We surely won’t be either the first or last guests to remark that Afternoon Tea at Shangri-La Hotel’s Ting Lounge, on the 35th floor of London’s tallest building, takes tea-time to new heights.
With its unsurpassed views of London’s stunning skyline above and riverside below through floor-to-ceiling windows, Ting is actually a Tale of two Teas. First, there’s a Classic Afternoon Tea, a perfectly lovely, traditional affair of finger sandwiches, house-made pastries, fruity scones heaped with clotted cream and strawberry jam and a curated selection of teas. For those seeking an extra layer of luxury, a glass or two of fine Champagne is an option.
But what makes tea at Ting really special is its alternative Asian-inspired Afternoon Tea. Here’s your chance to sample savouries like spiced crab wrap, Banh Mi chicken and steamed prawn dim sum, and sweet things like scones with yuzu and orange marmalade, Thai Pandan custard and Malaysian layer cake. These tantalising treats are accompanied by a choice of unusual brews, like an intensely flowery and spicy Formosa Oolong, White Tea Snow Buds, smoky Keemun and Pu’erh, an earthy black tea double fermented and buried underground for two years.
Ting’s Asian Tea begins with a ritual known as Teh Tarik. We’re not ones to spoil a surprise, so let’s just say it involves a fragrant Malaysian hot milk tea, generous lashings of dry ice and a dramatic pouring ceremony. As that old Chinese proverb goes, “a day without tea is a day without joy.”
As you’d expect, tea-time at Ting is a comfortable, relaxing and unrushed affair, with welcoming service from an international staff. As the late afternoon sun sets over the River Thames below, you’ll be ready to set off home with your exquisite box of tea leftovers. Or, you may consider extending the high-glamour time with a cocktail on level 52’s Gong Lounge, a visit to the luxurious Ladies Powder Room with its scented, heat controlled toilets and unrivalled range of gadget chargers, a dip in the hotel’s sky pool or an overnight Shangri-La splurge.
Ting Lounge, Shangri-La at The Shard Southeast Asian Tea or Classic Afternoon Tea £54
www.gong-shangri-la.com/afternoon-tea
Picture: The Teh Tarik Ceremony, Ting Lounge, Shangri-La at the Shard, photo Judith Schrut
Article by Judith Schrut. Email Judith
