High Tea At The Royal Livingstone


I liked this, written by Joanne Selby on April 27, 2010 on the Falls Resort blog . It’s great that the high tea at Royal Livingstone is also available to non-residents, and we recommend it to all our Clients at Chanters Lodge. At US$17 per person it’s great value and the view from the deck at the Royal is well, to die for! Especially when, like now, the spray from the Falls climbs high in the sky right across the 1.6 km span of the Zambezi. (Check the photo!)

Here’s Joanne’s piece:

“During the romantic colonial era, all the finest ladies celebrated the tradition of high tea. They would come together in the afternoons to socialize and gossip over cucumber sandwiches, delicious cakes and, of course tea. Today, the Royal Livingstone hotel, allows guests to enjoy this regal custom.

At 3pm, when the sun is high in the sky, and the mid-afternoon slump is starting to kick in, our waiters bring out the most delicious snacks and cakes and display them in the lounge. Suddenly, it’s as if a new life has come over everyone as guests begin to wander in off the veranda. They may have been looking out at the majestic Zambezi River, watching the spray from the mighty Victoria Falls, or maybe even just relaxing with a good book, but the decadent spread calls to them, and soon everyone is enthralled.

Just the other day, two ladies came in for high tea with us and I had the opportunity to get their reactions. After enjoying the lovely cucumber and salmon mini sandwiches with their tea, the cakes and sweets caught their gaze. One of the ladies turned to the other and said, “I really shouldn’t, I’m on a diet, I must think of my waistline.”

“I know exactly how you feel, but we are on holiday…maybe we can have just one?” the naughtier of the two responded.

Soon enough they had given in to the table of sweets beckoning them and went over for a closer look. Standing there for a few moments, undecided, weighing all the indulgent options, they asked a waiter to tell them about the selections. The two ladies finally gave in and took a plate, choosing their favorites…just a few!

Silence came over them as they took their first bites. I asked how they were enjoying everything, but they were too busy to answer. Finally after a few more bites, one of them paused long enough to respond. “Oh, my goodness me, this is decadent. I really shouldn’t eat this gateau…” No sooner had she finished saying those words, did she take another bite. Who could resist?

Ok, so we here at the Royal Livingstone are guilty of spoiling our guests! We admit it! We love watching them indulge and luxuriate, and we aren’t afraid to say so!”

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