Embrace Elegance This Season With These Christmas Afternoon Teas
The Christmas season is upon us, and if you're looking to celebrate with a touch of elegance this year, then why not treat yourself to a Christmas afternoon tea? Numerous spots across the capital have launched festive sets, and whether you're craving classic scones with clotted cream, inventive savory bites, or desserts that look almost too beautiful to eat, here are some of this year's Christmas offerings.
To take a look at festive feasts around Beijing, you can check out the two posts below:
The Conrad
The Conrad's lavish Christmas Afternoon Tea comes displayed on a meter-high Art Deco Christmas tree, along with accompanying plates, for a true showstopper of a tea. Some highlights include a Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse in the shape of a reindeer, a Crab Meat, Fennel and Lobster Bisque Vol-au-vent and a Cherry Chocolate Log Cake. For drinks, the set comes with your choice of tea or coffee and, for the cherry on top that makes this a truly luxurious experience, a bottle of sparkling wine, which you can opt to take away if you prefer.
Price: RMB 888/set for two, through their WeChat mini program; or RMB 976.2/set for two, at the restaurant
Time available: 1pm-5pm, now-Dec 31 (excluding Dec 20-21)
Where: Chapter Restaurant and Lobby Lounge
Reservation: 010 6584 6000
The Peninsula
The Peninsula's Festive Afternoon Tea is a great choice for those who prefer a tea with more savory options. Their tea features four savory dishes: Home-made Foie Gras Terrine with Champagne Jelly and Black Truffle on Gingerbread Toast; Honey-roasted Gammon and Fig Sandwich with Red Currant and Cranberry Jam; King Crab Roulade Water Spinach Sandwich; and Home-made Salmon Gravlax Tartlet with Picallilli Relish and Keta Caviar.
It also includes their signature Plain and Raisin Scones, plus four sweet treats in a range of Christmas shapes, such as a bauble-shaped raspberry-inspired cake with a spiced mulled wine glaze and coconut and your choice of classic, flavored or black tea, as well as coffees on request. If you truly want to elevate your afternoon tea experience, they also offer a special package in The Peninsula Dome, which includes a bottle of Perrier-Jouët champagne.
Festive Afternoon Tea
Price: RMB 788/set for two, through their WeChat mini program; or RMB 918.8/set for two, at the restaurant
Time available: 2pm-6pm, now-Jan 2
Where: The Lobby Lounge
Reservation: 010 8516 2888
Dome Festive Afternoon Tea
Price: RMB 1,661.44/set for two to four people, through their WeChat mini program; or RMB 1,888/set for two to four people, at the restaurant
Time available: 4pm-6pm, now-Jan 2
Where: The Dome
Reservation: 010 8516 2888
Hyatt Regency Beijing Wangjing
The Hyatt Regency Beijing Wangjing is doing a Festive High Tea for the season. It features three savory items and five sweet treats, including Christmas Hazelnut Chocolate Log Cake, Egg Tarts, Christmas Cookies and Christmas Tree Scones. For drinks, they've got a festive special, the Pistachio Latte.
Price: RMB 268/set for two, through their WeChat mini program; or RMB 328/set for two, at the restaurant
Time available: 2pm-5pm, now Dec -31
Where: The Lounge
Reservation: 185 1929 2440
Kempinski Hotel Beijing Yansha Center
The Kempinski's Seasonal Afternoon Tea features six sweet treats, three savory items, two glasses of Glühwein and two cups of tea or coffee. Highlights include a Classic Prawn Cocktail, Cured Beef Focaccia, Chestnut Reindeer Petit Gateaux, Strawberry Santa Hat and Caramel Banana Log.
Price: RMB 288/set for two
Time available: 2pm-5pm, now-Dec 31
Where: Rendez-vous Bar & Lounge
Reservation: 010 6465 3388 ext. 4225
The Ritz-Carlton Beijing
The Ritz-Carlton's Christmas Season Afternoon Tea is another one that has a good balance between sweet and savory items, with four of each, plus two kinds of scone and coffee and tea. On the savory front, they've got a Smoked Salmon Mousse Tart and Cranberry Chicken Sandwich. For sweets, there is a Black Forest Christmas Yule Log Cake and Passion Fruit Hazelnut Milk Chocolate Mousse. However, the star of the show has to be the Christmas Cheese Tree, which sits atop the set.
Price: RMB 598/set for two, through their WeChat mini program; or RMB 698/set for two, at the restaurant
Time available: 1.30pm-5.30pm, Dec 22-25
Where: The Lounge
Reservation: 010 5908 8180
St. Regis Beijing
The St. Regis is doing a Gilded Festive Afternoon Tea for Christmas this year. Displayed like baubles on a metal Christmas tree frame, it includes four sweets, two savory items, a Ginger Scone and Fruit Scone, Candied Hawthorn Glühwein and Gingerbread Man Latte. The savories and sweets have been made into an array of Christmas shapes like snowmen, Santa hats and presents. There is also an option to add a bottle of sparkling wine or champagne to the set.
Price: RMB 518-1,018/set for two, through their WeChat mini program; or RMB 588-1,088/set for two, at the restaurant
Time available: 2pm-5pm, now-Dec 31
Where: Garden Lounge, St. Regis Beijing
Reservation: 010 6460 6688 ext. 2381
READ: Eat, Drink & Be Merry: Christmas Meals Pt.2
Images: Canva, courtesy of the venues
