Standing on ceremony

Palazzo Castelletti 62, St Paul Street,Rabat Food: 6/10Service: 8/10Ambience: 9/10Value: 7/10Overall: 7/10 Afternoon tea in Rabat. And a dilemma arose at the table. To pour the milk in first or last? In the years when tea drinking first became fashionable, the prosperous and the propertied would add milk after having poured their tea, while the lower echelons of society always poured the milk in first. Tea had quickly percolated through the social strata but what was the reason for such classist confusion? Poorer quality porcelain was inclined to crack under the heat of boiling hot tea, and so the milk was added first in order to protect the tea cup. It was another matter for those fortunate enough to own a superior quality, fine china tea set. The upper crust sat about eating their crustless tea sandwiches and poured their tea, trickling in a dash of milk. With the curse of the cracked cup left firmly in the past, we set about enjoying our tea at a leisurely pace; the only way to truly appreciate the little luxury that is afternoon tea. Sitting in the sun-lit courtyard of a gorgeous palazzo, the elegant surroundings and unhurried atmosphere encouraged just that; the staff...