One of the afternoons we were in Darjeeling we walked from our hotel, the Mayfair, just a block or two along the Mall to the Windermere, which sets on a hill, quite a climb from the street up the hill side known as Observatory Hill. The Windermere is an old hotel built by a Maharaja in the 1930's in Colonial style and furnished with English furniture reminiscent of a slightly shabby but charming resort hotel along the English coast somewhere. The front of the hotel has a veranda with rockers; the back has a patio with tables and umbrellas overlooking the valley opposite Darjeeling. Lovely views. We had tea and sat in the parlor while part of our group of 12 occupied the patio outside.
The wind was up so 6 of us chose to be indoors. A fire had been laid and was gently blazing in the parlor fireplace, tea, Darjeeling, of course, was served by the butler and maids complete with tea sandwiches, scones and shortbread cake with raspberry jam filling. It was lovely to have an English tea so far from home in the remnants of an English 'watering hole' built in the days of Empire in a hotel that seemed as if it must have been there in those glory days and was for at least the last 15 years or so before Indian Independence. It was like stepping into a bygone era to enjoy afternoon tea at the lovely old Windermere.