The Duchess on Elma — Restaurant in Alberta

Attended the Dark Tea offering for Halloween with my friends and had a lovely experience. They had brought in a local story teller to read a scary story which was a fun (and spooky) touch.

For the food, we did the full tea and had three tiers to enjoy. The savouries were very nice and appropriately themed for Halloween with spooky deviled eggs etc, and my personal favourite was the cucumber sandwich. The scones were fresh and flaky with clotted cream and I believe a local blueberry jam. The desert tier was very sweet so if you’re not a sweet tooth, come prepared. The standout of the sweet tier was the cherry macaron.

The tea house is clean and well decorated, and we enjoyed the Halloween decor immensely. The staff were pleasant, engaged and ready to refill the tea pots or switch your tea. I would definitely recommend the Duchess.

I would also add that we noticed after paying at the till they offer a fully gluten free tea as well for those looking to enjoy the same tier as your friends.

I would definitely recommend the Duchess for an afternoon/high tea experience and my friends and I will...

There are few things I enjoy more than an afternoon tea, so I was thrilled to discover such a charming tea house just 20 minutes from my home in Calgary. I have visited several times over the past year, and every time is even better than the last. The ambiance is incredible, from the Bridgerton themed rooms to the spectacular special events, and the food is scrumptious. It's all made fresh by the local team, and the portions are exactly perfect to indulge without feeling like you over indulged. For an extra special treat, visit during one of the special events, such as Lewis Carol Day or Halloween. The decor and theming is out of this world. The owner and her team are absolutely lovely, and they do not let a single detail slip through the cracks. I've been to dozens of tea houses, including many across the UK and the famed Fairmont Empress, but The Duchess in Okotoks takes the cake. It's my favorite, and I can't wait for my next visit. I tip my fascinator to the team in...

We visited for afternoon tea and found the setting to be lovely, the tearoom was clean, cozy, and the staff were friendly and doing their best on what seemed to be a very busy Saturday afternoon. That said, the service felt a bit overwhelmed. Only four scones were brought out initially for our group of seven, and we needed to ask twice for the remaining ones. Two guests never received the extra tea they ordered, despite polite follow-ups. There was also a small piece of eggshell in one of the sandwiches, though we chose not to mention it at the time as the young staff already seemed under pressure. While the atmosphere was pleasant, the service delays did affect the overall experience. We understand how busy it can get, but it may help to have a few more staff on during peak times. We were also a bit surprised by the mandatory 18% gratuity we would have preferred to leave our own tip based on the experience which would have been 10%. We will for sure go back...