Five Lavish Ways to Celebrate Mother’s Day

Sure a splashy brunch or a little blue box from Tiffany & Co is always welcome, but if you want to give am extra-special Mother’s Day treat, how about a an afternoon tea—in Europe? If you can’t hop on a plane this weekend, offer a rain check and check out five lavish ways to celebrate below.

d’Angleterre, Copenhagen

For a “royal” experience, try the The Grand Cuvee Package at the d’Angleterre – the grand dame of hotel Copenhagen. It offers Krug Grand Cuvee champagne with  its traditional afternoon tea. There’s also a vast selection of teas (and coffees) on offer, along with the traditional fare: smoked salmon sandwiches, cakes, mini-quiches, tarts and gateaux. Champagne is paired with other like delicacies like lobster and truffles.  The hotel’s Krug Afternoon Tea is served every Sunday from 3 PM until 5 PM in the hotel’s Gallery Hall.

Hotel Adlon Kempinski, Germany

The Royal Afternoon Tea at Berlin’s landmark Hotel Adlon Kempinski, has been been a favorite of heads of state, aristocrats, and stars from all over the world. Here afternoon tea is both savory and sweet with a few classic German delicacies, such as roast beef sandwiches and German profiterole in the mix.

Ashford Castle, County Mayo, Ireland

Nothing beats an afternoon tea in a historic castle! And the team at the castle certainly knows to do one with all the bells and whistles, since they’ve been offering teas here since 1868. (The castle itself is over 800 years old; former owners include members of the Guinness family and  Lord Ardilaun, whose elaborate tea set is on display in the hotel’s Connaught room.) The tea menu includes a wide selection of specialty teas or a glass of Champagne, finger sandwiches, warm freshly baked scones with cream and home-made jam, along with pastries and cupcakes.

The Baur au Lac, Zurich

Tea is served in the hotel’s recently renovated Le Hall, a historic space that has welcomed such names as  Alfred Nobel, Marc Chagall and Richard Wagner over the years. The Baur au Lac’s Afternoon Tea includes homemade scones, pastries, sandwiches, fresh clotted cream, and an assortment of freshly brewed loose-leaf teas from Switzerland’s Länggass teahouse.

The Merrion, Dublin

The Merrion in Dublin offers a sumptouous  Art Tea, for which the pastry chef creates srumptious desserts inspired by 19th and 20th century artworks from Irish and British artists, including J.B Yeats, William Scott and Louis le Brocquy. And you can’t beat the setting: Throughout the hotel the Merrion showcases the largest collection of private art in Ireland outside of the National Gallery,