R395 per person | daily between 2 – 5pm
Standing the test of time and evolving with the adventurous taste buds of globetrotting diners, pâtissiers, and chefs, Afternoon Tea is a ritual that even those in the Cape cannot do without, and with good reason too!
This singular culinary experience is often the one that rakes in diners come high tourist season or the quieter, cold, off-season.
Cape Town’s latest Afternoon Tea experience (in tree-lined suburbia) is sure to bring in locals and vagabond foodies with its enchanting setting.
WELCOME TO PALM HOUSE HOTEL.
We are blessed with abundance this side of the world – generous portions, dynamic flavours, a smorgasbord of culture, and plenty of restaurants and cafes offering their variant of Afternoon Tea (though often misidentified and packaged as High Tea too).
Under the careful guidance of executive chef Gregory Henderson, the bountiful Afternoon tea at the Palm House Hotel shows restraint where bold spices and rich ingredients could overwhelm.
He and his team deftly navigate local taste sensibilities, brave the challenge of fresh ingredients sourcing, and dance with prevailing trends in lunchtime gastronomy, in order to serve what is a 2024 tea menu that is the definition of pleasantly balanced.
Meander from the lush, wonderland garden sanctuary, to your table either indoors or outdoors on the terrace, and let the adventure begin…
THE DAINTIES
Fruity. Sweet. Filling.
Cravings are meant to be realized with the sweet dainties portion of Afternoon Tea, and Palm House Hotel does not disappoint!
The adorably stacked selection includes petit fours, Lemon Cheesecake truly delicate and light on the lemon citrus, Chocolate Entrements, as well as classic Macaroons levelled up with Apricot Crémeux, and also Vanilla Mousse with Mango pearls.
Don’t miss the spiced scones, by the way! They maintain a unique flavour profile that’ll have you ruminating.
The preserves are worth mentioning – something often left by the wayside during these experiences. Chef Gregory Henderson has somehow made the preserves stand out in a sea of dynamic flavours and textures and it’s so interesting. Curious mouth-feel aside, they are jammy, caramel-sweet, and overall heady exactly where they need to be; And the laissez-faire energy of Cape dining means playing around with matching the preserve and Creme Chantilly with other morsels, can be a fun activity to while away the afternoon too.
THE SAVOURY
The three-tiered étagère is stacked with winners, from the finger Sandwiches (Cucumber, Truffle Cream Cheese and Smoked Tuna) to the Elgin Apple & Chicken Pot Pies (pescatarian and vegan options available, of course – Curried Chickpea anyone?), and even jus on the side, for that added little something.
No deviled tea eggs here!
Warm yourself up with the Pumpkin, Ginger and Lemongrass Cappuccino, which is definitely a crowdpleaser of a mouthful that evokes cottage cosiness.
Taste the quintessential essence of Cape dining at its most accessible spicy point, with the Bobotie Martini laden with Geelrys Arancini (Lentil option available too). And be sure to bite into the Wild Mushroom, Morogo, and Tom Fraiche Quiche – very much an item speaking to chef Greg’s passion for foraging and feasting sustainably, thats best experienced with the hotel’s fine dining dinner menu at de Tafel.
THE LIBATIONS
Regardless of what convention is, Afternoon Tea is now a misnomer as menus around the world factor in non-tea lovers. Depending on where you are, you could choose from gin, champagne, wine, and even Sake to pair with your lofty snacktime.
At the Palm House Hotel, they heed the grumbles of the discerning local coffee community with specialist coffee at the ready, along with fresh juices, sparkling local wine, and most especially a darling selection of quality TWG teas to pick from.
No tea sommelier here though, nor a library of jars filled with imported loose-leaf tea high in antioxidants and organic attributes if you’re picky like that.
Bubbles though I love (you can definitely order a Mimosa), I highly recommend the teas on offer here. They are honestly the closest, most decadent, apropos libation to the traditional loose-leaf tea that many society folks drank at the start of this wonderful dining cultural phenomenon.
The hotels gorgeous blue and white tea cups enhance the tea moment, bridging the whimsy of the hotel’s garden sanctuary with the botanical-hued indoors.
VERDICT?
A duchess may have started the tradition, but now it’s a dining experience for all.
Bring the teens, the squad, and the elders too!
Under the proprietorship of Dutch-born entrepreneur Max Jong and Capetonian business maestro Shelagh Wood, the serene Palm House Hotel stays true to the spirit of the classic Afternoon Tea without falling into the really bad new-age traps that have led many a restaurant to stagnate with a repetitive trolley of one-dimensional treats or go hard into gimmicks with no tasteful substance.
As long as they continue to embrace our regional terroir, timeless elegance, and freshness in every facet of their establishment, this pleasant Afternoon Tea will see new and repeat customers happily strolling through its stately Upper Wynberg-based doors – especially at these prices!
By MY Recommendation: PALM HOUSE HOTEL
Upper, 10 Oxford St, Wynberg, Cape Town, 7800
(+27)21 745 5008
