This Boston Afternoon Tea Spot Is Delightfully Gluten-Free
There’s a lot to love about Silver Dove Afternoon Tea in Downtown Boston, including the fact that you can pop in for a tea service, Wednesday through Sunday. While the weekends book up often, it’s much less competitive (and less stuffy) than other services around town.
The tea menus are pre-set and change seasonally. The menu includes two courses: a scone service and a three-tiered tower of savory canapes and sweet treats. These are a few standout bites from a previous service.
What to order
- The smoked duck canape really raises the bar from the classic cucumber sandwich. The duck is mixed with rutabaga-miso butter and red currant coulis for a blend of tart, sweet, and umami flavors.
- The co-owners of Silver Dove have bartending backgrounds, which come through in the Stem & Leaf cocktail, made with vodka, spiced pear, pear cognac liqueur, black tea, honey, lemon, and an optional egg white.
- The pear butter tart blends sweet and savory with whipped goat cheese and pistachio, complementing the pear.
Take note
Alert your celiac loved ones: everything in this tea service is already gluten-free 100 percent of the time. The staff is also very accommodating to vegetarian, vegan, and dairy-free dietary restrictions.
Insider tip
Silver Dove does a brisk, low-key takeout business. You can order a mini-tea service for takeout ($19.00 for one person), just the scones with clotted cream and jam ($4), or best of all, snag a jar of any of their house-made jams, including lemon marmalade ($7) and red pepper jelly ($12).
