Bagatelle NYC hosts the ultimate brunch so why not head to Bagatelle Beach in Ibiza to.
Bagatelle is more than a restaurant – it is a lifestyle. They have transformed regular brunching into a party scene where the fabulous go to sip champagne and dance on top of tables. With several locations around the world, each restaurant is slightly different. Ibiza is the largest location and the only one to have its own private beach and pool.
Enjoy a gourmet meal with specialty crafted drinks overlooking their private beach or lay by the pool with bottle service and a DJ.
TIPS:
Make a reservation during peak season.
If renting a lounge chair at the pool is too pricey, head to their private beach for free.
Bring your own towel to lay on the beach to save some money from renting a towel and chair.
Why: Because Texas loves Texas shaped things. It’s a fact.
Could this pool be anymore fun?! This is probably the ultimate hotel pool we have ever swam in. Even if you’re not from Texas, you will love how cool this looks.
It is definitely a hotspot for Sunday Funday, bachelorette parties, and a great instagram photo op. Be sure to check it out at night with the city lights.
Welp, this is pretty creative. What a fun way to announce you’re married?! And besides, who doesn’t love cookies? Everyone will be sure to love this wedding announcement.
So, who made these edible works of art? Stellar Bakes! The details of the cookies are astounding. Just look at that Topo Chico bottle.
Afternoon Tea in England: The most quintessential of English customs, Afternoon Tea in England is a light meal composed of three courses – tea sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and sweet pastries. Can also be referred to as High Tea.
Tea in America: The luxe three-tier affair, involving savories, scones, sweets, and of course tea. This can be a serious business in New York City, with a huge range of additions including salads, sandwiches and pastries.
High Tea in Scotland: In Scotland, high tea takes on further differentiation. A Scottish high tea is not unlike an afternoon tea but will include some hot food, such as a cheese on toast or other savory goodies.
Pictured Left to Right: England, America, Scotland.
Here’s a modern twist on the classic afternoon tea, a happy hour with tea-infused cocktails located at the Blind Spot Bar in St. Martins Lane Hotel in London. You can enjoy savory and sweet delights served as art, rather than on a typical 3 tier serving platter. A flight of tea infused drinks using the most exotic tea leaves. And yes, at this boutique hotel you will have to find the hidden door to get to this speakeasy tea.
Another boozy tea infused drink menu can be found at Sketch in London. Their tea room that gives ‘Alice in Wonderland’ vibes is perfect for afternoon tea, but enjoy their boozy tea drinks served in bone china at the bar.
Located in Kensington, The Ampersand Hotel hosts afternoon tea in The Drawing Room for an out of this world exploration of its award winning Science Afternoon Tea.
Inspired by the hotel’s South Kensington neighbor – The Science Museum, this Afternoon Tea hosts an interactive menu of sweet and savory dishes while encouraging to play with your food.
Guests can explore a delicious selection of themed treats to put you in the imaginary mind set – become a paleontologist as you dust for dinosaur shortbread cookies & fossil chocolates, experiment in the lab using test tubes to sprinkle toppings on the treats or concoct your own lemonade.
Inspired by the great Victorian values of discovery and wonder with a modern twist in this boutique hotel, it is no wonder they have been a multiple winner of the Afternoon Tea Awards as best themed tea in the UK.
TIPS: Options to upgrade your tea, Science Teapot Tales – comes served with a themed cocktail flight. There is also a kids and adult version of the Science Tea. Be sure to make a reservation.
Tea is a personal favorite so this week our posts will focus on the history, etiquette, types of tea and general information about this drink that is so much more – its’s a lifestyle.
Let’s delve into the difference between Afternoon tea and High tea – they are completely different types of meals which are used interchangeably as many mistakenly believe that there is no difference. Both of these tea traditions are steeped in British history and are a direct result of their origins.
Afternoon tea is a light meal composed of three courses – tea sandwiches and savories, scones with clotted cream and jam, and sweet pastries. These bite-sized treats are eaten with your fingers. Afternoon tea time occurs around 4pm, between lunch and dinner. The light meal is not meant to replace dinner but instead to hold you over until dinner which was usually at 8pm for the upper class. The concept of afternoon tea started in England in the 1840s when The Duchess of Bedford wanted a small bite between lunch and dinner. It started out as just tea and a small snack. but the popularity grew once she started inviting her friends over and it became a social gathering for the wealthy social class. Afternoon tea is also called ‘low tea’ since they were enjoyed on low tables with comfortable chairs and sofas in the drawing room.
High tea on the other hand was a working class family evening meal or supper. Traditionally, it consisted of hearty dishes between 5-7pm which was after the working class came home from work. Instead of small crustless finger sandwiches, a high tea menu consisted of meat dishes, potatoes, baked beans and other heavy dishes. It was not a luxurious event but meant to nourish after a long day at work. High tea was named for the high dining table where supper was eaten.
So why do people still call it high tea? Because they think it sounds fancier and establishments that serve afternoon tea sometimes call it high tea to market to people. Even in England where afternoon tea originated, you may see luxury hotels offering high tea to attract tourists.
What are the Different Types of Afternoon Tea?
Afternoon tea is made up of three courses of food with a pot of tea – tea sandwiches, scones served with clotted cream and jam, and sweet pastries.
Cream tea is a pared down version of afternoon tea with just one course — the scones.
Royal tea is a pricier version of afternoon tea due to the addition of Champagne.
Whataburger – What every Texan loves but East coasters haven’t a clue.
Let’s back track a little… For the longest time east coasters only had McDonald’s and Burger King as their options for a burger. Pretty pathetic. This is how the obsession with In-N-Out started. We didn’t have any burger joints so on trips to the west coast, everyone always made a stop at In-N-Out bragging how amazing it is. Popularity by lack of supply.
Fortunately, in the past few years we have been blessed with more options such as Bareburger and Shake Shack. Now that we know what a good burger tastes like, it kind of ruins the infatuation with In-N-Out . It just so happens they are moving to NYC. We say it’s a little too late for them to finally be making the move to the east coast. It’s like an old relationship and we’ve moved on to bigger and greater burgers.
It’s always been east coast vs west coast but let’s throw something else into the great burger debate – Whataburger. A long time favorite to every Texan but ask any east coaster, specifically in the north, and most likely they will say they have never heard of it. It’s like a Texas secret and doing a good job keeping it to themselves. This is why we want to start the movement to raise awareness about Whataburger for those deprived of a great burger chain.
This has been a burger service announcement for the tri-state area. You’re welcome.
Sgroppino is an alcoholic mixed drink originating in Venice, Italy based on lemon sorbet and vodka, topped up with Italian sparkling Prosecco. Sgroppino can be served as a palate-cleansing aperitif or as a dessert drink after your meal.
The Sgroppino was served in aristocratic Venetian homes back in the 16th century. The Sgropin, as it’s called in the Venetian dialect, means to ‘untie’ such as to untie a little knot in ones stomach following a rather filling meal. It is also to cleanse the palate between the first and second courses.
Even though the drink originates in Italy, as you travel throughout the country you may have some difficulty finding the drink and even local restaurants knowing what it is. This is because further away from La Serenissima it is not a Sgroppino anymore, it is simply Sorbetto.
That tradition continues today, with a few minor tweaks to the centuries-old recipe. As the classic Sgroppino is made with lemon sorbetto, vodka and Prosecco sparkling wine, variations include strawberry, grapefruit or lavender, and sometimes the addition of limoncello.
Sweet and citrusy, this creamy lemon Prosecco cocktail is hands down the best dessert drink ever! Simple ingredients and no special skills required to make.
The Pineapple Life 