The Most Delightful and Luxurious Afternoon Tea Experiences in Hong Kong

As a tradition introduced in 19th century Britain, the afternoon tea experience has become wildly popular all over the world for allowing people to enjoy a decadent dining experience in which they get to taste a range of palatable sweet and savoury delicacies presented ardently on a tiered plate stand alongside beverages of their choice. Much like many other happening cities in the world, Hong Kong is also home to a selection of afternoon tea experiences that cannot be missed, and we have listed some here.

Japanese-Inspired “Betsu Bara” Afternoon Tea

Fittingly named the ‘Betsu Bara’ afternoon tea, a Japanese phrase meaning ‘separate stomach’, this tea experience at the Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour, in collaboration with Luna Cake, offers a range of sweet and savoury delicacies. Some bite-sized dishes include Salmon Tamagoyaki, Unagi Taco, Matcha Opera Cake, Yuzu Chocolate Sphere, and many more. In addition to this, there are all-you-can-eat buffets serving ice creams and some beloved desserts from Japan such as Dorayaki, Taiyaki and Soufflé Pancake.

Where: The Farmhouse, Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour
When: Until June 25, 2023 (on weekends and public holidays)
Price: HK$688 for two people
Click here to make your reservation.

The Peninsula Afternoon Tea On The Harbour

For its latest afternoon tea iteration, Peninsula has partnered with the Star Ferry to offer a truly unique high tea experience that takes you on a luxury cruise ride accompanied by live music. As splendid as this is its selection of sweet and savoury offerings like Citrus jelly and vanilla cheesecake; Mont-blanc, Chocolate cream on a sesame biscuit; Tuna Niçoise on focaccia; and Green asparagus and cheddar quiche.

Where: World Star Ferry or The Lobby, The Peninsula
When: Until July 2, 2023 (on weekends and public holidays)
Price: HK$650 for one person
Click here to make your reservation.

Häagen-Dazs™ x Madame Fù“The Afternoon Tea of Afternoon Teas”

Madame Fù has joined forces with the beloved and globally popular ice cream brand Häagen-Dazs for its latest afternoon tea experience. It is a truly decadent experience that matches the colourfulness of Spring with its picks of desserts and savouries. This afternoon tea from Madame Fù boasts many mouth-watering dishes including Purple Sweet Potato Choux, Matcha Alfajores with Red Bean Dulce de Leche, Spinach and Mozzarella Stuffed Button Mushrooms and others.

Where: Madame Fù
When: April and May 2023 (weekdays and weekends)
Price: HK$338 for one person and HK$550 for two people
Click here to take a look at the full menu.

Mandarin Afternoon Tea

Dubbed the most famous afternoon tea experience in Hong Kong, the Mandarin Oriental is known to feature a spectrum of flavorful and easily-loved delicacies. Perfect for both people who love sweet and savoury dishes, the Mandarin afternoon tea has the best picks of scones, sandwiches and desserts on its menu. Hong Kong’s Mandarin Oriental also has its own exclusive tea consisting of oolong tea leaves, vanilla, lavender and other ingredients that is truly a flavour bomb. This much-appreciated afternoon tea set is also available for takeaway from The Mandarin Cake Shop.

Where: Clipper Lounge, Mandarin Oriental
When: Weekdays and weekends
Price: HK$428 for one person and HK$828 for two people
Click here to make a reservation.

Refined Afternoon Tea and Savoury Bites

Taking all the steps to elevate the traditional afternoon tea experience to something more modern, the afternoon tea set at Rosewood Hong Kong is both a feast to the eyes and mouth for how visually appealing and tasty each dish on the menu is. It is complete with an iconic range of traditional finger sandwiches, pastries, chocolates and caviars that are sure to leave any person full and satisfied.

Where: The Butterfly Room, Rosewood Hong Kong
When: Weekdays and weekends
Price: Starting at HK$548 for one person
Click here to make a reservation.

Also Read: Where to eat in Kennedy Town? The Best Gastronomy in the area

Romantic afternoon teas to enjoy this Valentine’s Day

With social distancing measures still firmly in place and dining out for dinner all but a pipedream, you might think that Valentine’s Day this year will be something of a muted affair. But while post-6pm meals might not be on the agenda, some of the city’s favourite eateries have come together to serve up a slightly different but no less romantic offering: Valentine’s Day afternoon teas. Be it an exclusive pink-embellished tea set with a limited-edition fragrance from Bulgari or a floral-inspired dim sum cruise along the coast of Hong Kong island, here are some of our top picks:

The Langham X BVLGARI Rose Goldea Afternoon Tea

The Langham Hotel, long a hotspot for afternoon tea aficionados, has recently partnered with luxury brand Bulgari for a special Valentine’s Day experience in the form of The Langham X BVLGARI Rose Goldea Afternoon Tea. Inspired by the essence of Bulgari’s limited-edition Rose Goldea fragrance, executive pastry chef Jean-Marc Gaucher has tailor made an afternoon tea menu for two in the hotel’s iconic sweet pink shade. Boasting a vibrant assortment of sweet and savoury treats, for a limited time only, guests who partake will even be given a miniature bottle of the perfume per booking for two.
Price: HK$688+ for two guests
Contact: +852 2132 7898

