I confess I had not heard of this before a friend informed me of wanting to experience this as a birthday gift. So I asked about this on the Vancouver forum, and the kind TA contributors assured me it will be a worthy experience, especially...for my friend's circumstances. They were right: it was a fabulous experience overall for our group of 5.
I made a reservation via the Tea at the Empress website, and thanks to a tip, specified a table setup, not a sofa & low table setup. Everything went smoothly. Our group of 5 received wonderful & friendly service from Guy, and we each ordered a different tea, allowing us all to sample each other's. The food tiers came, and we all exclaimed how pretty the presentation was. We dined for the full 2 hours and enjoyed every morsel. Because it was a special celebration, we did not bat an eye at the cost--just chalking it up to a grand experience of the tea in a lovely & historic setting. Priceless memories made.
Go and enjoy, and make it your own experience to remember.More