RESTAURANT REVIEW: ELMA'S TEA HOUSE - CURRENTLY CLOSED

For when you're feeling particularly civilized.

 

Bread Tasting Platter

LOOKS LIKE

 

Walk up the flight of stairs opposite Yodakin Bookstore in HKV and you’ll find yourself in Elma’s Tea House. It’s a charming rendition of a Victorian shabby chic aesthetic, populated in profusion with chintz and heavily patterned crockery. The space houses a bright, open kitchen with a blackboard setting out the day’s specials and the usual set of carefully mismatched furniture you’ve come to expect in HKV. Though to be fair, Elma’s does this kind of persnickety décor better than most.

The place is quite small and the chairs close together so it tends to get quite crowded. Smokers can step out to a small, sweet verandah in the corner with a view of some very pretty trees.

 

 

TASTES LIKE

 

Thankfully the food at Elma’s isn’t as fussy as the stacks of china strewn about. The roll named the “Mother Of All Sausage Rolls” might be an exaggeration but Elma’s does well with the portion sizes. The Spanish Pork Chorizo Grilled Toastie and Bacon Loaf are generous in quantity and flavor. The Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Lemon and Dill is delicious for breakfast and the Bread Tasting Platter served with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Olive Oil and Sea Salt appropriate if you’re in carbohydrate withdrawal.

Since it’s supposed to be a tea house, the menu has a page of tea varieties – to my novice taste buds the Himalayan, Fresh Mint and Honey, Ginger, Lemon were all excellent. As is the coffee. The desserts are all baked in house and I love that the flavours chosen are season specific – the summery fruits giving way to darker, richer chocolate, coffee and nut tones for the winter.

The menu may not authentically reflect an English tea house but Elma’s does a good job serving up fresh baked goods and basic foods made from quality ingredients. The finger sandwiches and high tea menu come highly recommended.

 

Spanich Chorizo Grilled Toastie

 

FEELS LIKE

 

For how carefully everything in Elma’s is curated it’s surprising what little training seems to be afforded to the staff. They are neither knowledgeable nor particularly polite, even asking patrons to shift so that tables have appropriately mismatched chairs. The space is small and perhaps discouraging lingering is part of management policy.



Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Salmon, Lemon and Dill

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:

 

Should you go: Yes!

Vegetarian Options: Yes

Liquor License: No

Smoking Area: Yes

Address: 1^st Floor, 24/1, Hauz Khas Village

Phone: 011 26521020