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Although dinner service restrictions have blessedly been lifted and we no longer have to resort to daytime dining for all our socialising needs, there’s still something incredibly compelling about having afternoon tea. Laze away an afternoon with delectable food served in bite sizes, tea or coffee, and a cheeky tipple or several—here are the best afternoon tea menus to try in Hong Kong this season, for a limited time only!
If you’re after a twist to the traditional cakes and scones that dominate the afternoon tea scene, then check out The Place at Cordis, who have launched a new Japanese & Korean afternoon tea buffet ($338 for adults; $248 for children and seniors). Expect to find snack favourites such as takoyaki, okonomiyaki, carbonara tteokbokki, and kimchi fried chicken, as well as stations for live robatayaki, Kanto oden, and more. Desserts are strawberry-focused, featuring delights like strawberry Basque cheesecake, strawberry mille-feuille, and dorayaki with Korean strawberry compote. Each guest can also enjoy a complimentary glass of strawberry sparkling wine, strawberry chocolate milk, or Korean honey yuzu tea on top of the normal non-alcoholic free-flow!
The Place, 4/F, Cordis, Hong Kong, 555 Shanghai Street, Mong Kok | (+852) 3552 3028
Gradini is collaborating with British jewellery brand Annoushka to create the Lovelocks afternoon tea (starting from $298). Savoury bites include lobster sandwiches, foie gras with port wine jelly, caviar with crab meat, and more, while sweets include dainty desserts such as lemon madeleines with gold chocolate, honey jelly with gold leaf, and rose panna cotta. Of course, there will also be scones with clotted cream and jam served, as well as whole-leaf teas by Tea WG and Illy coffee. Guests will also receive an Annoushka gift voucher valued at $1,000! Available until 23 April.
Gradini Ristorante E Bar Italiano, L/F, The Pottinger Hong Kong, 74 Queen’s Road Central, Central | (+852) 2308 3088
In a collaboration with Somersby, Three on Canton is launching their Love You “Som” More afternoon tea (starting from $388), which features bites infused with Somersby sparkling rosé. Look out for exclusives, such as the strawberry vanilla tart with rosé jam which includes fresh rose petals, the homemade berries compote with rosé gelee, and the citrus fruit yoghurt with rosé foam, as well as savouries like saffron scallop with cauliflower dip, and smoked salmon and peeled cherry tomato with buffalo ball. Visit the special Somersby outdoor garden, and be presented with two complimentary bottles of Somersby sparkling rosé and wine glasses to take home. Available until 30 June.
Three on Canton, 3/F, Gateway Hotel, 13 Canton Road, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 2113 7828
Foodies who prefer Chinese cuisine to Western should visit 10 Shanghai for a different kind of afternoon tea with their Classic Huaiyang afternoon tea set ($338 for two people). Served in large bamboo steamers, dig into perennial favourites such as marinated rosy jellyfish head with aged vinegar, Shanghai-style sweet & sour baby back ribs, smoked soft-boiled eggs with black truffle pearls, the restaurant’s signature crispy smoked baby squab, abalone & ham pastry, and xiao long bao. In case the bites aren’t filling enough, the set also includes either stewed Shanghainese noodles with chicken or Shanghainese noodles with pickled cabbage, sliced bamboo shoots, and shredded pork in superior broth. Available from 2.30 pm to 6 pm daily.
10 Shanghai, Shop 101, Lee Garden Two, 28 Yun Ping Road, Causeway Bay | (+852) 2338 5500
Still prefer dining within the germ-free safety of your own four walls? No problem, simply order the Tiffany To-Go afternoon tea ($688 for two people) for a touch of elegance at home. Lift the white and iconic Tiffany blue cover to reveal a three-tier tower housing treats such as the queen crab roll, the lobster roll, shrimp dorayaki with caviar and Hokkaido urchin, the risotto ball filled with chorizo and pimiento, and the yuzu honey tart. There is even a cake shaped like a Tiffany mini blue box, and marshmallow chocolate eggs in the Tiffany bird’s nest. Each set also comes with the No. 727 Tiffany blend tea. This afternoon tea set needs to be preordered at least 24 hours in advance and picked up in-store.
The Tiffany Blue Box Café, Shop 7 & 8, 2/F, One Peking, 1 Peking Road, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 2362 9828
Head on over to Hue for Aussie-inspired afternoon tea ($680 for two people) with a side of harbour views. Savouries and sweets with flavours from down under include homemade scones served with orange and thyme marmalade, raspberry rhubarb jam, and vanilla cream, gruyere custard puffs, deviled eggs on toast, octopus skewers with furikake, manchego and spring onion croquettes, mini pavlovas, and matcha lamingtons. There will also be a range of teas from TeaCha, and guests can add $55 for special mocktails, or $100 for a glass of Taittinger Brut Reserve Champagne.
Hue, 1/F, Hong Kong Museum of Art, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 3500 5888
Plant-powered restaurant Miss Lee is here to encourage green eating resolutions with their “Vegan Par-Tea” afternoon tea set ($138 per person, with a minimum order for two diners required), which blends quintessential British tea time choices with the kind of creative Chinese dishes the restaurant is known for. Served in an elegant bamboo cage, this set features eight vegan bites, including freshly baked hawthorn and black sesame scones, tapioca crackers served with balsamic vinegar pearls, and mini portions of some of their most popular dishes such as the Smashing Pumpkin pumpkin cakes and the Rolling Stones rice noodle rolls with XO sauce.
