The Peninsula is Asia's oldest hotel company, first launched in Hong Kong in 1866. Due to historical changes, Hong Kong has the famous Peninsula Afternoon Tea, and countless film and television stars, politicians and literati have set foot in this magnificent tea hall lobby. From Hong Kong to Shanghai, the afternoon tea of the peninsula still continues the elegance of the golden years, although most of the afternoon tea of five-star hotels in Shanghai are located in the lobby, but its lobby tea is too classic, generally speaking of "THE LOBBY", "lobby tea", everyone understands that refers to the peninsula. The Peninsula Tea House has the style of the merchants' mansions in the twenties of the last century, soft and bright, high-end but also close to the people, there is a popular saying in the market: if you can't afford to stay in the Peninsula Hotel, go to the Peninsula for afternoon tea - it is still the most ideal English afternoon tea in most people's hearts.
The three-tiered set menu is the most traditional and exquisite way to eat, from bottom to top, it is a sandwich savory, scone dessert, cake, and each layer is also accompanied by chocolate, biscuits, strawberry tart, quiche and other rich desserts, which occasionally vary every day according to the pastry chef's products. A pot of English tea is also one of the main characters, but you can also opt for coffee or champagne.
The Peninsula Shanghai, like Hong Kong, only offers a three-tier set menu, with all dim sum made by experienced top-notch pastry chefs using the finest ingredients, with 95% GODIVA chocolate for the chocolate desserts alone. At the beginning of the opening, Pastry Chef Lisa Crowe, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in the United Kingdom, created refreshments that were quite suitable for the tastes of Shanghai customers based on the local ingredients in Shanghai and the preferences of customers, laying the foundation for subsequent productions. The Peninsula recently hired Lussay as Executive Pastry Chef, having worked at French celebrity chef Alain Ducasse's renowned restaurant and the two-Michelin-starred Le Cinq in Paris. His creative pastries will bring more local flavours to The Peninsula's afternoon teas.
The usual set menu is divided into two types: traditional afternoon tea and peninsula natural afternoon tea, with 360 yuan for a single person and 680 yuan for a double person. The two sets are the same in style, with the difference that the latter is made with whole wheat for some muffins, biscuits and chocolate, and the recipe is lower in sugar and fat, while the traditional set is more suitable for first-time tasters. None of the savory or dessert items are perfunctory, but they are solid and high-quality products, and in addition to the all-important English shortbread, sandwiches and cakes are especially excellent. Due to the need for a healthy diet and to cater to taste, desserts are much sweeter than local desserts in the UK, so customers who are accustomed to low-sugar diets have nothing to worry about. For Easter, Valentine's Day and other festivals, the Peninsula also launched corresponding theme packages, focusing on highlighting the theme with colors and shapes, and the style is basically the same.
As an important measure of the quality of English afternoon tea, the Peninsula has done a very successful job of Scone, which can be easily broken with both hands and served hot in the mouth, the taste is far more fluffy than it looks, but there is no worry about the texture being too loose and falling off, and the rich milky flavor makes people feel happy. The homemade strawberry jam, lemon jam, and clotted cream that are specially paired for scones taste great, and they are even more intoxicating when broken and smeared in turn. However, discerning diners often don't take their first bite with the sauce, and enjoy the original taste of scones. In the English afternoon tea etiquette, the order of tasting is from the bottom up, first salty and then sweet, because the sweet scones taste slightly worse after cooling, if you go with relatives and friends, you don't need to be subject to this constraint, it is recommended to eat it while it is hot. Unfortunately, the details of the peninsula were not perfect, and the scones were served with three flavors of sauce, but there was only one salad knife, which was not easy to spread.
Tea is included in the package, with a choice of hot tea, coffee, and champagne at the cost of a meal, and each drink is of a high standard. The most commonly ordered is traditional English tea, which is suitable for both salty and sweet pastries. Here on the peninsula, a variety of English teas are available, including English Breakfast Tea, Earl of Ceylon, Darjeeling, and Assam Tea, which are clear in color and mellow in taste, with the right amount of milk and sugar to suit your taste. In contrast, the scented tea of Fruit Tea is superior, with four flavors: peach, apple, raspberry and rose, blended with natural flowers and fruits, and the natural aroma is refreshing. All teas are brewed with chopped tea leaves, and each pot of tea is served with a tea drain to filter out the crumbs. The hot tea is packed with a thick silver tea set, the heat preservation effect is acceptable, and the water can be refilled indefinitely, but the waiters of the peninsula are not professional enough, and the water is refilled too often when there are few people, and the original tea has been diluted a lot without waiting for the guests to taste it, and the water is not timely when there are many people, and the more you drink, the cooler it is, which affects the experience more. It is worth noting that the single set meal is enough for two people to share, but it only includes one tea table, and two people must bring a separate tea drink.
The peninsula's signature Roberts Belk silverware, English bone china cups, and Italian cloth glow with an elegant glow in bright, soft, warm lighting to complement the lavish lobby. The table is luxuriously arranged and the table spacing is very wide, which is far more comfortable than Joel Lubson's Coffee Lounge, and more intimate than the Waldorf Astoria Restaurant next door and the Triumph Lobby of The Langham Hotel. Decorated in shades of green and ivory, the lobby is decorated in a retro and tall space, with two giant three-dimensional murals by Hong Kong artist Helen Poon, a large glass window overlooking the gardens of the former British Consulate, and live orchestral music. On a sunny afternoon, the scenery is unique, and a beautiful snack with a pot of tea is accompanied by a chatting and laughing with friends, which is also the appearance of the Duchess of Victorian Bedford when she tastes afternoon tea.
Afternoon tea is closed in the lobby after 6 p.m. and guests can continue to eat. If you're in the mood, sit a little longer, and the jazz band will be singing from 7 a.m. onwards, and the standard of performance will be professional, and the Peninsula has not changed for eight years.
It is worth mentioning that the café does not accept reservations other than those staying at The Peninsula Hotel, and individual guests who want to taste it will need to dine directly at the hotel. The Peninsula Tea House is overly famous, and the vast majority of customers are ordinary people who want to experience quality life, and the popularity and noise on weekends are very much disappointing for many people who come here. Monday to Friday is sparsely populated and the atmosphere is good, so if conditions permit, it is recommended to visit on weekdays for a better experience. Or consider the One Waitanyuan restaurant next door to The Peninsula Hotel, which is managed by The Peninsula Hotel and produces the same products as The Lobby Lounge, so if you come early, you can also enjoy its outdoor dining table, which is a different experience from The Peninsula Lounge.
All afternoon tea sets on The Peninsula are subject to a 16% service charge. It is rumored that the parking fee on the peninsula is the most expensive in Shanghai, with an official fee of 60 yuan per hour, and if you spend more than 300 yuan, you can park for four hours for free. Even if you order a single package, the price is in line with the full reduction amount, and you can usually enjoy free parking.
