Royal Rituals: We Tried InterContinental Indianapolis’ New Afternoon Tea Service, Which Is Fit For a Queen
Serliana at InterContinental Indianapolis has elevated its afternoon tea service with a touch of regal refinement. [Photo credit: Katie Barr]
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When the new InterContinental Indianapolis decided to elevate its afternoon tea, they turned to a source with impeccable credentials: a British butler who served the royal family.
Now, every pour and every plate at this downtown Indianapolis spot carries a touch of regal refinement.
Offered on Saturdays and Sundays at Serliana, the hotel’s second-floor restaurant, the afternoon tea creates a space where guests can carve out a dalliance in self-care, wellness, and peace.
Diane Lawson, a bartender who serves the tea and participated in the two training sessions with former British Royal Butler Anthony Cawdron, has been with InterContinental since they opened this location last February. She’s watched as their guests find a space and an experience that contributes to their well-being.
“It’s usually in the eyes,” Lawson said. “You can tell when somebody has really enjoyed themselves. There’s a genuine smile that reaches the eyes and I’ve seen a lot of that with the tea. People are enjoying it and it just feels good.”
The traditional three-tiered platters feature a selection of sandwiches, scones, and pastries. [Photo credit: Katie Barr]
Cawdron emphasized that serving tea is a ritual and the small moments are important. Lawson said that in a world where everyone is always in a hurry, always connected to their digital devices and always rushing, the tea is an opportunity to pause and to slow down.
“Stop a minute, slow down,” Lawson said. “Have a ritual. Have something you do that’s intentional — the tea is a great example of that.”
Cawdron is a long-time friend of Serliana’s executive chef, Chef Craig Baker, and agreed to come train the staff on the intricacies of tea from its rituals to the details of making a perfect cup of tea.
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Lawson said the staff was honored to be trained by a butler who served tea to Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, and the entire royal British family. They were also a little intimidated, worried that he might be snooty or standoffish.
“He came in and he was the kindest man,” Lawson said. “He was reserved but very kind, very gentle, and very informative. He didn’t look down on the crazy Americans who don’t know what they’re doing. He just explained and it was so fun and so refreshing.”
Guests can choose from nine different blends of tea leaves ranging from black and green to white and oolong. [Photo credit: Bridgette Redman]
Much of the training, Lawson said, was about details, whether it was how to prepare a teapot or how thin the bread needed to be to create dainty sandwiches.
“It was about service precision,” Lawson said. “Before you even think about the tea and pouring the water on top, you have to warm the teapot because pouring hot tea into a cold pot changes the temperature and your tea is not going to brew to the optimum that it should.”
The first afternoon tea was offered on Mother’s Day and it is now being offered every weekend. Lawson said that guests often dress up to attend and come with friends to make it a social occasion. On a Saturday afternoon in early August, there were women wearing fancy hats with their dresses and another table where the women had color-coordinated their outfits with each other.
Most tables can accommodate groups of two to four, though they’ve also done parties of six.
Reservations are required as the kitchen staff carefully prepares everything for each group. Lawson said far more preparation goes into serving a tea than the usual meals that can handle walk-ins.
The decor at Serliana has been carefully coordinated to create a peaceful and serene environment. [Photo credit: Bridgette Redman]
“Our kitchen works to create these masterpieces on the tiers and have them ready for us,” Lawson said. “We try to really stage your tea. We don’t want you to feel rushed. We want you to feel that you’re being allowed to experience each step in the process. But we also don’t want you sitting there for too long either. It should be a nice pace.”
Tea begins with guests choosing from nine different blends of leaves that include black, green, white, and oolong teas and some herbal infusion options. Servers encourage guests to smell each one and choose what fits their mood.
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The traditional three-tiered platters bring out a collection of sandwiches, scones, and pastries. In August, the sandwiches offered included egg salad and dill, an open-faced salmon sandwich, chicken salad on croissant, and an herbed cream cheese and cucumber sandwich.
Lawson said everyone on the dining room staff are constantly communicating behind the scenes to keep track of what each table needs.
“We’re trying to make sure that everyone gets a really elevated experience with the right pacing,” Lawson said. “The food comes out at the right time and all that stuff. It’s like a ballet.”
Aside from great food, guests will also enjoy excellent service from staff that have been trained by former British Royal Butler Anthony Cawdron. [Photo credit: Katie Barr]
The décor of Serliana was carefully coordinated to create a peaceful, serene environment, free of televisions and filled with natural lighting. It is part of what creates a wellness experience for guests — a beautiful environment with fine china and marble tables. The designers were seeking a place of calm, refined elegance.
It is a place where you aren’t just eating for sustenance, you are participating in a ritual of self-care.
Lawson said that we are often conditioned that we shouldn’t do things for ourselves, that we should only be doing things for other people. However, the tea, she said, provides an opportunity to care for your mental well-being while having a bonding experience with a partner, friend or family member.
“You’re supposed to come here and just be present and experience this,” Lawson said. “It’s a really nice thing for people to take a minute out of their lives to slow down, smell the tea, look at the room. You’re exploring all your senses and being in the moment with it.”
For more information about InterContinental Indianapolis and to make a reservation, visit their website. For more information about afternoon tea service at Serliana, visit their website or call (462) 303-0380.
Bridgette, who is a second-generation journalist, fell in love with spas and travel while working as a writer and editor for 16 years at the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. As a freelancer for the International SPA Association, she co-wrote two textbooks, nine workbooks, and numerous case studies on spas. Her freelance career began in the 80s and she has written for publications in Michigan, Arizona, California, and Texas along with several regional and national publications. She is a committed storyteller who loves sharing narratives which improve people's quality of life and build community. Born and raised in Michigan, she currently lives in Lansing with her husband and son. See more of her writing at bridgetteredman.com.