Davenport Lounge — Local services in New Orleans

I had eagerly anticipated afternoon tea at the Ritz-Carlton, booking months in advance for what we hoped would be a highlight of our vacation. Unfortunately, the experience was a profound disappointment, failing to meet even basic expectations.

To begin, the ambiance was utterly unsuitable for a relaxing tea service. Despite the presence of a harpist, her music was overwhelmed by loud chatter from the adjoining bar and those indulging in a continental breakfast. A proper partition between the bar and the lounge could have created the calm, elegant setting one would expect at an establishment like the Ritz-Carlton. Our reservation was for 11:00 AM, and we were seated promptly. However, that is where the attentiveness ended. Our server approached us at 11:07 AM to take our tea and champagne orders. At 11:30 AM, he brought our champagne – but only managed to fill our glasses halfway, as he ran out. We assumed he’d return with the rest, yet he never did. By 11:45 AM, I had to approach the host stand to request his return and inquire when our tea might finally arrive. It wasn’t until noon that we were finally served tea, though the champagne remained elusive.

Our champagne was finally topped off 15 minutes later, and it wasn’t until 12:45 PM – nearly two hours after we were seated – that the long-awaited three tiers of food arrived. The food itself was passable but lacked essential accompaniments; notably, the scones were served without any butter or clotted cream. To add insult to injury, shortly after receiving the food, our check was presented at 12:48 PM – a premature end to what should have been a leisurely experience. Despite the abysmal service, no portion of the meal was comped, and we were automatically charged a 22% gratuity for service that was practically nonexistent.

This afternoon tea was a regrettable experience, far below the standards one associates with the Ritz-Carlton. For a luxury establishment, we expected a memorable experience – unfortunately, it was memorable for all the...

Went for Tea on Saturday for my bf's birthday and it was amazing.

@ritzcarltonneworleans does Afternoon Tea every day of the week. If you want to be extra bougie, you can upgrade to a Royal Tea which comes with a glass of champagne or mimosa.

Saturdays & Sundays they have a harpist live for tea as well- which sounds absolutely divine [& she started with a HBD tune for my sweets].

Anyway, I had never been to afternoon tea before and I was beyond pleased. We 1st picked out two tea flavors and were served 3 courses of small, savory and sweet bites. I would 100% recommend this experience.

1st course starts with Petite sandwiches in delicate appetizers •Smoked Salmon Mousse and Dill in a Cucumber Cup (very refreshing) •Tomato Basket with Heirloom Cherry Tomato, Whipped Burrata, Pesto and Parmesan Crisp •Roasted Fig, Goat Cheese, Honey Drizzle on a Thyme Blini (great with a drizzle of honey) •Coronation Chicken Salad in Curry Cup (personal favorite) •Crostini with Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Fried Basil •Creole Deviled Egg and Caviar

2nd course:SCONE COURSE Freshly Baked Scones with Housemade Lemon Curd, Jam and Devonshire Cream

3rd course Petite pastries & deserts •Lemongrass Passion Tart •Chocolate Tart •Honey Peach Slice •Orange Tea Cake, Raspberry Confit •Chocolate...

The Davenport Lounge is located inside of The Ritz-Carlton New Orleans. It's named after the lounge's headliner jazz musician, Jeremy Davenport. The lounge serves as the hotel's lobby bar that also hosts twice daily tea service.

ATMOSPHERE: The lounge sits just off of the front desk and courtyard areas. A small stage is perched above the dance floor with a surrounding mix of sofa, low and high top seats. Guests were a mix of privileged youngins to crazy rich seniors, all having a civilized, good time.

MENU: Full bar, bar-style apps, dessert, English teas, small bites.

ENTERTAINMENT: We took in a portion of Jeremy Davenport's show on a Friday night after not being able to find a decent headliner along bustling St. Claude Ave. Other than being thankful for being indoors due to the 100% humidity, the show was decent and enjoyable. A (possibly hired) couple danced for the crowd and gave us something to focus on besides the band members.

WINE: I had a Sauvignon blanc, the spouse some kind of red. Pricey at close to $40 for two glasses but this is The Ritz. A small ramekin of mixed nuts accompanied.

SERVICE: Our server was friendly and professional. Drink delivery was quick.

OVERALL: There is no need to escape the cool, luxurious confines of your hotel to enjoy jazz...