Tuesday 16 February 2016

Hong Kong: Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula Hotel

The Peninsula Afternoon Tea


During my stay in Hong Kong in November with my little girl and parents, we were invited as guests to The Peninsula Hotel for their much lauded afternoon tea.

One of the top hotels in Hong Kong, overlooking the impressive Victoria Harbour, The Peninsula, is an impressively luxurious space. The lobby is decked with high, gilded and ornate ceilings, the room is traditionally decked out with extremely high spec furnishings, with staff in immaculate formal white dress who possess an incredible attention to detail. The shops within the lobby included the likes of Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Prada, Chanel and Louis Vuitton – to name just a few. This is a five star establishment and it shows from the offset.

My parents and I enjoyed the traditional afternoon tea which arrived, dainty and beautifully presented - with a slightly Oriental take on some British classics.

The savouries included a selection of sandwiches, such a chicken with ginger mayonnaise - the chicken was so fragrantly light and moist it was delicious. There was a multi-coloured club sandwich which included a couple of different smoked fish, which was absolutely superb, a cucumber and then there was a little cheese and crab tartlet, which had the lightest, flakiest pastry and was just enough for a mouthful. We ordered more of the same. 




Traditional scones were accompanied by clotted cream and jams and were crumbly, light and delicious. 


Scones

Pastries included a chocolate tartlet that was rich, opulent and clearly made from some seriously dark chocolate - delicious. 

Pastries

A shot glass filled with a confection that was a nod towards a Pina Colada - a coconut creamy mousse at the bottom with a pineapple coulis on top, really unusual and really beautiful.

We had a small, delicate raspberry panna cotta - my Mum's favourite and a small slice of fruit cake too, rich and dense, exactly as fruit cake should be.

Considering the decadent surroundings of The Peninsula, Bridget, who was keen to be wondering around holding onto one of our hands, was welcomed most warmly by the staff, and indeed other guests. There isn't anything 'stuffy' about this venue. We ordered for her some homemade chicken nuggets with chips from the children's menu which came with on Peninsula crockery and cutlery too, which I thought was a lovely touch - we actually went to the hotel store after to try and purchase them as a souvenir but sadly they were out of stock.

Children's crockery
Bridget's children's meal
Afternoon tea costs $358HK per person which equates to approximately £35 - however on this occasion we were guests of the hotel.

The Peninsula is one of the most revered hotels in the world so if you are visiting Hong Kong, I'd highly recommend you visit and take tea to enjoy a fantastic tradition in truly gorgeous settings.
My family in the lobby

Me and Bridget in the lobby at The Peninsula


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