The Langham was the first luxury hotel in Europe, and in 1865 the first hotel luxury afternoon tea in the United Kingdom was introduced. When Langham arrived in Shanghai, its famous afternoon tea became a strong rival to The Peninsula Café. The environment of Triumph Restaurant is high-end, with a European elegant atmosphere, with a super high ceiling with floor-to-ceiling glass several feet high, the sun is just right in the afternoon, the piano sound is everywhere, and the leather sofa is scattered, sitting here is full of Low Tea feeling.
Langham's Afternoon Tea is a set menu and does not support a la carte, and the two sets are the "Seasonal Package" which changes according to the season, and the "Chinese New Year Package", which changes once a year. In contrast to The Peninsula's emphasis on the quality of each dish, Langham's focus on the overall luxury of afternoon tea is based on controlling the taste. First of all, the Triumph Restaurant uses all Wedgwood bone china tea sets used by the British royal family, and each tableware is printed with Langham's exclusive rose shape, which is exactly the same as Langham's London store, which is very ornamental. Secondly, in addition to traditional English pastries, there is no shortage of high-end ingredients for savory and dessert desserts, and although the ingredients change with the season, salmon, foie gras, tuna, and Italian ham are not too seasonally limited. It is not difficult to see from the combination that the chef is indeed well versed in the characteristics of the ingredients, and the products have a good balance in taste, color and form, and the overall presentation is very exquisite. Langham's desserts are sweeter than those of the Peninsula, but desserts generally account for only 60%, and they will be paired with a small amount of yogurt, pudding and other slightly less sweet categories to balance the taste buds.
The "New Year Package" for two people priced at 888 yuan, the dim sum is the same as the "seasonal package" at 588 yuan, and more expensive ingredients such as caviar occasionally appear, the difference is in the innovation of the form, which is surprising. It abandons the shape of the three-tier shelf, and the dim sum is placed in a rectangular box, in order to reflect the theme of the New Year, some of the dim sum will be made into a characteristic cartoon image, and the shape is as beautiful as a gift box. In some years, the set menu will feature a writing board made of chocolate, on which guests can write their wishes with a brush, which is very interactive and fun, especially suitable for bringing children to taste. In contrast, the Chinese New Year package pays more attention to the experience, if you pay more attention to the food itself, ordering the seasonal package is enough, and the cost performance is relatively higher.
It is worth mentioning that scones do not appear on the menu, and each set meal for two comes with four by default and is served with refreshments. Langham's scones are impeccable in their materials, made from high-quality wheat flour, accompanied by homemade jams and the famous Devonshire cream, especially from the cream, which shows that Langham has a high-quality source and knowledgeable chefs. Scones should be eaten hot, broken by hand, and smeared with cream and jam in turn, the outer layer is crispy and fluffy, and the inside is soft and delicate, comparable to Peninsula products.
Tasting a pot of hot tea is also the main thread running through afternoon tea. The Langham offers more than 40 customised teas from its UK headquarters, and three of the Langham's Special Black Teas are particularly worth trying, as they are smoked by tea brewers and have a rich aroma. Many girls also love ginger tea in winter, which is warm and comfortable to drink.
If you have a good budget, you may want to consider adding a glass of champagne to match the taste with the savoury treats, and in front of the high-end environment and exquisite sweethearts, it also adds to the light luxury experience of afternoon tea.
After the Triumph Restaurant served buffets, part of the area was divided into buffet seats, and the tables were increased, so the overall was not as spacious as before, and the seats in the lobby bar were not far from the door, and people came and went, which was slightly noisy, which was not as good as the experience of the peninsula. When the light is good, you might as well choose an outdoor dining table, the small back garden is hidden between the high-rise buildings, away from the noise of the road, and it is still very pleasant to drink tea and chat.
Langham's service is acceptable, but the waiters are generally not as enthusiastic and professional as Lubpine, sometimes the guests sit for hours without taking the initiative to refill the water, some waiters are a little arrogant, the attitude is a little lacking, and occasionally the guests complain that the Langham's service is not worth the 16.66% service charge. In addition, in the past, when guests selected tea products, the tea master would hold a sample display cabinet to introduce the various tea flavors and tastes for the guests to smell and taste, which was a highlight of Langham's service at that time, but it is a pity that this link has been cancelled.
The Langham is in a good location, very easy to drive, and parking is free with a receipt.
