High Tea in Ireland

Do you want high tea, which is a early evening meal or afternoon tea which is mid afternoon with tea, finger sandwiches, scones and sometimes pastries?

Either!!

The Terrace at the Westbury Hotel and The Tea Room at the Clarence are both good.

Outside of Dublin, in the more rural areas, is high tea (scones, cucumber sandwiches etc etc) known at all or offered at all? I'll be in county Kerry and county Cork (incl. Cork city) in April and am wondering as well...

Robin-
The Terrace and Tea Room-where are they located?

Hi Alex, both of the hotels are in Dublin.

Afternoon tea is not the same as high tea. Afternoon tea is a snack with cake and maybe biscuits [cookies in US ]whereas high tea is a meal. High tea used to be more common in Ireland some years ago but it is making a come back especially among the better hotels.

Ennis, you are so right about the difference between afternoon tea and high tea. There was a different post a few weeks about asking about high tea in Bath. I asked if they wanted high tea which would be a light meal or afternoon which would be tea, scones, pastries, finger sandwiches.

Confusing isn't it. High tea includes something cooked...eggs, sausages, Welsh Rarebit and is the equivalent of a light supper. One supposes you could go to any restaurant or cafe, order the above and call it High tea. Tea optional. Afternoon tea, as you know is quite another thing. ( I was about to say "cup of tea"). There is no "ceremony" to High Tea, it's just a meal, while Afternoon tea is a big deal, often a very expensive big deal. So by this definition, the original poster can find "high tea" any where in Ireland.

The best way to find good places for 'tea' or whatever is to ask the locals. They are so kind and helpful.

I love Lynch's on Shop Street(pedestrian street)in Galway City. It is located sort of across the way from the McDonalds(I shutter) on shop street next to Zhivagos music store. There is a white door to the left of Zhivago's ... that says "Lynch's". It has wonderful high Victorian ceilings & if your lucky they will have a turf fire going in the fire place. You can look out of the fantastic high windows to Shop Street below.

I can picture myself there right now meeting up w/my relations and having a chat over good 'cuppa'and nice savory eats!

slan