The Four Seasons Chicago is a luxury hotel located in the midst of Chicago’s upscale shopping district known as the Magnificent Mile at 900 North Michigan. Afternoon Tea is now offered only seasonally in November and December. So I would highly recommend contacting the hotel to confirm dates and times.
The images here are from my earlier visit to the Four Seasons. Since then, menu items have almost certainly changed, but I’m sure you’ll be able to get a feel for their afternoon tea experience nonetheless.
Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago (image courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel)
An area of the lobby for guests to relax – the hotel occupies floors 30-46 of the high rise building located at 900 North Michigan.
Four Seasons lobby area
More of the hotel lobby area …
Sitting area of the Four Seasons Chicago
And now, onto the afternoon tea experience at the Four Seasons in Chicago …
Table setting for afternoon tea
An unusual (for me anyway) Fortuna teapot that steeps the tea on an angle. Speaking of tea, the Four Seasons’ tea selection includes almost 20 varieties beginning with an English Breakfast organic and ending with a Silver Jasmine White. Other choices included teas in the green, oolong and herbal families.
Fortuna teapot
The finger sandwiches – exquisite looking and tasting. On the lower right of the picture below is something I hadn’t seen before – a mulled wine poached pear with creamy bleu cheese on cranberry walnut bread. Yes, it was as good as it sounded.
Finger sandwiches at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
Two types of scones were served – one plain or traditional – and the other, cranberry orange. To accompany your scones, one usually sees Devonshire “clotted” cream, but the Four Seasons served a variation they describe as “whipped” Double Devon Cream.
Scones for tea at Four Seasons Chicago
And of course, let’s not forget the sweets and pastries tier. In the upper right are slices of ginger tea bread, and a sugar snowflake is below. That’s an almond cookie in the upper left.
Sweets at Four Seasons Chicago
And even more sweets – upper right is an eggnog cheesecake on a sugar cookie – really quite good.
Sweets and pastries
As you leave the hotel, you are greeted by a sculpture at street level entitled, Allow Me, by J. Seward Johnson.
“Allow Me” sculpture by J. Seward Johnson Jr.