Take a break from the silly season with a refreshing cuppa. Gayatri Bhaumik tracks down the tastiest afternoon tea-stands in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Tea and treats - pinkies out at The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore.
Singapore
The Fullerton Hotel and The Fullerton Bay Hotel
The entirely elegant ‘Festive Afternoon Tea’ is available at The Courtyard at Fullerton Hotel and The Landing Point at Fullerton Bay Hotel.
This free-flow-style experience includes turkey mayo tartlets with dried apricot, maple glaze ham with pineapple and cranberry chutney on mini bagels and Norwegian salmon gravlax with cream cheese and blinis.
Finish off with classic mini stollens, Mont Blanc tarts with Madagascar vanilla and red velvet mini Swiss rolls. And of course traditional scones; these festive offerings are studded with cranberries.
The Festive Afternoon Tea costs SG$51 per person and is available until January 3.
Raffles Singapore
Afternoon tea is a quintessential experience at this grande dame hotel. The traditional ‘Raffles Afternoon Tea’ has been given a festive spin for the holidays. Alongside favourites like classic tea sandwiches, this exquisite tea set also includes seasonal flavours, such as mincemeat pie, fruit cake and rose Champagne cassis verrines.
The cranberry scones are - naturally - served with clotted cream along with the hotel’s signature rose jam.
Best enjoyed with a glass of bubbly!
The Raffles Afternoon Tea costs SG$88 per person and is available until January 3.
Four Seasons Hotel Singapore
In the tranquil surrounds of its colonial era-inspired One-Ninety Bar, this stylish hotel is welcoming guests for a very ‘Festive Afternoon Tea’.
Only available on weekends, this seasonal treat includes Christmas-inspired pastries, signature warm scones with clotted cream and homemade jams, classic finger sandwiches and so much more. Think chestnut Mont Blanc, pistachio Paris-Brest, Mission fig and almond tart, and traditional Christmas cookies. For extra festive feels, pair the food with executive pastry chef Audrey’s signature Valrhona snowman hot chocolate, or perhaps a pairing of Three Organic Copenhagen sparkling teas.
The Festive Afternoon Tea costs SG$48 per person or SG$68 for two people and is available until December 31.
Intercontinental Singapore
Amidst the elegant surrounds of its Lobby Lounge, this chic hotel is celebrating the holidays with its ‘Classic Afternoon Tea: Merriment’.
The decadent tea set is full of festive treats, including a tree-shaped chocolate mousse with mango passion fruit compote, coconut panna cotta and coconut sable, Panettone with apricot jam and a light vanilla tart featuring a chestnut sponge cake with white Chantilly cream.
The full tea offering includes a selection of fine loose-leaf teas – or coffee – and unlimited ice cream, but guests can also choose to truly celebrate with two flutes of Taittinger Brut champagne.
The Classic Afternoon Tea: Merriment costs SG$98 per person and is available until December 31.
Regent Singapore
Step into a winter wonderland and enjoy a whimsical afternoon tea at this opulent hotel’s Tea Lounge Winter Garden.
For the holidays, the lounge is offering two afternoon teas, one for weekdays and a more extensive version for the weekends. Expect to see sugar fairies dancing atop cream-filled sandwiches, coconut cheesecakes, and aromatic spiced pastries. The expanded weekend offering includes an array of salads and main courses, like roasted turkey breast stuffed with chestnuts and foie gras and cranberry sauce. Upgrade your package with prosecco and champagne by-the-glass or a free-flow package.
The afternoon teas cost from SG$48 per person are available until December 30.
Hong Kong
All the festive feels at Hong Kong's Kerry Hotel.
The St Regis Hong Kong
The House of Astor is renowned for its signature afternoon tea offering. In Hong Kong, it’s served with a local-take from dim sum-style trolleys.
Guests are able to choose eight bites from a wide selection of treats, including new bites created especially for the holiday season. Tuck into golden foie gras on gingerbread, sea urchin bavarois with smoked salmon roe; poached oyster with dill, tarragon and fish roe and tartlet with cepes and quail eggs in onion powder.
On the sweet side, guests can try the buche Mont Blanc meringue, the ‘festive tree’ vanilla mousse, a strawberry yule log and a traditional dried fruit cake. Raise a toast to the holidays by adding on a glass of the property’s signature Caroline 400 champagne.
The afternoon tea costs HK$748 for two (extra for champagne) and is available until January 3.
Kerry Hotel
In collaboration with French perfumery Atelier Cologne, the Kerry Hotel Hong Kong is presenting a beautifully scented afternoon tea for the holidays. ‘Love in a Winter Garden’ is inspired by Atelier Cologne’s new Joie de Vivre collection and innovatively combines the citrus fruits of the collection with the tea-tray treats.
The tea set includes snow crab & lobster cocktail, Jerusalem artichoke veloute, brie de Meaux & black truffle ‘croque Monsieur’ and roast duck pancetta & chestnut en croute.
Guests can also enjoy a refreshing oolong tea-based 'mocktail' presented in an Atelier Cologne Tea Bottle by sharing their experience on social media.
The Love in a Winter Garden tea costs HK$688 for two and is available until December 31.
W Hotel Hong Kong
The Kowloon-side hotel has teamed up with cosmetics brand MAC for a chic ‘Glittery Flare’ afternoon tea set.
This is the debut of the hotel’s new executive chef, Rafa Gil (of Netflix’s The Final Table fame) and features a host of well-crafted savouries. Enjoy elegant lobster crispbread with crab roe and oyster leaf, fresh crab meat with mango, dill beetroot powder and smoked salmon with melon and cream cheese roulade.
Executive pastry chef Baptiste Villefranque has created a raft of sweet temptations morsels, like the champagne-strawberry kiss, a Madagascar vanilla & strawberry mousse and lavender frosting cake.
Of course, guests also get to take home MAC goodies, including sample products and a 30-minute make-up service.
The Glittery Fare afternoon tea costs HK$498 for two people and is available until December 31.
The Langham Hong Kong
Treat yourself to a bright and festive afternoon tea in the sophisticated surrounds of this chic hotel’s Palm Court.
The ‘Christmas Candyland Afternoon Tea’ features all manner of bite-sized Christmas treats, including pigs-in-a-blanket, gingerbread men sandwiches and red velvet yule log. The set is accompanied by the hotel’s signature homemade plain and raisin scones, served with Devonshire clotted cream, strawberry jam and rose preserve.
Embrace the seasonal spirit and upgrade the package to include two hours of unlimited champagne. Cheers!
The Christmas Candyland Afternoon Tea costs HK$698 for two people (or HK$958 for two with two glasses of champagne, or an additional HK$298 per guest with unlimited pours) and is available until December 31.
Hotel Icon
This under-the-radar Hong Kong hotel has captured the market on exquisitely sweet afternoon teas and their festive offering is no different. Partnering with Belgian chocolatier Godiva, the ‘Godiva Christmas Afternoon Tea’ is an indulgent seasonal feast.
Kick-off proceedings with a Christmas chocolate ICON teddy bear, which can be melted into a cup of hot milk to create the most decadent hot chocolate. Tastebuds tantalised, move-on to festive goodies like the Christmas macaroon and cherry-filled Black Forest cake, plus savouries like beef ragout vol-au-vents with a savoury chocolate sauce and a foie gras chocolate parfait. If you’re staying home for the holidays, you can also enjoy this as a takeaway from the comfort of your own couch.
The Godiva Christmas Afternoon Tea costs HK$658 for two people and is available until December 31.
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