Here’s a question that puzzled us. If we go to a movie that starts at 1 pm, where and when do we eat? We could go to brunch, but then what happens to breakfast? We could go a late lunch, but I need my meals right on time or I become very grumpy.The solution was suggested by our friends who said, how about afternoon tea? As a daily tea drinker (Darjeeling) who also loves Devonshire cream, I thought this sounded fine. But where to go?

Right on the Upper West Side on West 73rd Street is Alice’s Tea Cup. In front is a lovely bakery

(tastesavant.com) and further in is a charming little tea room complete with warm wooden chairs and tables.

Afternoon tea in New York begins at $20/pp and goes right up into the stratosphere at the Plaza and other tip-top places with and without champagne for $150 plus. Yes, that’s per person.

Alice’s Tea Cup provides a wonderful complete tea for two (The Mad Hatter) for $45 that includes two pots of your choice of freshly made tea (as it was afternoon we chose a flavored berry tea), served in fine china, just the way I like it,

(foodfashionulaa.blogspot.com) three very large scones, two sandwiches each (we went classic here with smoked salmon and watercress/cucumber) and a platter of sweets including lemon tarts, cakes, cookies and other dainties in the familiar three-tier curate stand.

(yelp.com)

If this isn’t enough for you, you seriously need to rethink your daily calorie intake. In fact, we were both stuffed and could not eat dinner, so, and don’t laugh, it turned out to be very economical.

They do their own baking and every day, they list the different scones they offer on a board outside.In fact, you can come in for just scones and tea for about $12. I have to say, my favorite is still the traditional plain scone, served with French butter, seedless raspberry jam and cream. One thing–I’m not 100% certain this was the really heavy Devonshire cream. In the interests of public information, I may have to return and scope this out to be sure.