Afternoon Tea in The Peninsula
British tradition lives on (people-watching a bonus) (l,$$)
The Penninsula hotel is Hong Kong’s most famous place for that highly civilized British tradition–the afternoon tea set–which here assumes the dimensions of an out-and-out feast with its finger sandwiches, pastries, and scones with Devonshire clotted cream and strawberry preserves. And to top it all off, a classical string quartet serenades from an upstairs balcony every day except Monday.
Note that no reservations are accepted so you might have to wait (an alternative is the InterContinental’s Lobby Lounge across the street), and if you show up–heaven forbid–in shorts or flip-flops, you won’t be seated at all.
Still, this institution is more egalitarian than it used to be; as late as the 1950s, one wing was reserved for the British and the other wing for everyone else, including according to one pamphlet, women “seeking dalliance.”
Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Afternoon tea set HK$388 for one person, HK$688 for two
Hours: Daily 2-6pm
(852) 2696 6772
hongkong.peninsula.com
MTR: Tsim Sha Tsui