割った鍋
Actually, I like afternoon tea. Well, sorry, I have only enjoyed afternoon tea once in my lifetime. So, I still have a longing for it. The threshold is high for a single middle-aged man like me. I think afternoon tea is about enjoying conversation with close people while relaxing. That's why I feel that a middle-aged man like me, indulging in sweets alone, should not be there. That's the high threshold for me. I finally had the opportunity to visit "OLD ROSE GARDEN," a place I've wanted to go for a long time. A woman I've known for a long time was coming to Osaka from Kanto, so I took this as a good opportunity. I thought that with a woman, even a middle-aged man like me could cross the threshold. When I went down the stairs, it was like a stylish different world, with a classic British flavor. The area around the store is a modern, sleek office district, so there is a big gap and a sense of a different world, which is fun. Moreover, the area still has modern architecture, so it is a suitable location. When I went down the stairs, I realized that there were three stores side by side. In front of me was the English pub "ROYAL HAT," which I guess opens in the evening. On the right was the tea salon "OLD ROSE GARDEN," the main target of this visit. Facing it was the cafe "OFICINA DEL CAFE." In fact, both "OFICINA..." and "OLD ROSE..." offer afternoon tea. However, the former is from 2 pm (varies by day of the week), and the latter is from 11 am (details on the official website). Since the early hours were convenient for me, I chose "OLD ROSE GARDEN." The interior of the store is elegant, antique, lyrical, and cute. You can tell, right? It gives off a feeling like, "Isn't this a place where a middle-aged man alone shouldn't be?" The afternoon tea set is very reasonably priced and wonderful. It starts from 2,200 yen including tax, which is incredibly cheap. As a reference, I feel that even 3,500 yen is cheap, but in hotels, it's over 5,000 yen. That's the price of afternoon tea, so 2,200 yen is very cheap. The price has a "~" because it varies depending on the choice of cream, tea, and cake. I chose clotted cream for the scones. Since I'm not familiar with tea, I chose the Ceylon blend. For the cake, I chose the Berry & Pistachio Tart. I chose a higher-priced cake with clotted cream, so it exceeded 2,200 yen, but I didn't mind at all. Because the basic price is low, even with optional add-ons, it's much cheaper than other afternoon teas in the area. While other customers were choosing their cakes, I took photos of the interior of the store and waited. It was almost full on a weekday morning, and it seemed like I wouldn't have been able to get in without a reservation, so I'm glad I made one. Soon, the tea arrived, in an elegant teapot. And finally, the cake stand arrived. The top tier was the cake, usually for two people but this was for one. The second tier had sandwiches and cookies, with cucumber and ham for the sandwich fillings, which seemed British. The bottom tier had scones with jam and clotted cream. Looking at the whole thing from above, it was grand, luxurious, and got me excited. As I looked at the whole thing, the tea was also ready, so I started. They said to start before the ice cream on the cake melted, so I started from the top tier. Oh, everything was delicious. The scones were crispy, the sandwiches provided a savory cushion between the sweets, and the cakes were delightful. But well, it can get quite filling, right? Choosing a tart with the scones probably made me feel fuller. And before I knew it, time had passed while I was eating and chatting. When I tried to order a refill of tea, the time limit was approaching. The seats are for 90 minutes, they said, well, it can't be helped with so many customers. I had a sweet and enjoyable time at a reasonable price. And yes, I reaffirmed that a middle-aged man alone should not be at an afternoon tea.