There’s no better way to catch up than over a leisurely high tea with a tiered stand of delights and soothing cuppas. From a tantalising spread that’ll transport you to Peru to delightful treats sweetened with honey, you’re up for a novel experience with these afternoon tea affairs. There’s even one that nods to Orchard Road’s heritage as a plantation.
For its latest afternoon tea spread, Alley on 25 at Andaz Singapore is serving up a slew of locally-inspired delights. And they’re charmingly presented on handcrafted stands with adorable mini doors that nod to heritage shophouses.
The iconic chicken rice ball, for instance, gets a makeover with the panko-coated and deep-fried Hainanese chicken arancini. Or sink your teeth into a flavourful beef rendang tartlet starring slow-cooked New Zealand beef. For a fiery edge, there’s a sambal prawn sandwich with sustainably sourced tiger prawns and Avruga caviar crowning sourdough toast.
Afterwards, savour spiced-infused sweet treats like the Dirty Chai scones, a saffron panna cotta, a spiced dark chocolate bonbon, and a cinnamon soft serve paired with five-spice cornflake crumble and caramelised biscuit crumble.
There’s a free flow of coffee and TWG tea, but if you prefer a local flavour, there’s teh halia available, too. Or you can make it a merrier affair with Delamotte Brut Champagne, Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé Champagne, or organic Copenhagen Sparkling Tea (from $20 per glass or from $90 per bottle).
From $55++ per person. Available daily from 3pm to 5pm. Andaz Singapore is at 5 Fraser Street, Singapore 189354. Visit its website for reservations or more information.
From now till Nov 30, 2022, be whisked away to Peru with Raffles Hotel’s latest iteration of its thematic afternoon tea experiences at its Lobby Lounge.
Presented on a three-tier silver stand, the savouries focus on well-loved Peruvian classics like the Pan Con Chicharrón, a pork and sweet potato sandwich topped with crisp red onion relish, or a Peruvian-style grilled chicken sandwich given a kick with spicy green jalapeno sauce.
Also sitting pretty on the stand is a series of traditional sweet treats. There are Peruvian squash and sweet potato doughnuts with syrup, a layered strawberry jelly cake, and a caramel-like pudding. For chocolate lovers, the Torta Chocolate Cake with 65% Alto El Sol is a classic confection that uses rich and quality chocolate from a small plantation estate located in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon jungle.
You can expect the Grand Lobby’s signature homemade original and raisin scones served with clotted cream and strawberry rose jam. Accompany your spread with a choice of “Mariage Frères” loose tea leaves or Raffles’ custom-blended coffee beans.
Price: $88++ per person
From now till Nov 30, 2022. Available daily from 1pm to 5pm (Mon – Thurs) and 12pm to 6pm (Fri – Sun). The Grand Lobby is at Raffles Hotel Singapore, 1 Beach Road, Singapore 189673. Visit its website for reservations or more information. Reservations for the Peru Afternoon Tea experience must be made a day in advance.
Autumn has arrived at Four Seasons Singapore. Settle down at the botanical-inspired One-Ninety Bar and savour a curation of treats dreamt up by pastry chef Reiko Yokota of Four Seasons Kyoto, drawing on the beauty of the season, as well as her personal memories of destinations, flavours and textures.
Start the feasting with a king crab chawanmushi, then eat your way through delights like Saikyo miso foie gras terrine, an aubergine and unagi sandwich, sweet soy and ginger mousse, Japanese strawberry mochi and a hojicha tea and apricot cookie sandwich.
The accompanying scones come in flavours of matcha white chocolate, and ginger confit. Wash it down with a specially curated Japanese Tea selection, Lavazza coffee or Gryphon tea.
Price: From $58++ per person
Available from Sep 3 to Nov 27, 2022, on Sat and Sun, 3pm to 5pm. Four Seasons Singapore is at 190 Orchard Blvd, Singapore 248646. Visit its website for reservations or more information.
Conrad Centennial Singapore’s Lobby Lounge is now abuzz with a new honey-centric afternoon tea spread.
Make your way through the likes of a Bourbon manuka honey chicken slider, smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches sweetened with wild honey, and a buckwheat blini topped with ikura, ricotta, cucumber and eucalyptus honey.
There are also toothsome cakes and desserts, like a hazelnut sponge with acacia thyme honey, and avocado cheesecake with manuka honey and spirulina jelly.
Each set will get you unlimited servings of Ronnefeldt tea or Brazilian coffee. For the tea, you can also sip on fruity infusions like Soft Peach, Granny Garden (rhubarb and bourbon vanilla) and Sweet Kiss (strawberry, pineapple and kiwi).
