4 Afternoon Tea Spots in Singapore to Visit

Chasing the rat race in Singapore is rather draining, but afternoon tea is a welcome respite from the frantic pace of corporate life. While we’re envious of how the Brits have made it a national pastime, we’ve found five tea places to indulge in, from three-tiered tea sets to weekend tea buffets. Whether it’s to catching up with friends or family, here are the perfect spots for an afternoon tête-à-tête.

The Clifford Pier
The gorgeous dining room of The Fullerton Bay Hotel is a modern space with lovely vistas of Marina Bay, offering a local twist with its Singapore Heritage Afternoon Tea ($48/adult, $24/child). The set combines the best of a classic British tea experience with distinctive local flavours – the set by veteran chef Shermay Lee sees eight savoury and eight sweet items, putting together the likes of chilli crab baos and nonya chicken curry in roti jala wrap with the pandan swiss rolls, bika ambon, and bandung macarons. Worry not, for you can get good ol’ kopi and teh tarik, or classic brewed teas to suit your fancy. The Fullerton Bay Hotel, 80 Collyer Quay. Tel: 6597 5266. 

National Kitchen by Violet Oon
One of Singapore’s national treasures, Violet Oon, puts her Peranakan spin on the high tea tradition, turning it into a homely feast of Peranakan-inspired staples and local bites. A three-tier stand ($56) offers snacks such as buah keluak crostini, hae bee hiam sandwiches, kueh pie tee and beef-bak pow. And instead of Western pastries and desserts, you’ll dig into nyonya kuehs, roti jala with gula melaka banana sauce, and kasturi lemon tart with papaya compote. What can this kitchen doyenne not come up with? #02-01, National Gallery Singapore, 1 St. Andrew’s Road. Tel: 9834 9935 

Lime Restaurant
Now here’s a high tea that brings Tiers of Joy (literally). Available at the ParkRoyal on Pickering’s Lime Pâtisserie, this elegant high tea set has recently undergone a makeover with a distinctly Asian take on dishes like peking duck duxelles encased in profiterole, ayam percik shepherd’s pie and coconut pandan mousse. Need caffeine to get through the day? $48 will get you unlimited servings of speciality coffee and TWG tea. PARKROYAL on Pickering, 3 Upper Pickering Street. Tel: 6809 8899 

Tea Lounge
Afternoon tea in a contemporary colonial garden setting? Recline in a plush armchair as culinary Olympian Pastry Chef Alex Chong unleashes a magnificent interactive table with chefs sculpting desserts and building edible magic from scratch. Weekdays see a three-tier afternoon tea ($48/adult, $22.50/child) with seasonal finger sandwiches, signature butter and mixed fruit scones, and à la minute creations such as the Golden Apple (crack it open to find a tangy iced yuzu apple compote with yogurt espuma and olive oil sponge), the Coco-Melon Symphony with bubbling coconut semi-liqueur, melon, and honeydew, and the Dark Chocolate Forest for chocolate lovers. Plus, the new tableside trolley service means perfectly decanted tea blend infusions and aromatic pour over coffee to complete this delectable experience. You can now enjoy their afternoon tea hours from 2 to 5 pm. Regent Singapore, 1 Cuscaden Road. Tel: 6733 8888.