Jeera Restaurant in Durban

High Tea at Jeera sounded fun, so three friends and I donned our party best and headed down to the Durban beachfront. Awaiting us was a table as pretty as a picture. White linen, roses in burnished bronze vases, crystal candle holders, a dinky glass teapot at each place, bowls of raspberries and strawberries, and flutes of Bombay Crush created an exotic ambience reminiscent of the days of the Raj. A spicy fragrance surrounded platters of savouries, among them chicken tandoori satay, shish kebabs, butter chicken “cigars” and dips that added bite. On cake stands, jewel-like fruit tartlets, coffee profiteroles, chocolate truffles, tiny macarons and other delicacies added a touch of decadence. And as for the tea! Around 10 aromatic varieties with names like Gingerbread Chai, Nepal Masala, White Diamond and Orange Cactus Fig made choosing difficult, so we sampled most of them – Orange Cactus Fig scoring top marks. A fun afternoon of note – we went home on a high.

Suncoast Towers, 20 Battery Beach Road, Durban; 031-314-7878.

By Andrea Abbott