Tiffany Blue at Tiffany Blue Box Cafe

Forget about breakfast at Tiffany’s, now you can celebrate the season of romance with a sumptuous afternoon tea at the much-anticipated extension of the new Tiffany & Co. flagship store, Tiffany Blue Box Cafe. Serving up divine selections of sweet pastries such as lychee mousse, rose strawberry jelly and a kataifi nest with marshmallow and chocolate eggs, the special menu also features caviar and chorizo-laden savoury bites.
Price: HK$788+ for two guests
Contact: +852 2362 9828

Aqua Luna Romantic Afternoon Tea Cruise

Craving for a romantic getaway with your significant other? Perhaps celebrating your love at sea with an open-water afternoon tea cruise courtesy of the Aqua Luna junk might be just the ticket. Setting sail on Valentine’s Day, loved-up couples can be picked up at Central or Tsim Sha Tsui ferry piers and cruise along the coast to the floating village of Aberdeen. Along the way, delectable dishes such a rose-infused dumplings, macaroons and other signature offerings from The Dim Sum Library will be served.
Price: HK$776+ for two guests
Contact: +852 8821 2116

Vivienne Westwood Afternoon Tea

Luxury fashion brand Vivienne Westwood looks set to treat guests to a modish Valentine’s high-tea experience at its cafe in the lifestyle hotspot of Fashion Walk in Causeway Bay. From now until the 21st of February, the city’s first ever Vivienne Westwood cafe is offering a special Valentine’s Day tea set to treat you and your loved one to a modern classical take on British afternoon tea that features both savoury and sweet mouth-watering delicacies. What’s more, the lucky few who first book a spot for the day will even be gifted a special Vivienne Westwood necklace as a keepsake.
Price: HK$688+ for two guests
Contact: +852 2799 5011

Paws For Tea at The Murray

Nowhere does it say that Valentine’s Day is just for humans. In fact, The Murray Hotel is offering a delightful twist to the traditionally romantic occasion by celebrating love for man’s best friend instead. Its ‘Paws For Tea’ set, served at the five-star hotel’s The Arches, will have you and your four-legged pal treated to a series of sumptuous bites for you and canine-tailored treats for your pet. Your furry friend will even get a new set of snazzy apparel courtesy of the Doggie Marketplace.
Price: HK$480+ for one guest and one pet
Contact: +852 3141 8888

How Hong Kong’s love of afternoon tea stems from a bloody 19th-century conflict

What truly defines Hong Kong? As a clue, it’s not finance, food or even fashion. Indeed, if contemporary Hong Kong has been shaped by anything, it’s tea. Hongkongers, of course, love every manifestation of their favourite brew, be it the more homely street-side bubble variety or the posher five-star-hotel afternoon incarnation. This is perhaps a reflection of just how deep-rooted the city’s entanglement with tea actually is, with the (Brooke) bonds in question dating back several centuries.

Tea-ing off…

As with so many local traditions, it all started with the British, those quintessential lovers of all things tea. Surprisingly, while tea was a China-wide tipple some 2,000 years ago, it took the Brits a further 1,700 years to cotton on, with the Sceptred Isle not getting its first cuppa till the 17th century, courtesy of the East India Company (EIC), one of the world’s first true conglomerates. Quickly securing royal endorsement, Catherine of Braganza, the wife of King Charles II, championed its adoption by the aristocracy of the day, ensuring it was soon both a coveted and costly commodity.

As to how we get from a Stuart monarch’s preferred bevvy to the forming of a habit across Hong Kong, well, that’s again down to the EIC. Swift to realise the profit potential of the tea trade, it was soon buying up China’s surplus stocks by the barrel load. The sheer scale of this operation, however, soon led to a massive trade imbalance in China’s favour, with Britain having little on offer that mainlanders wished to acquire. In a bid to restore balance, the EIC began cultivating tea in India’s Darjeeling and Assam regions, with the superior flavours of these varieties soon ousting the China-grown alternative from the affections of the discerning English folk. This, though, didn’t suffice to stem the EIC’s commercial aspirations and it soon set about clandestinely importing India-sourced opium to China.

These illicit narcotics swiftly drained China’s national coffers, leading to the bloody Opium Wars. Ultimately defeated, China was then obliged to sign an agreement in 1842 ceding Hong Kong to the British Empire. And so it remained until 1997, when it finally returned to the motherland, bringing with it a ragbag of British legacies, including an insatiable love for tea.

A time for tea

One of the most pervasive of all such traditions is the enduring popularity of afternoon tea. Indeed, it would be a hardy Hongkonger who could decline a cuppa and sweet treats in the afternoon. In fact, this particular ritual has become so ubiquitous that the ceremonial serving of afternoon tea remains a staple of hotel hospitality across the city, with pretty much every establishment – from The Ritz-Carlton to The Rosewood –offering its own take. In fact, so fond are Hongkongers of this particular pre-handover hangover that queuing for seats at some of the more favoured venues begins up to an hour before afternoon tea is served. One particularly popular destination is The Peninsula, the city’s oldest hotel. Indeed, according to Florian Trento, the hotel’s group executive chef, it was this very hotel that hosted Hong Kong’s first-ever afternoon tea event. Says he: “After The Peninsula opened in 1928, its tea lounge quickly became the place to meet and be seen. While we’re not sure as to exactly when afternoon tea was first served here, we do know the hotel was offering it well before anyone else in Hong Kong.” Inevitably, its pioneering approach played a major role in establishing the hotel as the locale of choice for the glamorous high society of Hong Kong.

