519 Fisgard St.
9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday
9am to 5pm Sunday
Cost varies
Reservations not required
778.265.7689 or http://www.laroux.ca/

THE EXPERIENCE
Astute readers might see La Roux on our list and be inclined to protest. What!? La Roux is not a tea house! How could these nurses be so foolish! Well. Rest assured, dear high tea lovers, there is a story behind the tea date we had at La Roux.

We were due to go to James Bay Tearoom and were meeting another friend that Sunday afternoon. But the James Bay tearoom showed no signs of life when we parked outside. Indeed, it has since shut down because it could not find staff to keep it open. It was one of those wet spring Victoria days when you’re both wet, cold, and humid all at the same time. Lest our spirits lag, we resolved to find somewhere to go downtown that did not require reservations. 

Thus, we ended up at La Roux. This beautifully decorated dessert shop is smack in the heart of Chinatown. Decorated in black, white, and purple, La Roux is a dreamy spot. Chandeliers and portly teapots. French court chairs with floral seats. Chic design meets childhood tea party.

They do not serve a full afternoon tea so we just made our own. It was not hard, we assure you. No sandwiches or scones, just pure tea and cake! It was exactly what we needed to fend off the damp and the crushing sense of doom that comes when staff can’t stay in Victoria because they can’t afford to live here and high tea businesses are closing down. Think of the high tea, people!

We tasted six different macarons, which were all excellent. We also had a truly transcendent paris brest, a rich chocolate tart, a fresh and fruit heavy trifle, and Angela’s favourite: bread pudding. Everything was absolutely delicious. The only exception was the earl grey cake, which managed to be both simultaneously too sweet and utterly lacking in flavour.

We took no pictures and are treating this as a rather delightful one-off diversion from the high tea quest.

RATING
We can’t give it full balls because it isn’t high tea. We’re giving it 3/5 balls for saving the day and delivering on the straight sweet goods. It’s one of the best dessert spots in town so if you’re not high teaing it up and just want excellent cake and a cuppa, you can’t go wrong with La Roux. We’d go back in a q-t interval.

Boom. Nurse jokes.