Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get our top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
Header image courtesy of @mo_hkg (via Instagram) and @thebutterflyroomhongkong (via Instagram)
Fancy a cuppa? There’s nothing quite like catching up with your friends over a lovely cup of tea and some cheeky nibbles, but before you put the kettle on, why not consider taking it to a whole new level of luxury by booking afternoon tea at one of these glamorous hotels in Hong Kong? And the best part is, there’s no washing up! Pinkies up...
Rosewood’s glamorous afternoon tea is served in the versatile all-day dining lounge of The Butterfly Room and offers three courses of tea sandwiches, savouries, madeleines, and scones, as well as two dessert trolleys. Make sure you arrive hungry because there’s a lot to cover! From delicate mille-feuille to a third trolley completely dedicated to artful chocolate desserts, The Butterfly Room is what sweet dreams are made of.
The Butterfly Room, Rosewood Hong Kong, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 3891 8732
André Fu’s St Regis serves a decadent afternoon tea at The Drawing Room, and if you simply cannot get enough of the sweet treats, there’s also an unlimited afternoon tea to delight in. With lofty ceilings and full-length windows that clock in at almost three stories high, The Drawing Room takes grandiose to new heights, promising a luxe experience not soon forgotten.
Food items are served on a duo of elegantly gilded trolleys, containing your choice of eight finger sandwiches, savouries, scones, and homemade pastries. Scones are served with four different jams from St Regis’s own label, but our loyalties will always lie with the clotted cream. Craft teas are curated by Plantation by Teakha and include leaves sourced from China, Egypt, Japan, South Africa, and more. A highlight of this particular afternoon tea is the champagne sabering that takes place at 5.30 pm sharp—a spectacle not to be missed.
The Drawing Room, 2/F, The St Regis Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Drive, Wan Chai | (+852) 2138 6800
There’s nothing more quintessentially Hong Kong than enjoying the acclaimed afternoon tea at The Peninsula Hong Kong while a live string quartet accompanies the experience. Served daily in The Lobby, this classic British set offers a selection of finger sandwiches and savoury pastries, homemade afternoon tea pastries, freshly baked scones with Devonshire clotted cream, as well as your choice of teas from The Peninsula tea collection. Go one step further and add Deutz Peninsula Brut Champagne to your table. Tradition has never tasted so good!
The Peninsula Hong Kong, 22 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 2920 2888
Step into the wondrous mezzanine lounge of Grand Hyatt Hong Kong and indulge in sweet and savoury bites all while feasting your eyes on the city’s gorgeous jungle of skyscrapers, accompanied by live music. Tiffin’s afternoon tea remains as popular as ever, driven by the colourful creations of executive pastry sous chef Thomas Cabrit.
Three tiers of French-inspired afternoon tea nibbles await, and Tiffin makes the most of in-season fruits to present refreshing desserts, such as the apple strudel, lemon lush cake, and puff pastry with vanilla cream and orange zest. Aside from Tiffin’s fantastic scones, don’t miss the live dessert stations and homemade ice cream counter.
Tiffin, Mezzanine Floor, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai | (+852) 2584 7722
For a contemporary high tea in a beautiful airy setting, the Garden Lounge at The Murray is the perfect spot. Overlooking the imposing façade of St John’s Cathedral, guests can enjoy sweet and savoury light bites from the afternoon tea set along with a curated offering of speciality teas by Jing and a scoop of Venchi gelato.
Savouries include caviar and crayfish with buffalo brie tart, while the sweet tier features a yuzu mochi tart, amanatsu mikan white chocolate mousse with sable, and mizu shingen mochi with sakura. The highlight has got to be the beautiful hojicha and vanilla scones, served with artisanal jam and clotted cream. You can choose to add a glass of Saicho sparkling tea or sparkling wine for an additional cost.
Garden Lounge, The Murray, 22 Cotton Tree Drive, Central | (+852) 3141 8888
When we’re taking in stunning views of the Victoria Harbour at Salisterra, it sometimes feels hard to believe our eyes—and that affordable price tag! Enjoy your elevated afternoon tea with a menu of savoury bites such as finger sandwiches with smoked salmon, dill, and cucumber, and Coronation chicken fillings, and mouthwatering sweets such as pear, yuzu, and vanilla dessert, raspberry baba mint and lime, and chocolate and praline éclair. Remember to leave enough room for the delicious raisin scones with Devonshire clotted cream to go with your tea and coffee. Marvellous!
