• Waldorf-Astoria Hotel

  119 Seventh Avenue, 212-414-1717

  Every Saturday, the grandfatherly John Harney, of the esteemed Harney & Sons tea company, journeys from his Connecticut home to the Waldorf to share this timeless, three-course tradition beneath the colossal crystal chandelier, on gold-jacquard-covered couches, at the grand Park Avenue hotel. The ceremony includes flavored (chocolate!) caffeine-free teas; scones; and finger sandwiches of PB&J, ham and cheese, and tuna salad, followed by a pastry dessert (reservations are required: $22 per child, $32 per adult). Afterward, everyone gathers around Cole Porter’s Steinway grand, where a pianist hosts a sing-along that includes “I’m a Little Teapot,” of course, and “Tea for Two.” Every child goes home with a goody bag, one of which—Lucky winner!—has a Madame Alexander doll tucked inside. At-home snacking will never be the same.

From the 2004 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine