Afternoon Tea at The Peninsula

On Kowloon Side, having high tea at The Peninsula is something to put on your bucket list.  The Peninsula is a beautiful hotel that screams Old Hong Kong.  It sits right on Salisbury Road and faces Victoria Harbour.  High Tea is served in The Lobby.  It is on a first-come-first-serve basis, so everyone (young, old, local, visiting, etc) has to line up (queue up, as they say here).  We got into line an hour before High Tea began and there was already a line up of about 50 - 60 people.

The line

Tea time runs from 2 - 6 pm.  The best way to get here is exit L4 or L4 of Tsim Sha Tsui MTR Station, where you come up behind the Peninsula.

Our tea set with champagne option

One of my mini sandwiches

The wait staff were so accommodating

One of my little cakes

Our stroll along Harbour City after our afternoon tea

The Review:
1.  Presentation (5 out of 5)  The cakes were lovely!  The sandwiches were lovely!  The tea was lovely!  When our tiers of sandwiches and cakes came out, we were both stunned at how beautiful it was laid out.  Our tea came in beautiful little silver pots and we also got lovely little silver tea strainers.  Everything was so lovely and attention was really paid to detail of making each individual morsel.  I took photos of everything, but soon found crumbs in every photo scattered around my plate.  So, I selected two photos that could show how beautiful the presentation of the set was.

2.  Taste (5 out of 5)  I really enjoyed everything.  From the scones to my savories, the food was quite balanced.  And the desserts were also not too sweet, which is great for me.  The cucumber sandwiches were also really crisp and the cherry I got on one of my desserts was wonderfully fresh.

3.  Service (5 out of 5)  Our wait staff were amazing.  They took care of us from the moment that we got our table, helped us into our seats, placed our bags and jackets in a safe place, and immediately set out to inform us of the tea set and options.  They refilled our tea without needing to be asked by us.  And they allowed us enough privacy to chat about our girly things.  And, our one particular server, always served us with a smile.  He was great.

4.  Atmosphere (5 out of 5)  We opted for the champagne and tea set, which left us quite tipsy and enamored with our visit to The Lobby.  The Lobby was also really beautiful to sit in and have an afternoon catch up session with my wonderful friend.  Everyone there were happy and it was just a great afternoon in Hong Kong.  Even the wait in line was quintessentially Hong Kong.  I really like that feeling!

5.  Return-ability (5 out of 5)   I will totally return.  My parents are visiting in the Spring time and I will definitely take them here!  The price is average, but it is extra for the champagne.  But, High Tea is such treat that the additional price of champagne is worth it.