HOTEL PARTNERS

IN NUVO

One of the quintessential things about Victoria is its blend of easygoing West Coast culture and British tradition. Tea is a tradition local residents have embraced for decades, and a walk through the city takes you past specialty tea shops, restaurants, and cafés offering afternoon tea. But it’s hard to beat the elegance, history, and careful attention of tea service at the Fairmont Empress.

FROM THE ARCHIVE: “Great gin simply soars, above and beyond the strictures of any season.” No less a libational luminary than the last of the Tanquerays, the late, great John T., told me that one mid-morning as we were about to sit down to lunch at his offices in the old Goswell Road distillery in London.