Unless you are (or have) a 5-year-old, toasting a stuffed bear and two dolls is no way to do tea.

Act your age with a private lesson on the art of tea at The Boston Park Plaza. Inside the Swan’s Cafe hides one of the country’s few tea sommeliers, Cynthia Gold, who does private tastings on request.

The self-proclaimed zealot starts with a leaf examination (dry, then wet) and guides you along the sniff-ogle-taste process. She hand-couriers varieties back from Asia and will happily pull out rare finds, including the very same blend once tossed into Boston Harbor.

Go during the cafe’s afternoon tea service for the added bonus of finger sandwiches and tea-infused cocktails.

That’s your kinda tea party.

Swan’s Cafe, The Boston Park Plaza Hotel, 50 Park Plaza, Back Bay (617-426-2000 or bostonparkplaza.com). For reservations, call 617-654-1906.

There’s more than a tea party happening in New York and London. Read up on Fashion Week (and find sweet Swindles) in The Dossier.