went to tea at FYVE restaurant lounge at the Ritz-Carlton in Pentagon City, Arlington.
During one of my habitual internet browsing sessions in search of things to do on the weekend, I stumbled across afternoon tea at the Ritz-Carlton. While I love going to new restaurants in the DMV, I was craving something different from the usual weekend dinner plans. As I had never gone to afternoon tea before but am a big home tea-drinker, I decided to check it out.
There were two tea options to choose from: the $49 afternoon tea, and the $59 royal tea, both of which were only available on Saturday and Sunday between 12-3pm. The royal tea option included everything that came with the afternoon tea, along with a glass of sparkling wine cocktail or champagne. Naturally, I went with the royal tea.
Although I’ve been to Pentagon City many times before using the Metro system, driving there was a completely different experience. In short, I got lost – several times. The mall itself is big, and there are many different access points, so it can be confusing to know where to park. To get inside the restaurant there is both a mall entrance and a street entrance, but the mall entrance is only accessible to hotel guests. So I ended up having to park at the mall, find the entrance from within the mall, and then walk through the closest exit to access the street entrance. To their credit, the wait staff were very patient and didn’t make a big fuss about me being 45 minutes late!
When I arrived, I was immediately seated by the wait staff among some very well-dressed ladies complete with headpieces and even a few with gloves. Although this was my first time at afternoon tea, I could immediately tell the whole vibe was very upscale and very elegant. I was actually a little disappointed; not because my dress was out of place, but because I missed my chance to wear a matching headpiece!
The tea included an assortment of pastries including caviar, sandwiches, scones, and sweet desserts served on a tower. Also included was a personal teapot containing the tea of your choice (both caffeinated and herbal options available), sugar, and a small jar of honey.
After tea, I took the opportunity to walk around Pentagon City a bit before going home. I didn’t get lost driving around that mall for nothing! With the exception of some new stores, it still has the same feel it did ten years ago when I was a student in D.C.
Normally, I do a lot of brunches and dinners on the weekends, so I was very happy about doing something different in the form of afternoon tea. This was a new experience, and one that I enjoyed it so much that now I’m looking forward to trying many more afternoon teas!