Miss Lee, G/F, The Wellington, 198 Wellington Street, Sheung Wan | (+852) 2881 1811
An Nam’s Indochine afternoon tea ($238 for two people) offers a regional variation not often found with this meal. Savouries include five of the restaurant’s classics such as garlic and butter chicken wings and char-grilled jumbo river prawns, while the dessert selection also contains five dishes, including sago pandan pudding and purple sticky rice. Two more noodle options—Vietnamese beef rice noodle soup or crabmeat vermicelli in tomato soup—will ensure that you finish the meal fully sated.
An Nam, Shop L1–20, Festival Walk, 80 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong | (+852) 2866 2803
Under the same group management as An Nam, Mango Tree brings a mix of old and new flavours in their Thai afternoon tea in a basket ($238 for two people). Find Thai savoury favourites like pork neck fillet skewer with sticky rice, mini fish cake burger, and pomelo salad with whitebait, as well as four sweets which include Thai tea & Thai coffee pudding. Inclusive of two drinks, this tea set is available in the Tai Koo and Yuen Long branches.
Mango Tree Kitchen, locations across Hong Kong
Monsoon collates Southeast Asia’s best street foods into one vibrant afternoon tea set ($248 for two people). Expect to find delights such as soft shell crab rice paper rolls, lemongrass chicken baos, Dengdeng Belado spicy beef ribs, and seared scallop with green nahm jihm sauce. Of course, there are also sweet pastries and a variety of fine tea blends, with a 90-minute free-flow alcohol package available to be added on for $168 per person. This tea set is available daily from 3 pm to 5.30 pm.
Monsoon, Shop 1045, 1/F, Elements, 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 2511 0100
Café Marco brings the culinary delights of Japan to the hotel over March and April this year. Paying tribute to one of Japan’s most beautiful seasons, the sakura gourmet weekend afternoon tea buffet ($308) features edible sakura blossoms with over 10 dish choices on offer. Choose from sakura yoghurt cheesecake, sakura almond bean curd, sakura mousse cake with guava, sake sakura kante, sakura dango, and more. Free-flow fruit juices, coffee, and tea are also included. Available from 3.15 pm to 5.15 pm over weekends and public holidays.
Café Marco, 1/F, Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui | (+852) 2113 3912
The Lobby Lounge at the Island Shangri-La is taking inspiration from spring’s seasonal ingredients—heirloom cherry tomatoes, green asparagus, sakura tea, and more—to create their new spring afternoon tea (starting from $338). Stand-outs from their menu include the lobster wheat bread roll with cream cheese, the foie gras Melba toast with dried fruits, roast beef with rémoulade & spring cress, as well as sweets like pistachio & cherry crunch, strawberry sakura tea mousse, and Jivara coffee crémeux. Available throughout the week until 30 April, with takeaways also available.
Lobby Lounge, 6/F, Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong, Pacific Place, Supreme Court Road, Admiralty | (+852) 2877 3838
Kerry Hotel has partnered with premium French chocolate brand Valrhona to create the Colour of Inspiration afternoon tea (starting from $638 for two people). Incorporating the chocolatier’s range of fruit couvertures, the focus is given to highlighting five flavours: yuzu, almond, raspberry, strawberry, and passion fruit. We particularly like the crab & yuzu mini doughnut, rougié foie gras with Sichuan pepper and strawberry, passion fruit & Sicilian red prawn “ceviche,” and the raspberry mousse & lychee diplomate. Insta the tea set with the appropriate hashtags for a complimentary Pu’er chocolate infusion drink as well!
Lobby Lounge, 1/F, Kerry Hotel, 38 Hung Luen Road, Hung Hom | (+852) 2252 5237
Alva Hotel’s PitStop pairs the in-season Fukuoka Amaou strawberry with the nourishing Chinese bird’s nest delicacy to create the Glam Up Pink Lady afternoon tea set ($598 for two people). These two ingredients are featured in every dish on the tea menu, creating interesting contrasts and pairings with savouries like seared scallop and salmon roe and smoked salmon mousse cup, as well as with sweets—we particularly like the sound of the Fukuoka Amaou strawberry bird’s best white peach tart and the 3.6 milk pudding. Diners can also add on a strawberry mixed soda for $38 per glass, or opt for takeaway which comes with a bottle of sparkling wine. Available until 30 April.
PitStop, 1/F, Alva Hotel by Royal, 1 Yuen Hong Street, Sha Tin | (+852) 3653 1319
Catharina has recently returned to her hometown of Hong Kong after spending her formative years in Singapore and the UK. She enjoys scouring the city for under-the-radar things to do, see, and eat, and is committed to finding the perfect foundation that will withstand Hong Kong’s heat. She is also an aspiring polyglot, a firm advocate for feminist and LGBTQIA+ issues, and a huge lover of animals. You can find her belting out show-tunes in karaoke, or in bookstores adding new tomes to her ever-growing collection.
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