he Victorian architecture at Gramercy's Lady Mendl's Tea Salon will transport you back in time, taking you to the turn of the century - not Y2K; the one before that - when aristocratic families ruled New York's socialite scene.

Oak envelopes the main tearoom, adorning the walls and floors, while fireplaces pepper the room and floral settees and twinkling candelabras lend bright tapestries of color. As I entered, the city's car horns and bustling traffic faded away and I suddenly felt like I was in a high-society parlor in the countryside.

The friendly waitstaff offered a selection of lady-like cocktails including mimosas and various Bellinis, from mango and mixed berry to pomegranate and passion fruit. The mango Bellini was a fun, flavorful twist on an old standby and I sipped pleasurably as I waited for the tea party to begin.

A choice of freshly steeped teas and a refreshing mixed-green salad with light balsamic vinaigrette began the 5-course luncheon. An inventive assortment of tea sandwiches, including smoked salmon with a dill cream cheese on pumpernickel; cucumber with mint crème fraiche on brioche; and goat cheese and sun-dried tomato on seven grain. The small but extremely satisfying sandwiches had tiny bursts of differentiating flavors and textures.