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Olivia Greenway, travel journalist and copywriter

Afternoon Tea at Reid’s Palace, Madeira

January 3, 2011
By olivia

How can that quintessentially British tradition – afternoon tea – be executed so well in a hotel on the Portuguese island of Madeira?
The answer, of course, is that Reid’s Palace hotel has a long tradition with the British, starting with its founder, William Reid, a Scot. Even today, over 40 per cent of the guests visiting this Funchal hotel are from the UK.



Celebrating its 120th birthday this year, I have challenged myself to find anywhere that serves tea better. Of course, the location helps. On the black and white tiled terrace, high above the harbour, with sea views to all sides and the luxurious gardens below, you feel you are on to a winner straight away.  Add a gentle warm breeze, even if it’s late December and well before the trolley ambles across to your table with your choices, chances are you’ll be smitten.

 

The tables are covered with white linen cloths, the cutlery is gleaming and the bone china is at the ready. Reid’s offers a wide variety of teas including their house blend; heretics may choose coffee. An assortment of crustless finger sandwiches on both white and brown bread are served on a three-tiered serving stand, along with small pastries, including the delicious speciality ginger cake.  The piéce de resistance is probably the tiny scones, freshly made on the day and served with strawberry jam. Your tea is served in its own pot with strainer and cold milk (or fresh lemon if you prefer) and hot water.

 

If you have time after your tea, do spend a while exploring this fascinating hotel. You’ll find a photograph of Winston Churchill, standing on the same terrace.  Where the swimming pools are now, they used to have tea dances. Although the hotel has moved with the times, taking tea is one of the traditions that has been carefully retained.

 

Useful information

Booking is necessary and dress is smart casual.
Tea is served from 3pm to 5.30pm every day.  €28 per person.

 

Estrada Monumental , Funchal, Portugal

Contact tel: +351 29171 7171

Useful links
Reid’s Palace, Funchal, tea terrace

 

Categories : Europe, Food, Hotel Reviews, Madeira, Reviews, Travel
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Trips 2018/2019

2019

January: Zanzibar

March: Cape Town & Pretoria

May: Slovenia

October: South Africa (tbc)

November: Kenya (tbc)

 

Trips 2018

March:  New York, including Frick Gallery

May:  Vietnam including Halong Bay

June:  Giverny and Monet’s garden

June:  Majorca

December: Hyderabad and Chandigarh, India

Trips 2017

January: Johannesburg, Pretoria, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe
February: Bangalore
April: Lake District
May: Malaga
September: Mexico, Cancun
November: Delhi, Agra, Shimla
December: Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Venice

Trips 2016 (not clickable)

January: Oxford, Tenerife
February: Hampshire
March: Manchester
April: Sicily, Germany
October: Bangalore, New Delhi
November: Bangalore, New Delhi
December: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

List of trips 2015 (not clickable)

January: European ski resorts; Milan
February: Germany, Austria, Switzerland
March: Istanbul, Jersey, Vienna, Prague, Budapest
April: Road trip Ireland
May: Road trip France, Germany, Benelux and Copenhagen
June: UK luxury hotels
December: Cannes

List of trips 2014 (not clickable)

January Weimar, Vienna
February - Berlin, London
April - Chicago, Toronto, Montreal
May/June - Driving trip, Spain
July – Majorca
July - Paris
August - Southern UK
September – Northern Italy including Venice
October - South of France
October/November - Germany, Austria and Switzerland
December - Cape Town, Durban, driving along Garden Route South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda

List of trips 2013 (not clickable)

  • January - Tenerife
  • March - Istanbul
  • April - Italy luxury hotels - mid and southern Italy including Sicily
  • June - Las Vegas
  • June - Massive west coast road trip - Vancouver, BC
  • June - Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Napa Valley, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Diego
  • September - Washington DC, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia
  • September - Carolinas, Georgia, northern Florida (Talahassee area)
  • September - New Orleans, Orlando, Miami; Vancouver
  • October - Puglia, Italy and Milan

List of trips 2012

  • January - Hawaii, USA
  • February - France - Le Touquet, Lens, Lille
  • March - Nelamangala, India
  • July - Milan, Italy
  • August - Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • August - Iguazu Falls, Brazil
  • August - Montevideo, Uruguay
  • September - Delhi, India
  • November - Dubai, UAE

List of trips 2011

  • January - Madeira, Portugal
  • February - Bangalore, India
  • April - British Virgin Islands, Caribbean
  • May - Sicily, Italy
  • May - San Francisco, USA
  • June - Bangalore and New Delhi, India
  • July - Prague, Czech Republic
  • July - Munich, Germany
  • July - Washington DC, USA
  • August - Lake District, UK
  • September - La Grande-Motte, France
  • Annapolis, USA
  • October - Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • December - Helsinki, Finland
  • December - St Petersburg, Russia

List of trips 2010

  • February - India - Kerala & Chennai
  • March - Manchester & the North West
  • March - Austria
  • April - Czech Republic
  • May - Lake District
  • June - Cologne
  • July - India - Bangalore and Delhi
  • August - Eastern Cape & KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
  • September - Grasse, south of France
  • September - Wick, Scotland
  • October - Utah, USA
  • December - Montreal, Canada
  • December - Madeira, Portugal
Olivia Greenway, travel journalist and copywriter
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