If you thought that daytime trips to the Four Seasons were reserved for Parents' Weekend and intimate visits with that Wharton MBA you happened to meet last weekend, you were wrong. The upscale afternoon tea offered by the Swann Lounge at the Four Seasons provides a few hours away from Penn to enjoy some of the finer things in life any day of the week.
Located at the base of Museum Row just steps away from the Philadelphia Art Museum, the Swann Lounge provides a perfect end to an afternoon of high art and culture.
An afternoon of tea in the calming atmosphere of the Four Seasons is the ideal antidote to a night of partying. Instead of spending Sunday in the basement of Van Pelt, choose an afternoon of upscale dining and delicious -- albeit overpriced -- tea.
At the Swann Lounge, diners are able to choose from a wide variety of teas, almost all indistinguishable from the next, from glorified English Breakfast to more exotic offerings of various Oriental spices and flavorings. The Lounge is an ideal setting for sipping tea; its interior mirrors a formal traditional dining room.
Diners can indulge in well-crafted treats from renowned Four Seasons chefs, such as delicate pastries and a wide variety of the quintessential teatime snack, the small sandwich. The portions of food are all very small, so don't expect to leave feeling full.
While afternoon tea might be a bit stuffier than some Penn students are accustomed to, the Swann Lounge nonetheless provides the sort of fairytale ambience that is a welcome change from the long lines at Cosi and the blas‚ offerings served up in West Philly.
The prices might seem a bit too steep for a student's budget -- up to $20 for what some might call a snack -- but an afternoon away from the mindless Penn routine is priceless.
