Ain't My Cuppa Tea...

Tea for 2 at The Lobby in the Peninsula Hotel Tokyo

Petite scones with clotted cream, teensy-weensy sandwiches and dainty cakes...an English tea spread that conjures up images of a long-gone colonial era where sophisticated women of leisure whiled their afternoons away sipping tea and nibbling on mini cucumber sandwiches.

So, when the posh Peninsula Hotel Tokyo opened its doors, I jumped at the chance to acquaint myself with its famous afternoon tea culture. As we fell in line behind droves of like-minded individuals, we were somewhat disappointed. The ambience in the lobby cafe lacked the quiet elegance of the one in Hong Kong and seemed rather blah in comparison.

From the traditional English tea to the beauty infused herbal tea concoctions, the baffling assortment of tea offered here is no mean feat just trying to make up one's mind! And in sync with our afternoon tea was a pretty three-tiered stand featuring delicate finger sandwiches, quiche, and petite cakes and pastries. Though seemingly mouth-watering, they were unexceptional, bordering on mediocrity. Our main grouse was that the bread tasted stale and the paltry selection of confection did not help either.

Perhaps our visit was too soon after the opening and the hotel was unable to grapple with the sheer number of visitors. But call me finicky, the Peninsula Hotel Tokyo is just not going to be my cup of tea.

The Lobby at the Peninsula Hotel Tokyo
Address: 1-8-1 Yurakucho, Peninsula Hotel, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0006, Japan
Telephone: 03-6270-2731
Michelin: None