inTRIGUE Café at The Boston Harbor Hotel

70 Rowes Wharf
(at Atlantic Ave)
Boston, MA 02110
(617) 856-7744

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London's Ritz probably has only one real rival when it comes to locations inextricably linked to tea, and that's Boston harbor. Just as 'Tea at Ritz' is a phrase most of the English-speaking world is familiar with, so is 'The Boston Tea Party'. With this is mind, you feel it's not just a good idea for the Harbor Hotel to be serving afternoon tea, it's also a duty of national and historical significance.

The 1990s neo-renaissance Boston Harbor Hotel sensibly serves its tea in a sunlight-doused cafe section overlooking the harbor. And if the view of those murky waters isn't enough to remind you of the historic past, the hotel lobby area also features many interesting illustrations, maps and documents from the best of the harbor's trading days. The cafe itself is more relaxed, with some recent local oil paintings on the walls, a soft carpet and a mixture of sofas, tables and chairs. Quite unexplained is why it's called inTRIGUE.

Afternoon tea is served every day between 2.30 and 4.30 pm, but it really comes into it's own at the weekend when a talented pianist provides relaxing musical accompaniment. The tea selection and food selection are the absolute norm, although there are a couple of interesting blends and profiterole cakes make a welcome appearance. The afternoon tea is relatively cheap for Boston's hotels - as of May 2007, it costs only $18 for the standard, plus extra if you have (a very generous) glass of champagne. The hotel fully encourages you to book ahead, and so do I. This allows them to decorate your table with rose petals before you arrive, whether for a romantic encounter or not.

Tom...
I really liked the afternoon tea set-up here, and this was the first tea that was good enough to see me return for a second go. The location really makes an impression and although the view can be obscured a little, just being able to glimpse the harbor beats a million other views in Boston. The room is kind of a bit 1990s but gets lots of natural light. When you add this to the piano playing and the rose petals you have to commend the Harbor Hotel for setting the mood nicely (although it may be awkward if it's a business meeting).

The tea and food was nothing special, but they didn't get anything wrong either. On my second visit it didn't impress as much, I guess there is only as many chocolate-covered strawberries as you can handle. Service lacked on both visits. The second time they seemed quite put out at us arriving an hour after we'd booked for. Okay, that is late, but they do say that inTRIGUE is a 'timeless place'. Annoyingly, that time the lovely pianist was also missing. It really makes a difference.

Hana...
There's something about the water that is just so relaxing. Maybe it gives you a serene and calming feeling. That was how I felt when I had the afternoon tea here at the waterfront. There were a variety of sweet and savory treats, of which I liked best were the strawberries and cream and a raspberry mousse cake. An open-face egg sandwich was also good, but no traditional cucumber sandwich. Also, the desserts were not that overwhelmingly sweet, just right to have with tea.

I don't think the room is that outdated. It doesn't try to be sleek and modern, nor does it try to be very ornate and furbished. It's simple and airy, and a good environment for having a relaxing afternoon tea with a friend, not to mention a good value too. Yes, so afternoon tea here is good all around. However, I do think it'll even better if we get to have tea on the patio in the back, to really enjoy the view.