Price: From $45++ per person on weekdays, and $49++ per person on weekends. Additional $20++ for free-flow prosecco (two hours)
Available daily from now till Sept 15, 2022, with two seatings each day (1pm to 3pm, and 3.30pm to 5pm). Conrad Centennial Singapore is at 2 Temasek Blvd, Singapore 038982. Visit its website for reservations or more information.
Pan Pacific Singapore has gone local with its new afternoon tea menu, as well as introduced added touches like a welcome cocktail and amuse bouche before you dig in. On the menu, you can expect classic afternoon tea treats with a local flavour – think durian choux, Singaporean chilli crab brioche roll, egg pinwheel roll, and lychee chestnut gateaux.
There are the quintessential scones too, but here, they’re paired with chef Dannevien’s handmade pineapple and peppercorn jam. The local inspiration extends to the beverages as well, with teas (amongst almost 20 loose-leaf options from TWG) like the locally inspired Singapore Breakfast and Weekend in Singapore. Bacha coffee is also available.
From $52++ per person. Available daily from 12pm to 6pm at the Atrium. Pan Pacific Singapore is at 7 Raffles Blvd, Singapore 039595.
Served in a five-tier ceramic tiffin or tingkat, Colony’s spread is set to take you on a journey through Singapore’s culinary heritage.
Savoury items are at one serving per person, and you can feast on familiar flavours like king crab sandwich with tamarind hoisin sauce, Impossible chilli con carne with nacho chips, and “Dragon’s beard” stuffed crustacean with salted egg aioli. Desserts-wise, you get an endless flow of the likes of cookies, scones, chocolate pralines, and ice cream. There’s also a peanut wrap with peanut nougat, yam ice cream and coriander enveloped in popiah skin.
Each person also gets a flute of Champagne Barons de Rothschild Réserve Ritz Brut NV
or a fruity prosecco.
Price: From $58++ per person.
Available Mon to Sat, 3.30pm to 5.30pm. The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore is at 7 Raffles Ave, Singapore 039799. Visit its website for reservations or more information.
Go to Ginger.Lily hungry, because its four-course The Orchard Trail Experience afternoon tea, which nods to Orchard Road’s history as a plantation, is sure to fill your belly. Get started with the bar’s delicious housemade kombucha, before digging into the spread, which is beautifully presented as a ‘book’.
For the savouries, the beef sliders are delicious, with thick juicy patties and melty cheese. The mini lobster rolls are also good, with generous chunks of succulent flesh. Of the sweets, the fruity and decadent Almond Fig Tart, as well as the Spiced Apple Tatin, had us impressed. The colourful Tutti Fruitti Tea Cake topped with a gelee sheet is also lovely, while the pink macaron surprises with the spicy note of peppercorns.
You’ll get Vanilla Madagascar and Golden Raisins House Scones served warm with classic condiments – clotted cream, cinnamon chocolate ganache, and a signature Ginger.Lily jam.
Price: From $58++ per person (minimum of two persons per set)
Available daily from 2pm to 5pm. Ginger.lily is at Hilton Orchard Singapore, 333 Orchard Road, Singapore 238867. Visit its website for reservations or more information.
A collab between one-Michelin-starred Japanese-French restaurant Whitegrass and teahouse Hvala, the recently opened Boyutei’s afternoon tea affair comprises an assortment of eleven items curated by Whitegrass’ head chef Takuya Yamashita.
Elegantly presented in traditional Japanese jubako (tiered boxes), start with the soft grilled unagi on toast. Then make your way through the likes of a Narazuke Cream Cheese with crunchy pickles nestled in an airy monaka wafer, battered ebi katsu, a refreshing somen with crunchy sakura ebi, as well as a dense moist olive financier.
For sweets, it offers a fluffy and aromatic hojicha financier and a luscious tiramisu balanced with earthy matcha powder. There’s also a matcha warabi mochi, and a rich goma nama chocolate coated in black sesame powder to end it on a decadent note.
Each set comes with a choice of hot brews (choose from Chinese or Japanese teas) curated by Hvala.
$69++ per set for two persons. And for all weekdays in Sep 2022 (3pm to 5pm), you can also add on with a free-flow of natural sparkling wine ($30++, UP $38++), or sake at $15++ (u.p. $18++) per glass or $70++ (u.p. $88++) per bottle.
Boyutei is at 28 Ann Siang Road, #01-02, Singapore 069708.