After Queen Tea Shop — Restaurant in Markham

We went for the English High Tea experience over the long weekend and it was just delightful.

The After Queen Tea shop is located in a plaza on Bayview. The plaza was easy to find but the Tea Shop itself is a little tricky to identify as it's located on the inside of the plaza adjacent to the Longos, with faded signage, that is a bit hard to read.

Upon arrival we had to wait a few minutes until our table was ready, so we decided to explore the antique shop next door. Strategically placed, it was the perfect way to pass the time until our table was ready and totally added to our High Tea experience.

Service at the After Queen Tea shop was exceptional. Our server was very sweet and attended to our every need with a warm smile and grace. We opted for the High Tea which included scones, mini sandwiches, petit fours and quiche with salad. Everything was delicious, fresh, and beautifully presented! The scones with clotted cream and jam were simply heaven. I'd go back for just the scones!

When it came to selecting a tea, I was torn between the Sakura Cherry Rose and Ginger Sparkle tea. I ended up going with the Sakura Cherry Rose. What a perfect choice, I loved it! I finished my pot of tea rather quickly, but our awesome server was on it and refilled my tea pot with piping hot water immediately. I must note, to my surprise, it did not dilute the taste of the tea at all.

A grand time was had by all at the After Queen Tea shop. It's a charming way to...

Not the easiest place to find, we drove around the parking lot looking for a sign. When we finally found it, we waited for someone to acknowledge we were there, & were beginning to think we’d be going somewhere else. Obviously understaffed, the place was very busy, with tables uncomfortably close, considering the past two years. We waited almost 20 minutes for our tea, then had to request milk. Then the food. The quiche was delicious, the salad nothing more than lettuce with 3 thin slices of strawberries. Totally uninspiring. The sandwiches were quite nice though all were served on white bread, the egg salad needed alittle pepper or something, & the open faced tuna salad was a challenge, as it was a scoop on a piece of bread. Tasty though. The cream cheese & cucumber was very sparse, alittle more cream cheese would have made a huge difference. The scones were really delicious but the clotted cream was a very skimpy portion. I really wanted to love this place especially after reading the reviews, but the service was slow, no one asked how anything was, nor offered more water for the tea til we flagged them down. The decor was really the highlight, beautiful antiques & mirrors which gave the illusion of a bigger place. I loved all the vintage china that was on display. Maybe during the week service is better but on a Saturday it was pretty underwhelming. It was better than a three though not...

A little hidden gem. My mother is a fan of afternoon teas and it was a quick simple search for local afternoon tea venues and I was not disappointed!

It's definitely hidden but it was very tastefully decorated and had the proper atmosphere for British high tea, walls covered with plates and memorabilia. Intricate tables and chairs with doilies and china porcelain teacups and plates.

The server was as welcoming as we could ask for and she was always smiling and eager to help to introduce the menu and items to us and always around to serve.

The afternoon tea itself was exactly as expected, I had the Buckingham Palace tea, my mother had the Ginger Sparkle green and my father the Lemon Mongo punch herbal tea. They were all a lovely bouquet and well-flavoured ranging from light and crisp to deep and robust.

The scones, finger sandwiches and the extra Norwegian crepe we ordered were excellent. The scones were great, the clotted cream didn't feel like traditional English clotted cream but was still good nonetheless. The crepe was absolutely delicious and would order again.

Overall, definitely would bring my aunts and family over again for a casual afternoon tea. They are extremely busy on the weekends so I recommend weekdays if you like to take your time to enjoy...