The Carolina Inn has been called the living room of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for years. Oddly enough, Beverly and I never went there when we were students. Both Beverly and I spent four years in Chapel Hill, graduated from the university, and yet it was not until we were adults that we went back to the famous Inn that sits directly across the street from UNC’s main, historic campus.

Last month when Beverly was in my neck of the woods, we met at The Carolina Inn for afternoon tea. It seemed like such a civilized thing to do, and since both of us had only a few hours early Friday afternoon for a visit, we thought it was a better choice than meeting at a bar.

We both fell in love with a formal (and not so formal) afternoon tea when we visited London. Beverly enjoyed tea at the Terrace Bar inside Harrods department store, and I coughed up the pounds to have tea at The Ritz.

At both London tearooms, tea is basically an afternoon meal, with sweets and savories aplenty. And our Carolina Inn did not disappoint with the array of finger foods to enjoy: fresh Mozzarella, tomato and pesto sandwiches; whole wheat rolls filled with chicken salad dotted with green, yellow and red bell peppers; Chai tea biscuits with smoked turkey and brie; golden currant scones with Devonshire cream, house-made lemon curd and strawberry preserves; chocolate and plain short bread cookies; house-made rosewater marshmallows, almond tartlets and chocolate-covered strawberries.

The variety of teas available was also impressive, but we selected Blackberry Patch Tea and a classic Earl Grey. For an extra fee, a glass of Prosecco, (an Italian sparkling wine), is also offered, and we both decided the week had been worth celebrating. So we said “sure thing, bring it on”… but of course with not so much gusto and just the right curve to our brow.

But seriously, while tea can be seen as a stuffy, old-lady event, it’s actually a casual and relaxing way to spend the afternoon.

Have you ever enjoyed afternoon tea? Tell us about your experience in the comments section following this post!