Afternoon tea and more! at Tonia's Victorian Rose tea room: A great place to socialize with friends with social distancing in place!

The tea room's "Fancy 2-Tiers" is a delicious and well portioned afternoon tea

Tonia's Victorian Rose tea room in downtown Rochester has something for everyone:  full afternoon-tea-fare for the afternoon-tea addict and a variety of well-known scrumptious menu offerings such as chicken pot pie and quiche lorrain to satisfy those looking beyond the tiered-tray. 

Located in downtown Rocheter, the sky-blue sided quaint cottage exterior gives a hint as to what guests will find inside. The interior is filled with vintage charm, from a recently wallpapered dining room wall to the crystal chandeliers that hang throughout.

Afternoon tea at Tonia's Victorian Rose is best with great friends!

In the current social-distancing requirements, Tonia Carsten, who bought the city's landmark tea room back in 2016, adheres to - and enforces - all the rules. Masks are worn by all, except for eating and drinking, and table seating is spaced out in all three rooms that comprise the venue's lower level.

Owner, Tonia C., bought the Victorian Rose in 2016. 

A recent visit with great friend, Laura, we socialized in the social-distancing environment and enjoyed a delightful repast accompanied by two pots of freshly brewed tea:  Laura is fond of their herbal mint tea and I, changing things up just a bit, ordered Lady Grey tea, a slightly lighter version than my always go-to, Earl Grey.

I ordered the "Fancy 2-Tiers" afternoon tea (note, for this selection, you must reserve 24 - 48 hours ahead) and it was delicious and very well portioned. The lower tier consists of the savories: a cashew chicken on croissant,  cucumber tea sandwich (always with a fun cutout!) and a spinach quiche corner.

The top tier, and always my favorite, the "sweets" was filled with delightful twists on the traditional:  the tea room's signature fruit scone, an earl grey tart shell filled with lemon curd and a dark chocolate raspberry torte bite. Tonia explained that the top tier should be eaten in the order just described - if you start with the chocolate bite, it may overwhelm your taste buds for the remainder of the sweets.

The interior is filled with vintage charm. including the crystal chandeliers.

Laura ordered a full slice of the spinach quiche that comes with the Victorian Rose fresh greens salad topped with homemade raspberry dressing. All equally tasty!

I'm a great fan of this tea room and have visited several times over the years. In fact, as noted in my blog this April when carry-out service started up (Afternoon tea from Tonia's Victorian Rose: Curbside pick-up or delivery now available), this venue was where I launched BTS' first tea presentation (outside of home parties). Back in the day, it was also a favorite with my friends who donned red and pink hats. 

Tonia's Victorian Rose in downtown Rochester is open to the public Wednesday - Saturday

Tea time is always special at Tonia's Victorian Rose. Whether carry out, two-tiers, quiche or pot pie, it's always a treat - made even better when sharing virtually or on-site with wonderful friends!

Tonia's Victorian Rose is open for guests Wednesday - Saturday (don't forget your masks!)  and also available for private events/showers. Special themed teas are scheduled throughout the year (Harry Potter, Holiday teas). See their website for more information:  Tonia's Victorian Rose.