Elm in New Canaan Relaunches Afternoon Tea Service

Fridays and Saturdays are for sipping…TEA! Pinky extension for each taste of herbal, green, or black tea is mandatory, of course.

On the heels of Elm’s overhaul of their interior and food menu, afternoon tea is back!

If it feels like we’ve taken this tea journey once before, we certainly have. Back in 2021, I covered Elm’s spread of scones, bites both savory and sweet, a piping hot teapot, and for an extra charge, and if you desire, a glass (or bottle, if that’s how you get down) of bubbly.

Scones, clotted cream, and seasonal preserves—this past summer it was yuzu.

One of the tower layers features a black truffle croque monsieur.

Just like the rest of the restaurant, chef-owner Luke Venner has given afternoon tea a makeover of its own with the help of consulting pastry chef Alexandra Puglisi of NYC’s Le Coucou.

Puglisi, whose confections you’ll see on Elm’s daily dessert menu, was praised by Venner upon his restaurant’s reintroduction to the public by telling us, “She’s awesome!” He followed that up with a, “by the way, tea is coming back, too, and it’ll be better than ever,” hinting that her expertise helped a great deal.

“It’s a collaboration,” he says. “I do the savory and she created the sweets.”

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What you’ll encounter when indulging in the tea tower will switch up seasonally and it’ll depend on what Venner and Puglisi are feeling weekly, monthly, bi-monthly. You get the idea. But you should always expect traditional scones with clotted cream and some type of fruit preserves in tiny jars to begin, then move up the tower to the savory/salty snacks (one that’s a constant, even from last year, is a mini black truffle croque monsieur), then finishing up with Puglisi’s assortment of bite sized cakes, crumbles, bars, and handmade chocolates—all confections she’s wanted to do based on some of her travels.

Even if the pastries change up, you’d still like to know what they are, right?

Left - marble pound cake

Right - vanilla choux

Tea choices (included in afternoon tea, obviously) are a bunch of different herbal, black, or green teas, and if you want…bubbles, wine, cocktails, beer. You do you.

Rhum canelé — strawberry shortbread

“I was very excited to develop this with Luke,” Puglisi says. “It was a miniature ‘best of’ bites I’ve had in Paris. The marble pound cake is something I’ve been dying to put on a menu. Hopefully a bakery is on my roster next as I’d love to get these treats into a larger format!”

If this strikes your fancy, Elm’s afternoon tea goes down on Fridays and Saturdays between the hours of 2:30 and 4:30 by reservation only. It’s $48 per person and the rest of the menu is absolutely available should you require alcohol or if you simply can’t resist a side of hand cut fries or their irresistible Double Double.

73 Elm Street, New Canaan
203.920.4994, elmrestaurant.com