Notch8 Restaurant & Bar

This year’s theme for Fairmont Hotel Vancouver's private-dining room afternoon tea service is the Nutcracker. Served on a Christmas-tree tier, savoury bites include the Sugar Plum Fairy (candy-cane stripe beetroot, goat cheese, and pine dust); the Clara (duck confit, umeboshi plums, crepe, and scallion accented with ink lace); and the Drosselmeyer (with mustard-orange-honey turkey, stuffing, Brussels sprout leaves and smoked cranberry). For sweets, you’ll find the Mouse King, a salted caramelia on cocoa sable; the ‘Snow Queen’ a cranberry pistachio almond nougat; and more. Guests get to choose their own tea; Creamy Earl Grey, a black tea with cornflower petals, is a locals’ fave.

There’s a Children’s Tea, too, with kid -friendly tea sandwiches, scones, and sweet treats. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and other dietary needs can be accommodated.

Nutcracker Afternoon Tea (adults, $79; children 12 and under, $39.50 runs until December 31 with daily sittings at 11 a.m. 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.

Silk Road Tea 

Kitsilano's Silk Road Tea offers a Tea Flight for Two with daily seatings between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.  THe flight includes at least three teas: the tea of the day plus seasonal specialities. Selections this year include Partridge in a Pear green tea (with heritage and wild green and white tea leaves, nutmeg, and pear essence) and Snow Apple Spice black tea, which has cinnamon, ginger, vanilla bean, and apple essence.

The Candy Cane herbal tea, meanwhile, consists of cool peppermint, hibiscus, and pink peppercorns.

Tea flights are $10 per person or two for $10 for VIP members.

Festive Afternoon Tea at H Tasting Lounge

Located right next to the seawall in the Westin Bayshore Hotel, H Tasting Lounge is putting a holiday spin on its weekend afternoon tea services.

Two special holiday-themed tea blends are on offer: Tealeaves Nutcracker Black Tea Blend (with flavours of hazelnut and vanilla) and Tealeaves Organic Herbal Sugar Plum Fairy (creamy vanilla, ripe strawberry, and a hint of plum).

To accompany are bites like tourtière, confit turkey sandwich, profiterole of gingerbread mousse and cranberry compote, and frangipane cake—all served on a golden Ferris wheel.

You’ll also get to pull pieces of colourful, sugary goodness from the lounge’s signature Cotton Candy Bonsai Tree.

There’s an option to kick things up a notch with mulled wine or the Miracle on Bayshore Drive cocktail made with rye, brandy and gingerbread syrup.

The Saturday and Sunday festive afternoon tea costs $55 per person (not including alcoholic drinks).