How to feel on the top of the world, or NYC, asap.
Our experience
High tea is not a NYC forte — after quite a number of high tea experiences in NYC, we have yet to come across a venue that offers the lavish dessert spreads seen in Asia and Australia, or the cultivated creativity of desserts seen in London. Perched above Columbus Circle, with enviable views of a slice of Central Park, the Mandarin Oriental has long been one of our favourite hotels in NYC, and when we recently heard that it now offered an afternoon tea service, we made a booking right away.
High tea at the Mandarin Oriental is taken at the MO Lounge, and is priced at $110 pp (plus tip/tax). The tea menu is somewhat brief, numbering just six types of teas, with the wild strawberry being the hotel’s signature, and the ginger yuzu being our preference.
The high tea itself is served in a traditional three-tiered manner. On a Chinoiserie circular teak frame, savouries are set at the bottom, with two layers of desserts. Comprised of four mini sandwiches, the savouries were shaped in varying pin wheel, ribbon, square and rectangular forms. Made in the typical crumbly American style, there were three types of scones — one plain, one chocolate-studded and another lemon-glazed. They were accompanied with pots of cream, lemon curd and honey. Of the desserts, the Mandarin Oriental followed a textbook traditional French patisserie sensibility. Our favourite sweet nibble was the tangy lemon tart. Other desserts included a strawberry creme puff, blueberry sakura cake, honey madeleines, and a rather intense heart-shaped champagne truffle.
Our verdict
If you were to ask us what is NYC’s best hotel afternoon tea service, we would point you to the Plaza (if you don’t mind the tourists), the Lowell (for upper-crust uptown vibes), the Baccarat (for nouveau riche feelings), and we would add the Mandarin Oriental to that list. If you are looking for dessert creativity like in London or dessert generosity as in Asia, none of these places do that. What they do offer is a high tea service that is unabashedly traditional French/English in style, set in and showcasing different versions of a rarefied New York.
Dessert adventure checklist
- ☑ Dessert destination: Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Columbus Circle/Upper West Side, Manhattan.
- ☑ Budget: $$$-$$$$ ($110 pp + tax/tip).
- ☑ Sweet irresistibles: High Tea.
- ☑ Must-eat: N/A.
- ☑ The short and sweet story: How to feel on top of the world, or NYC, asap.
Dessert Correspondents 