Salisterra, 49/F, The Upper House, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty | (+852) 3968 1106
If you prefer a touch of nature with your cuppa, then this is the perfect spot for you. Kick back and relax in the elegant Lobby Lounge of the Island Shangri-La and enjoy the view of the hotel’s tropical gardens and ancient Banyan Tree. Listen to live classical music from the piano quartet and enjoy sipping your choice of Chinese or Western tea from charming chinaware while munching your way through three tiers of delights.
With one layer of savouries including pea and ricotta crostini, chicken, asparagus pesto and semi-dried tomato sandwich
and smoked salmon éclair with spring flower, as well as two layers of sweet desserts and pastries, including citrus honey cake, sakura Swiss roll, and pistachio Paris-brest, there’s plenty in this afternoon tea to satisfy your appetite. Don’t neglect the basket of scones with clotted cream and jam!
Lobby Lounge, 6/F, Island Shangri-La, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Central | (+852) 2877 3838
Why not trade a cup of tea for a glass of bubbly at The Clipper Lounge in the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong? For its afternoon tea, The Clipper Lounge presents a selection of savoury treats, including delicate finger sandwiches and pastries, before indulging in a choice of sweet treats, such as the mango passion fruit cheesecake with vanilla Chantilly, raspberry crème with pistachio sable, and sesame praline and matcha tart. The classic staples of warm raisin and classic scones are also on offer, accompanied by the Mandarin Oriental’s famed rose petal jam and Devonshire clotted cream. Add a few naughty glasses of Moët & Chandon to the mix for an extra treat.
The Clipper Lounge, Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, 5 Connaught Road, Central | (+852) 2825 4007
Well, technically, Fortnum & Mason is not a glamorous Hong Kong hotel, but it would be remiss of us not to include this royal favourite. Named after the famed London department store’s Piccadilly address, 181 brings together 300-plus years of sophisticated food and drink expertise within the striking cultural hub of K11 Musea. Fortnum & Mason’s time-honoured afternoon tea is an elegant affair, with finger sandwiches, scones, afternoon tea cakes, and trademark teas stealing the show.
What we love most, however, is that it also offers vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free afternoon tea menus—rare sights in Hong Kong tearooms. Additionally, there’s also a high tea on offer filled with moreish delights, such as lobster omelette, herb-crusted beef fillet, classic duck Scotch egg, and Welsh rarebit. If you are not a big fan of sweets, opt for 181’s savoury afternoon tea menu, featuring seasonal finger sandwiches, Scottish smoked salmon and chive, as well as stilton and blueberry scones served with dill and caper cream cheese, apple and onion port chutney, and a selection of savoury pastries to choose from.
181, Fortnum & Mason, Shop 002 & 122, G/F, K11 Musea, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Set within lush, airy interiors against the largest indoor vertical garden in Asia, there’s no better place for an afternoon of relaxation than Green at Hotel Icon. This light-filled dining spot regularly plays host to all sorts of afternoon tea collaborations, with the most recent one being its butterfly dome strawberry afternoon tea.
Available from now until 31 May, the three-course menu features a classic tour de force of traditional scones with clotted cream and jam and strawberry-infused appetisers such as baked abalone with Japanese strawberry jam, onion, and bacon, and a choice of mains such as penne seafood ragu with snow strawberry and organic tomato sauce. For the sweets portion of the meal, look forward to a range of strawberry-centred items such as the strawberry green tea tiramisu, strawberry lychee rose crème with apple cheesecake, and the strawberry matcha roulade.
Green, Hotel Icon, Lobby, 17 Science Museum Road, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 3400 1300
First published on 20 August 2018. Written by Sophie Pettit. Last updated by Celia Lee.
Covering the hottest new eats, the best places to play, offbeat takes on local culture, and so much more, Localiiz is every Hongkonger’s destination for how to live a well-rounded life in our vibrant city. Why the strange spelling? Well, Localiiz is designed to be your “local eyes”—and for that, you need two i’s.
Top
