It’s that time of the year again, when festive afternoon teas are being rolled out to ensure we get ourselves into the mood for Christmas. Guru picks our top three, in no particular order.
Waldorf Astoria Bankgok
Meet at the clock in Peacock Alley and enjoy a festive afternoon tea with a twist. “I try to keep the flavours that remind me of Christmas,” syas executive pastry chef Andrea Noli. “Especially when I was young, my mum always gave me something with pepper, caramel and cinnamon or apricot and chocolate and black forest,” he adds.
The sweet holiday treats are an Orange Santa hat; Sacher Christmas present; Cherry, Gianduja choux log cake; Pistachio, fig and strawberry wreath; Chestnut caramel cake and the famous Peacock alley Christmas stollen. “The crown on the wreath is a reminder of the Italian tradition of leaving a crown or a wreath on the front door at Christmas,” explains the chef. Chef Noli has used plenty of fruit for their sweetness and hasn’t overloaded the treats with sugar.
Savoury bites lean more towards Japan, with Miso gummies; Uni custard egg; Baeri caviar on a blini with dried egg yolk; Truffle brioche, amongst others. Wash it all down with Mariage Freres teas. The Festive Afternoon Tea is available daily until Jan 1, 2023 from 1-5pm and priced at B2,700++ per set for two. Indulge in a glass of Billecart-Salmon Champagne for B4,900++. Call 02-846-8888, email bkkwa.fb@waldorfastoria.com or Line: @WaldorfAstoriaBKK.
The Peninsula Bangkok
The Peninsula Bangkok’s Festive Afternoon tea isn’t just for adults, it will also delight children with an array of Little Elliot-themed treats. The lavish menu of sweet and savoury delicacies is, as always, complemented by music from a live jazz band, and set against the backdrop of the hotel’s towering, gorgeously decorated Christmas tree.
Additionally, guests can also purchase special Little Elliot cupcake kits to enjoy at home. To honour the spirit of generosity that accompanies the holidays, the hotel will continue its tradition of contributing a portion of the proceeds from these kits to Operation Smile Thailand, which supports children in need of essential cleft surgery and provides them with accessible follow-up treatments.
Mike Curato, the award-winning author of the Little Elliot children’s book series will sojourn at the hotel until Dec 25, as part of the Artist In Residence programme. During his residency, Curato will introduce readers to a new character, Little Longtail, inspired by the traditional boats that ply Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River. Little Longtail’s story describes his adventures along the river, and the lessons he learns from other local characters, like a sand barge and the Royal Barge. Guests can follow along on this charming journey on Dec 10-11, when Curato will perform live readings of Little Longtail’s tale at hotel’s lobby under the giant Christmas tree.
The Festive Afternoon Tea is available daily from 2-6pm throughout this month. It is priced at B2,190++ for two persons, B2,590++ for two persons, including Little Elliot Cupcake Kit and B3,290 ++ for two persons with two glasses of Deutz Cuvée Peninsula Champagne. Call 02-020-2888 or email pbk@peninsula.com.
Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok
At Hanuman Bar and Lobby Lounge, enjoy a Festive Afternoon Tea sSpecially prepared by executive pastry chef Franck Istel. The afternoon tea comes as a set and as a buffet.
Enjoy festive scones, which come in three delectable flavours – vanilla, orange cranberry and Christmas – served with homemade preserves and clotted cream; savoury delicacies; Christmas-inspired patisserie; and more while listening to the talented solo harpist Ms Wang, performing melodious harp music every Wednesday to Sunday. At the weekend, be entertained with the extravagant live excerpts from the Tchaikovsky ballet.
The weekday festive afternoon tea set, served Monday to Friday, is priced at B1,290++ per set, inclusive of one serving of Ronnefeldt tea or coffee. It runs until Jan 4, 2023 from 2-5pm. The weekend festive afternoon tea is a buffet and is paired with a Tchaikovsky ballet performance at 2:45pm and 3:45pm. The buffet is priced at B1,590++ per person, inclusive of free-flow Ronnefeldt tea or coffee. Children between the ages of six and 12 years enjoy half-price and free-flow juice). The weekend tea will be served till Jan 1, 2023, from 2-5pm.
