Recently over the weekends, i went for a couple of high tea sessions and i realised these sessions are really good for catching up with friends or just to spend a relaxing afternoon with your loved ones. These high tea sessions usually comes with a set which you can share amongst 2 to 3 friends and the amount of food is usually more than enough simply because, 1. you probably had your lunch before the tea session or 2. you are gonna have your dinner a couple of hours later so you probably not want to make yourself so full that you can't have dinner after.
Each session can last about 2 hours or so because it’s not all about eating the food but also creating conversations and the food are like “fillers” in-between and if the food is good, it can also be part of your conversations as well. Now that social media plays a big part in most of our lives (i almost type lies, lol), you probably spent the first 30 mins taking photos or #selfies, editing them on the spot before sharing the “tai tai” lifestyle on your instagram and/or Facebook.
Finger sandwiches and cakes are pretty much normal but the highlight of the set are definitely the scones which are served warm, crusty on the outside, soft inside and absolutely delicious when paired with the strawberry jam.
Tucked at a corner of Holland Village, Fosters is really a “hidden gem” for tea time (not so sure about the rest of the menu) and the ambience and setting of the restaurant gives a very english rustic vibe. (I even chanced upon a group of french maid cosplayers having their tea session in the restaurant on a Sunday, LOL) If you are looking for a somewhere with value for money high tea set, i guess this is the place.
Find out more on Fosters: http://www.fosters-restaurant.com/menu.html
I first know of L’eclair by Sarah Michelle when i chanced upon their ads on Facebook and a few months back, one of my colleague mentioned that she was going for this high tea which requires booking at least a week in advance and it turns out to be L’eclair by Sarah Michelle. So last weekend i went for their $60 nett high tea set (it was $50 previously but it increased due to a change of menu - more savoury, less sweets) Booked about 3 weeks in advance. The high tea sets are available from Tuesday to Sundays with 3 seatings a day.
The high tea set came in 3 tiers. The top and bottom tier were savouries and middle tier were 5 of their famous Eclair (mini) and the set also came with choice of coffee/ tea for 2. I changed mine to hot chocolate with no additional cost.
The assorted mini eclairs were good, especially the Ispahan (which consist of Rose, Lychee and Raspberry) and the other was the 66% dark chocolate. These 2 are my favourites amongst the 5. But what i really enjoyed was the Truffle Egg Mayo Choux Puff (i wish there were more!!!) and their Signature chicken and Bacon Pie. It was good that i would actually consider walking over from Dhoby Ghaut just to get the full sized version. For this $60 set, i would honestly say i prefer the savouries over the sweets.
Find out more on their high tea set: http://www.leclair.com.sg/high-tea
After trying out 2 different high tea sets and living the tai tai lifestyle for a couple of Sundays, here are the other 2 high tea sets which i think are reasonably priced and would probably make a trip down to try them out soon.
(Photo credit: sethlui and eatbook.sg)
Afternoon Tea at The Marmalade Pantry from 3pm to 6pm daily. The set is priced at $38 for a set that serves 2. Compared to L’eclair, this is much cheaper but i’m not sure if the food is as good/ premium. You get 2 pots of Gryphon teas, range of finger sandwiches, scones, strawberry preserve and cream, and not only that the set also comes with choice of any 2 cupcakes. I guess i have to find out myself if the set is worth the $38.
The other one i found was Afternoon Tea at Lime, Parkroyal on Pickering Hotel. It’s priced at $42++ for a set with one serving of coffee andtea or $48 for a set with unlimited serving of coffee and tea. Each set serves 2. Now that i think about it, L’eclair seem rather pricey at $60 for 2 leh.
(Photo credit: Lime, Parkroyal on Pickering Hotel)
They call their afternoon tea set “Tiers of Joy” So punny, lol. Once again, 3 tiers of both savoury and sweets. Available daily from 3pm to 6pm. in photos, the food looks really good and and premium, especially how they describe it on their website. There is the Peanut Butter Chocolate Cup with Gianduja Chantilly (no idea what the last 2 words means but it must be good since they must mention it) and the Peking Duck Duxelles encased in Profiterole. (Peking duck wor. lol) The environment seem not bad, after all Lime is located inside the hotel so how bad can it be right.
Read more on Lime Afternoon Tea: https://www.parkroyalhotels.com/en/hotels-resorts/singapore/pickering/stay/offers/tiers-of-joy.html
Do let me know via my social media platforms like twitter or instagram if you have any recommendations for high tea! I can totally get used to this tai-tai lifestyle, HAHAHA If you are looking for places to catch up with a few friends and want a nice environment, you can consider going for high tea sessions! *wink* That’s all i have for this post, till the next!
