Afternoon tea is brilliant isn’t?
It’s some of the best things to eat and drink all put together on a fancy tier ready for you to tuck in.
Sandwiches, cakes, little bites and piping hot tea… Plus, if there are scones involved then we’re definitely all in.
Looking for a great afternoon tea to try? Here are ten of the best in the capital as revealed at the Time Out Abu Dhabi Restaurant Awards 2018.
We’ll have the earl grey and extra jam please.
WINNER
Observation Deck at 300
The new winner of our Best Afternoon Tea title was a shoe-in for the award this year. Head to the lofty floor of Jumeirah at Etihad Towers for an afternoon with incredible views. It’s a popular spot with tourists, thanks to its 360-degree view of the city. But that isn’t all it’s got up its sleeve to make a visit here an unforgettable experience. The exquisitely crafted high tea menu provides top-quality staples alongside a fantastic line-up of hot teas and coffees. The triple-deck tray of food is quite a generous serving for one. The scones are a delight. They are light, crumbly, served warm and absolutely scrumptious (it’s afternoon tea, we can use that word here). The trio of finger sandwiches are soft and gone in a few bites. If you like to indugle in the sweet section of this ritual, the delicate tarts and cakes here will please you. Especially the chocolate choux pastry. It will leave you satisfied without making you feel like you’ve overdone the calorie intake. The selection of beverages is impressive, too, and you’ll be spoilt for choice with the range of international options. Many come to Observation Deck at 300 just for the view. But we suggest you make an afternoon of it and also enjoy its splendid high tea too.
Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Corniche West (02 811 5666).
HIGHLY COMMENDED
Alba Lobby Lounge
Tea at The Ritz is world-renowned for offering the utmost in quality service, the daintiest of delights and a setting you’d expect only the most important of VIPs to indulge in. With chandeliers, a vaulted ceiling and dove-grey walls, this hotel lounge is classic and elegant. The Grand Canal incarnation produces super sandwiches, scones and a collection of classic chocolate desserts. The bitesize pastries include cheesecake with blueberries and gold leaf, red velvet cake decorated with a raspberry and filled with syrup, delicious toffee-filled choux pastries and strawberries dipped in white chocolate. The beverages are also extra special, sparkling apple juice with gold leaf and bubbly pink tea are both found on menu. The choice of tea is also impressive, with options ranging from rare white tea from the mountains of Nepal, fruit, green and herbal teas to pu’erh, a prized fermented black tea from China with a rich and earthy flavour.
The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, Khor Al Maqta (02 818 8282).
Le Cafe
This exclusive café is found in the grand Emirates Palace hotel, and it certainly lives up to its billing with some extravagant, and expensive, menu items. It’s perhaps most famous for it’s signature cappuccino topped with frothy milk and scattered with 24-karat gold flakes (Dhs80 a cup). Another highlight is the innovative ‘camelccino’, which is made from camel milk and date syrup. The camel and gold theme continues on the food menu, with a 24-karat gold camel burger with home-made Arabic mixed pickle and tabbouleh. All of this makes this upmarket cafe the ideal place to visit when you have guests in town that you need to impress. Yet nothing quite says “oh look how fancy and lovely Abu Dhabi is” like the afternoon tea at Le Café. Befitting of its palatial setting, the afternoon tea is fit for a king (or queen). The house-smoked salmon pin wheel is the stuff of legend, and should you go for the Royal Afternoon Tea, with extras including foie gras sprinkled with 23-karat gold. Delightful.
Emirates Palace, West Corniche (02 690 9000).
SHORTLISTED
Al Meylas
If you’re looking for an afternoon tea that goes against the grain a little, Al Meylas with its majlis-style setting offers the best of both worlds. Yes, it does the traditional English-style, refined ritual very well but what it also provides is an Arabic take on it, with locally inspired pastries and teas from destinations still on your bucket list.
Four Seasons Abu Dhabi, Al Maryah Island (02 333 2222).
Crystal Lounge
Sitting at the top of this beautiful hotel’s grand staircase, you can often find entrepreneurs sealing their latest deal in this luxurious lounge. The bounty on offer in the afternoon tea is excellent: the perfect pastries, handcrafted sweets and excellent Newby Teas making this an afternoon to remember.
The St. Regis Abu Dhabi, Nation Towers (02 304 8316).
Lobby Lounge (Jumeirah at Etiahd Towers)
Jumeirah at Etihad Towers is known for its majesty, yet we still can’t failed to be impressed by its Lobby Lounge, complete with stunning wall-to-floor glass giving you a wonderful vista of our great capital. The tea here is served Parisian-style, with the smoked turkey breast with brie and cranberry making you feel festive whatever time of year. The vanilla mille-feuille is definitely worth saving room for, too.
Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, West Corniche (02 811 5666).
Lobby Lounge (Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri)
A beautiful setting for that most brilliant of afternoon indulgences, the Shangri-La’s Lobby Lounge is an exposed yet still intimate venue in which to savour some super scones, sandwiches and cakes, while sipping at a tea selection that makes you wish you had your own factory in some fabulous foreign clime.
Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi (02 304 8036).
Majlis Lobby Lounge
Tucking into some amazing afternoon treats is rarely more enjoyable than when it’s accompanied by the soothing sounds of a live pianist. At Majlis Lobby Lounge they offer you all the foodie fineries you’d hope for, while providing a silver service more than happy to top you up when your caffeine levels have dropped.
Rosewood Abu Dhabi, Al Maryah Island (02 813 5550).
The Drawing Room
Certain venues will always send you into a state of wonderment, and this Saadiyat Island setting will give you both the joy of gazing out into the Arabian Gulf while being cosy in an armchair. The afternoon tea selection is as super as its setting.
The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Saadiyat Island (02 498 8443).
The Library
After a particularly pressing week, we’ve found fewer finer pleasures in life than being able to chill out with a good book and a selection of superb snacks. The Library serves up a fine afternoon tea, with homemade chocolates and pastries even a Jane Austen heroine would die for.
Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Villas, Saadiyat Island (02 407 1138).
