Clipper Lounge, Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
In the midst of the skyscraper offices at Central is the excellent afternoon tea at Clipper Lounge at Mandarin Oriental.
The afternoon tea set consists of
Sandwiches
Salmon, cream cheese, pumpernickel bread
Prawn cocktail sandwich
Choux bun filled with coronation chicken
Warm
Croque monsieur
Pork and fennel sausage roll
Dry cake
Fruitcake, taisin, sultana, orange peel
Poppy seed dry cake
Pastries
Strawberry mousse cake
Blueberry cheese cake
Opera cake
Scone
Raisin scone
Classic scone
Devon clotted cream, rose petal cream
Arabica coffee or selection of tea
You must try the Taste of The Legend tea. This is a custom blend tea exclusive to Mandarin Oriental. This is an exquisite oolong tea from China, that features subtly sweet spicy notes of vanilla and cocoa-caramel, floral and orange essences deliver a rich aroma, as notes of citrus tease the palate. This tea is amazing — you can distinctly smell and taste the various components (sweet spiciness, vanilla, cocoa, caramel etc).
The afternoon tea is extremely popular. You will be hard to find an empty table without a reservation. On a weekday afternoon when I was there, Clipper Lounge was entirely full with expat businessmen talking business and society ladies conversing.
The afternoon tea is extremely convenient to get to. Mandarin Oriental is right above one of the exits of Central MTR station.
I love it that the waiters here are immaculately dressed, speak good English and are very polite. The ambience exudes old world glamour.