Always wanted to jump right into the pages of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and have a tea party alongside the Mad Hatter, the March Hare and the rest of those classic Lewis Carol characters? Now you can: link in the New York Botanical Gardenimmersive exposure, Wonderland: Curious Nature– which will open on Saturday, May 18, and run until Sunday, October 27 – the gardens will also debut several whimsical food experiences this summer, including a quaint tea party.
RECOMMENDED: The best afternoon tea NYC has to offer, with scones, sandwiches and more
As garden guests travel down the rabbit hole in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and through 250 acres laid out in views, settings and scenes straight from the iconic Carol story, the Constellation Culinary Group will bring to life immersive, Alice-themed food and drink moments, including trippy cocktails, afternoon tea experiences, a new prix fixe menu at Hudson Garden Grill and more.
At grab-and-go pastry and coffee place Pine Tree Café, you will find Alice’s “Drink Me” Lavender Milk, served hot or iced; a queen’s lemonade inspired by the queen of hearts; and themed pastries including Illustrated Wonderland Sugar Cookies and Mad Hatter Chocolate Brownies. There will also be sandwiches, salads and wraps, with all-day service running from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.
The Rose Court will transform into a Queen of Hearts-inspired pop-up in the flower-filled Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, where visitors can indulge in the Queen’s berry lemonade, a variety of cookies, candies, and frozen treats including and ice cream sandwiches. , complemented by refreshing cold drinks, including a tantalizing red spiced hibiscus iced tea.
NYBG’s full-service restaurant Hudson Garden Grill will serve themed menus and specialty cocktails throughout the duration of the show. Prix-fixe options ($60 for three courses) including an Heirloom Tomato & Watermelon Heart Salad, Roasted Freebird Chicken Breast and Cauliflower Steak. You can finish off your meal with desserts such as “Eat Me” themed sugar cookies, classic petite fours, and homemade scones with clotted cream. The summer menu will be from May 17 to August, with an autumn change in September.
And for that classic Mad Hatter experience, the Hudson Garden Grill will also have a lovely Tea Party Party (so good, they called it twice), offering cups of tea, savory hors d’oeuvres, tea sandwiches and a selection of desserts. Offered by reservation only on Thursday afternoons, the Tea Party Party ($80 per adult, $45 per child) features festive treats like a flight of Mad Hatter cocktails, mini meat pies, and kid-friendly dishes like and bunny-shaped sandwiches. And guests are encouraged to discover theirs Wonderland– best inspired by their wardrobes for an extra dose of whimsy.
Savory treats including Mini Meat Pies, Stuffed Vine Ripe Cherry Tomatoes, and kid-friendly dishes like Bunny Sandwiches for the prettiest. Guests are invited to give their best Wonderland-allure and inspired costumes for an extra sense of adventure. The experience will last from 16:30 to 17:30 from May 23 to October 24.
See more photos of some of the wonders of the NYBG Wonderland-themed food and drink offers below.
