Top Festive Afternoon Teas 2020

Header image: The Langham, Hong Kong’s Christmas Candyland afternoon tea

In light of COVID-19, we encourage diners to take precautions when going out. You can also support your favourite restaurants by getting takeaway and delivery.

When Christmas rolls around, it seems like just about every hotel and restaurant around town comes up with their own version of a festive afternoon tea, and it’s difficult to know which one to choose. We’ve taken the guesswork out of it for you with this list of our favourite holiday-themed teas this year, with many available for takeaway too.

Four Seasons’ festive afternoon tea

The Four Seasons’ festive afternoon tea ($488/person) can be enjoyed in person at The Lounge on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day or you can get your three-tier takeaway afternoon tea ($628 for 2; available until 31 December) by ordering online. Expect adorable mini gingerbread men, petit chocolate and mandarin yule log cake and mulled berries snowman macarons amongst other Christmas-themed goodies – plus Executive Pastry Chef Ringo Chan’s signature scones and plenty of tempting savouries.

For bookings, phone 3196 8708 or email shop.hkg@fourseasons.com

Hotel ICON’s Godiva Christmas afternoon tea

This one’s for the chocoholics out there, with GREEN at Hotel ICON presenting a chocolate-themed Godiva Christmas afternoon tea ($368/person or $658 for 2) until 17 January 2021 that includes a festive chocolate bear to be dipped into hot milk to make your very own hot chocolate! Other highlights include the likes of candied orange and hazelnut waffle with dark chocolate cream, foie gras chocolate parfait and – the literal cherry on top – unlimited Godiva soft-serve ice cream. We like that, instead of tea or coffee, you can choose to drink homemade lemonade with your set, which we think would be perfect to cut through all that richness. The takeaway tea set ($658 for 2) is available for online ordering until 14 January and includes two vouchers for Godiva soft-serve as well as one box of limited-edition Hotel ICON x Godiva chocolates.

For bookings, phone 3400 1300 or email green@hotel-icon.com

Kerry Hotel’s Love in a Winter Garden afternoon tea

Next up at Kerry Hotel’s Lobby Lounge is this collaboration with Atelier Cologne, showcasing the citrusy scents of the brand’s new Joie de Vivre collection. The aromatic Love in a Winter Garden afternoon tea ($688 for 2) features the flavours of orange, oolong, osmathanus and clementine in various sweet and savoury festive morsels. Each guest will receive an Atelier Cologne gift set to take home, including an exclusive fragrance ceramic ornament (pictured) with cologne absolue. Oolong tea-based mocktails, served from a delightful Atelier Cologne tea bottle, are also included for those who share their snaps on social media.

For bookings, phone 2252 5237, email lobbylounge.khhk@thekerryhotels.com or book online

The Langham’s Christmas Candyland afternoon tea

We love all the festive bite-sized goodies showcased in The Langham’s whimsical Christmas Candyland afternoon tea ($698 for 2 or $958 for 2 to include 2 glasses of champagne), offered at always elegant Palm Court until 3 January 2021. From savouries of pigs in blankets and Scottish salmon domes with crabmeat and tomato glaze to sweet treats of gingerbread men sandwiches with caramel and mascarpone filling and Christmas snowflake balls of hazelnut praline mousse with passion fruit, it all looks gorgeous. Order two hours of free-flow champagne ($298/person) or a some mulled wine ($98/glass) to make your afternoon extra merry. To purchase your tea set to go with a 20% discount ($598.40 for 2), click here.

For bookings, phone 2132 7898 or email tlhkg.festival@langhamhotels.com

The Murray’s festive afternoon tea

Afternoon tea-goers at The Murray have their choice of light-filled and lush Garden Lounge or chic rooftop restaurant Popinjays. Available until 5 January 2021, the festive afternoon tea ($698 for 2 or $528 for 2 for takeaway) is pet friendly if taken on the Garden Lounge’s terrace. With that in mind, pet-favourite Paws for Tea ($480/person) will return on Sunday, 20 December at The Arches, with treats for both furry friends and their people.

For bookings, phone 3141 8888 or email themurray@niccolohotels.com

The Pottinger’s Gradini x Goutal Enchanted Holiday afternoon tea

Italian restaurant Gradini at The Pottinger hotel has collaborated with legendary French perfume house Goutal for this Enchanted Holiday afternoon tea ($298/person or $528 for 2), available until 10 January 2021. The sweets and savouries are inspired by Goutal’s latest signature perfumes, Le Temps des Rêves and Rose Pompon, infused with the aromas of fruits and flowers. Highlights include duck rillettes with orange jelly, crabmeat, yuzu and tobiko toast, rose and white chocolate mousse and Gradini’s lovely scones, on this occasion served with fragrant bergamot jam. Each afternoon tea guest will receive a deluxe Goutal fragrance gift, a Goutal shopping voucher and an invite for a Goutal fragrance- and wine-pairing experience.

For bookings, phone 2308 3088 or email gradini@thepottinger.com

The Ritz-Carlton’s Steiff Teddy Bear festive afternoon tea

A high point of The Ritz-Carlton ’s festive programme is the Steiff Teddy Bear festive afternoon tea ($458/person or $788 for 2; surcharges apply 24–26 December), available at Café 103 and The Lounge & Bar until 3 January 2021. The charming teddy-bear-shapped tea stand is filled with treats that pay homage to toy company Steiff’s German heritage, all created by German-born Executive Chef Peter Find. These include German spice cookies called pfeffernüsse, Black Forest verrine and, on the savoury side, roasted chestnut and wild mushroom duxelles cube sandwiches. From 24–26 December, afternoon tea guests will each be gifted with a Steiff teddy bear key ring, while supplies last.

For bookings, phone 2263 2270 or email restaurantreservation.hk@ritzcarlton.com

The Tiffany Blue Box Cafe ’s festive afternoon tea

Tiffany’s festive afternoon tea ($688 for 2 until 18 December or $858 for 2 from 19 December–3 January to include 2 glasses of the signature Tiffany Blue cocktail) is quite a lavish affair, from sweet morsels of Tiffany Holiday Tree in the iconic white and Tiffany Blue colour block with jasmine mousse and kinako pudding and Mini Blue Box (lychee mousse, rose-strawberry jelly and strawberry cake) to indulgent savouries of lobster roll and shrimp dorayaki with caviar and Hokkaido sea urchin. We like the twists on the standard scone tier, this time featuring bacon and Cheddar scones and madeleines in both brown butter and yuzu flavours.

For bookings, book online (with a non-refundable partial deposit required to secure the booking on specific days)

W Hong Kong’s WOOBAR x MAC Glittery Flare afternoon tea

In typical blinged-out fashion, W Hong Kong’s WOOBAR presents a fabulous afternoon tea in partnership with MAC Cosmetics. Inspired by the pink and glittery features of MAC’s Frosted Firework holiday collection, the Glittery Flare afternoon tea ($498 for 2 on weekdays or $698 for 2 on weekends and public holidays to include 2 glasses of sparkling wine) features both sweet and savoury items with decidedly feminine floral and fruity flavours. These include apple ravioli with pumpkin seeds, smoked salmon with melon and cream cheese roulade, champagne-strawberry kiss (champagne mousse with strawberry jelly) and pink guava crunch. Diners will be treated to a flurry for MAC bonuses too – complimentary gift-wrapping service at MAC upon purchase of any holiday kits, two signature product samples and a 30-minute make-up touch-up service at the MAC ELEMENTS shop.