Holiday Tea at Hotel Swexan in Dallas

One of the things I was excited to learn after moving to Dallas is how many afternoon tea options there are around the city. In Charlotte, there are lots of cute restaurants and bars, but I had trouble finding options for tea. Dallas, however, has dedicated tea shops and several hotels that have high tea services throughout the year. 

When a friend reached out about doing a holiday tea together, I was all for it. A few people recommended the Adolphus (which I love) but I wanted to try something new. When I saw that Leonie at Hotel Swexan, a Michelin Key hotel in the heart of Uptown was taking reservations for a holiday tea with vegan options, I booked immediately. 

The experience

When I pulled up to Hotel Swexan, the valet immediately approached to welcome me to the hotel. I took a rideshare so I was able to skip into the hotel lobby without checking my car. The hotel has a luxe but cozy boutique feel - it struck the perfect balance of comfort and elegance. I met my friend Jourdan and we hopped up the elevator to Floor 20 to Leonie, the rooftop restaurant. 

View from our table

The elevator opens to the rooftop pool, which is gorgeous. All of the upholstery along the pool deck was Missoni and the view was amazing. I will be finding my way back up there in the summer. Even though the elevators leave you outside, the walkways are heated so well that I didn’t need to put my coat back on for short walk to the restaurant. 

Leonie is a tiny, light-filled restaurant off to the side of the pool area. It felt bright, warm, and cozy. We were led to our table immediately where we were greeted with a glass of champagne and the chef stopped by to discuss the vegan options with me before preparing the food. The vegan menu mirrored the standard one closely and did not disappoint. 

Holiday Tea

We were able to choose from 7 teas (we both started with Earl Grey) and could switch it up at any point during the 2 hour service. Every time we switched flavors (I also tried Darjeeling and Moroccan-style mint), we got a new, clean cup. If the pot of the tea we selected wasn’t fresh, the server would let us know that he was having a new pot put on.

my date!

The first course was savory bites. I was served oyster mushroom in a tiny cone with lemon “caviar” and tiny truffle chickpea, cranberry beet, and smoked seitan tea sandwiches. Jourdan had a lobster and roe cone with duck ham, shaved beef, and truffled egg salad sandwiches. We both also were given a tiny cup of delicious butternut squash soup.  Although these snacks were bite sized, we were surprisingly full after we finished our plates.

Sweets came next and they were mindblowing–especially considering mine were plant-based. We were each given two scones with clotted cream (coconut cream for me), lemon curd, and a butter spread. Along with the scones, we were served a tray of fruity and chocolaty tiny tarts adorned with gold leaf and other decor. The tea kept flowing throughout our reservation. We booked through Open Table and had pre-paid so we were able to just slip out (thanking the host and servers on the way, of course) when we were finished with our treats and conversation. 

It was a great way to spend an afternoon catching up with a friend and very reasonably priced considering the quality of the food and curated experience. Leonie also had options to upgrade the experience with caviar, extra champagne or cocktails, but we were very satisfied with the set menu. 

What to wear to tea in Dallas

One of my favorite things about living in Dallas is that people dress to the nines whenever they feel like it. Dress code for this tea is technically “elegant casual”, but there were plenty of full ball gown skirts, sequins, and feathers in the dining area that afternoon.

I wore a Hill House dress with Wolford tights and Manolo Blahnik slides. I chose all black to give me some leeway in case some Earl Grey slid out of the teacup and onto my dress at any time during the afternoon. Jourdan wore a white sweater dress with black tights and heels. 

Holiday Tea at Hotel Swexan cost

I booked my reservation on Open Table. The gluten free/vegan option was $75, and the standard menu costs $85. They automatically add 20% gratuity. Don’t forget to factor the valet cost & tip or a rideshare into your budget - there is no self park option at the property..