Stirrings across Hong Kong…

Over the ensuing decades, while the city has gone through a series of transformations, Hong Kong’s love of tea has persisted and, indeed, evolved. Today, it is not uncommon for leading interior designers, renowned lifestyle brands and eminent dessert chefs and chocolatiers to collaborate with upmarket hotels and restaurants to create new afternoon tea offerings.

Accordingly, The Ritz-Carlton recently collaborated with Italian haute couture brand Giuseppe Zanotti to concoct an exquisite afternoon tea offering to celebrate the marque’s FW19 collection. Similarly, the InterContinental Hong Kong worked with the French skincare brand Caudalie on the creation of its Anti-oxidant Afternoon Tea, which is available until the end of this month. Meanwhile, The Murray also hosted a pet-friendly afternoon tea set, Paws for Tea, especially for dog owners and their furry friends. While such innovations have a ready market, there are some true classics that are also keenly sought out. The Big Three here would have to be the Mandarin Oriental’s Opera Cake, the special blue flower tea available only at The Conrad and the Wedgewood speciality teas that come courtesy of The Langham Hong Kong. So, let’s tea off in style, we say!

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay
Photos: The InterContinental Hong Kong, The Murray, The Peninsula

Perrier-Jouët joins The Conrad Hong Kong for Afternoon Tea

Unveiling its latest collaboration, luxury champagne brand Perrier-Jouët presents The Conrad Hong Kong’s latest afternoon tea set. Nestled in the hotel lobby, Executive Chef Claudio Rossi and Pastry Chef Billy Yuen invite you to escape the cold of winter and the rush of the holiday season and celebrate the joy of Christmas.

The delightful selection of dishes are made with deluxe ingredients that elevate the festive mood. Sweets lay atop the spread, offering an exciting palate of French cocktail-inspired treats, many with a berry twist. The classic dessert of mini chestnut Mont Blanc stands out as a seasonal favourite, offering an unmatched sweetness to compliment the champagne.

Placed in the centre and bottom of the festive spread lay the savoury items. Among the marvellous assortment of items, the braised wagyu beef short rib with truffle mashed potato stands out and takes you back to Grandma’s holiday cooking. Another holiday favourite the roasted turkey sandwich with cranberry cream that blends together the nostalgia for autumn and the excitement for Christmas – all in one bite!

Complimenting the sweet and savoury dishes of the tea-set perfectly is the Grand Brut Champagne from Perrier-Jouët. Served in a signature flute glass, the beautiful bubbly is the perfect way to usher the festivities with your near and dear ones.

The Bubbly Perrier-Jouët Champagne Afternoon Tea Set is available from 1 December to 6 January.

Text: Bailey Atkinson

High tea meets high glamour in beauty-inspired afternoon tea set

Dalloyau cafe has partnered with cosmetics brand Fancl to launch an afternoon tea set inspired by its range of makeup products.

Dalloyau’s limited-time menu includes such sweet treats as a lipstick-shaped coquelicot cream and white chocolate wrap, an “eye shadow platter” raspberry-almond cake with 66% dark chocolate ganache, and a choux rose couronne topped with a gold tiara as a celebration of Fancl winning the Hall of Fame award at the Best Cosmetics Awards 2017.

Putting the icing on the petit gateau, guests who order the dedicated tea set will receive a complimentary 5-day travel kit, which includes Fancl’s hero(ine) product, its Mild Cleansing Oil (MCO) makeup remover.

The tea set is priced at HK$536 plus 10% for two persons, available from 1 September – 31 October 2017. Dalloyau is based in Harbour City mall, west of Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.

Afternoon tea with a fragrant twist

Afternoon tea is the perfect way to unwind and treat yourself after a hard morning shopping or whatever you did to deserve it.

But, afternoon tea and fragrances are not something we would generally put together to entice weary shoppers to a hotel lobby. However, this hasn’t stopped the Signorina fragrance selection of Salvatore Ferragamo collaborating with the Lobby Lounge at Conrad Hong Kong.

Devised by Chef Luca de Berardinis from Nicholini’s, the savoury selections include Pappa al Pomodoro with burrata cheese – a classic bread and tomato soup – sandwiches with smoky unctuous eel and foie gras and red tuna carpaccio with guacamole.

Some of the afternoon tea selections allegedly entice the nostrils with their links to Salvatore Ferragamo fragrances. For example, the marinated salmon and salmon roe sandwiches are supposedly reminiscent of the pink Signorina Eau de Parfum of jasmine and roses.

If a flowery, fragrant afternoon tea is your thing, the Salvatore Ferragamo Fragrance inspired afternoon tea set will be served until 19 February between Mondays and Fridays.