Afternoon tea at The Inn: Inspired menu in Bitlmore-inspired ambiance

Afternoon tea at The Inn at Biltmore is a gourmet tasting-menu spin on the traditional sweet and savory fare

Afternoon tea at The Inn at the Biltmore is a small-er plates version of traditional afternoon tea and a foodies delight! Although traditional afternoon tea fare is already comprised of smaller versions of savories and sweets, The Inn scales down the size even further, but still packs it all with a wallop of flavor and textures that will satisfy your midday appetite.

Last week, after spending a full morning touring the Biltmore estate, my husband, Chris, and I were looking forward to a sitting down a spell to enjoy a light repast in elegant environs. The Inn, just a short drive from the Vanderbilt mansion and still part of the Biltmore grounds, is perched on a hill overlooking Antler Village. The tony hotel is filled with large windows that take in the spectacular mountain views.

The Dining Room is on the lower level of The Inn and finds inspiration from the Biltmore mansion

The dining room is on the lower level, and as you head down the stairs, you get a peek into the elegant setting which clearly draws inspiration from the Biltmore. Large wrought iron chandeliers hang from the ceiling of the dining area and look as though they could have been taken from the grand staircase of the Vanderbilt home.

Chandeliers in the Dining Room at The Inn

Chandelier at Biltmore

Another fancy connection is the china that the afternoon tea fare is served on. It's a replica of one of the fine dinnerware collections used at Biltmore. 

Fine china tableware at the Biltmore

Similar china at The Inn

But, the menu is what surprised us most. First up, was fresh fruit and scones - served with jam, curd and cream - but the latter was a tinier version of the traditional serving. Although the scones were bite-sized editions, each was strong in flavorful with a well-balanced ratio of outside crunch to inside crumble.

Unexpected twists and turns on traditional afternoon tea menu

And, in a total twist, traditional tea sandwiches were replaced with miniature gourmet delicacies such as a chicken empanada, polenta cake and a tea egg with pickled ginger served up on an appropriate "silver spoon".

Bite-sized scones served with jam, curd and cream

The presentation and employment of locally grown produce was more foodie gourmet tasting menu than the familiar afternoon tea offerings, but that was just fine with us.

Traditional tea sandwiches are replaced with inspired foodie savories like chicken empanada and polenta cake.

In that vein, before the sweets were brought out, a plate of raclette cheese accompanied by fingerling potatoes was served. Raclette is a favorite cheese of ours (back home, our source is in Traverse City) and the preparation at The Inn was a delicious as it was inspired.

Raclette cheese with fingerling potatoes served before sweets

The last course, sweets, followed suit in the unexpected-but -scrumptious-offerings including a blood orange tart with Italian meringue and a brown butter Bundt with toffee sauce. 

A delightful array of desserts included a blood orange tart and a brown butter Bundt

Of course, the essential ingredient for any afternoon tea is tea, and again, the menu did not follow tradition. As many BTS loyal readers know, Earl Grey is my afternoon tea go-to, so I asked our server what they might have in that family as it wasn't included in their tableside tea portfolio. I was told there was a smoky Earl Grey available that wasn't on the menu. We agreed to two pots full and found this hearty variation of my favorite tea to be the perfect pairing for this incredibly unconventional afternoon tea. 

When visiting the Biltmore estate, we'd recommend a short trip to its newer neighbor, The Inn, for afternoon tea ambiance inspired by the Vanderbilt home and an inspired tea menu of its own.