Afternoon Tea @ The Lobby (Peninsula, Manila)

I have always been a fan of afternoon tea which started way back when I was a little child. The pinggan-pingganan toys I had with dainty tea cups started my fascination to this century old practice. I remember my friends and I as little girls would pretend we were grown-ups while we sip tea and talk about life. So it wasn't a surprise that as an adult, I still crave for this centuries old ritual.

 

Today, I went back to The Lobby of Peninsula Manila to have afternoon tea with a good friend of mine. The Lobby of Peninsula has been serving afternoon tea to its patrons ever since they opened their doors.

The Lobby of Peninsula Manila (taken from their website)

The Lobby is open even there is still an ongoing quarantine restriction going on in the city. They have limited seating capacity, so making a reservation is highly encouraged. I called their F&B number to make a reservation 2 days prior to our visit. The reservation is quick and efficient, with them constantly reaching out to you a day before and hours before your reservation time to make sure that your reservation will push through.

 

I arrived just in time and I was asked to fill out a health declaration form at the entrance before being allowed to enter The Lobby. Please be sure to have your face mask and face shield upon entering. As always, the grandeur of The Peninsula hotel is mesmerizing. The elegant interiors with high ceiling made it a perfect destination for that afternoon tete a tete. 

Image from hshgroup.com

The Afternoon Tea Set is available from 2:30 to 5:30 pm.  They offer The Heritage Selection which costs PHP 1,100 that includes tea sandwiches, breads and sweet pastries. They have quite a great selection of TWG tea, coffee, or juice which you will be asked to select upon ordering the set. I chose the Vanilla Bourbon Rooibos Tea which is a sweet vanilla-infused African red tea, perfect for the great food to be eaten with it.

Arternoon Tea Set Heritage Collection

Tea, Coffee, and Beverage Selections

Vanilla Bourbon

Afternoon Tea Heritage Set 

The Heritage selection as mentioned includes classic tea sandwiches such as the  Herbed Cream Cheese and Cucumber, Deviled Eggs Sandwich, and Turkey Ham and Cheese Sandwich. There is also banana bread which is quite mediocre for me.

Tea Sandwiches (sorry for the poor image quality)

Afternoon tea wouldn’t be complete without scones, and so they also have the Peninsula Raisin Scone with Lemon Curd, Strawberry Jam, and clotted cream which is absolutely addicting! Well, apart from the fact that I tremendously love scones with clotted cream in general.

Peninsula Raisin Scone with Lemon Curd, Strawberry Jam and clotted cream

Scone + clotted cream + Lemon Curd = Yum!

The Heritage Set is also packed with sweet delights such as Raspberry Éclair, Calamansi Macaron, and my absolute favorite among all the sweet treat, the Hazelnut Chocolate Bar!

The Chocolate Hazelnut Bar is what dreams are made of!

The wait staff is nothing but courteous and attentive. Kuya June, the server who assisted us made sure that our needs are met. He keeps checking on us to make sure out tea pot's are replenished with hot water, or our water glasses are re-filled.

 

The food for me is good, but the star is really the Peninsula Raisin Scone. Best scone I have tasted compared to other hotels and tea shops in the metro that I have tried. Above all, the ambiance of the place is what stood out. The high ceiling and airy lobby is the perfect place for your afternoon chikahan while enjoying great food and fantastic tea.

Tea-ta!

The Lobby, Peninsula Manila
Afternoon Tea 
Available 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. daily at Peninsula Manila, corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues, 887.2888