Afternoon Tea Part One: Have a Posh Afternoon without Breaking the Bank

Katie Coy, Managing Editor | Apr 21, 2022 5:30 pm | Add a comment | 303 reads

It’s always nice to treat ourselves once in a while, but sometimes trying to justify the cost of said treat can feel a little overindulgent, especially if you’re trying to save money or are on a budget. Well, with our list of reasonably priced afternoon teas, you can now have you yourself a luxurious afternoon without having to splash out.

*Pro tip, quite a few these afternoon teas are also available to buy as a voucher on Dianping at a discounted price so it’s worth having a check there to save yourself even more money!*

Toast at The Orchid

First on our list we have boutique hotel The Orchid, which offers tea at their restaurant Toast. Included in their afternoon tea for two is fruit scones, ice cream, Italian pudding and chocolate biscuit (there are two of each item), you are then also given the choice of coffee or tea to accompany the sweets. With a lovely rooftop terrace, The Orchid is certainly a perfect spot to enjoy afternoon tea in the warmer weather.

Price: RMB 236 (for two people)
Time: 2.30pm-5pm

WAA Gastropub

When you think of a Gastropub you probably don’t think afternoon tea, but WAA has a great little afternoon tea that's also the cheapest offering on our list. There are two different options at WAA, the first is their Standard Afternoon Tea, which is made up of a variety of mousses and cakes that comes with the choice of either tea or coffee.

The other option is their Premium Afternoon Tea, which has everything offered with the Standard with the addition of scones, a black forest gateau and a range of savory items like sandwiches, rolls etc. WAA is another great location if you fancy sitting outside as they actually have a deck on the Liangma River, so you can enjoy beautiful views as you chow down.

Price: RMB 188 for Standard Set (for two people), RMB 288 for Premium Set (for two people)
Time: 2pm-5pm

Markor Furnishings

You might be familiar with the wanghong Dongxueguan branch of this furnishings store in Chaoyangmen, which has been referred to as the “Chinese Sydney Opera House”.

Up at their North Fourth Ring Road location they’re serving up a different kind of style, though, with traditional afternoon tea sets on offer. Here you'll find a three tier tea set with a mixture of sweet and savory items, which of course include the all-important scones. Along with this you can choose from either a pot of English breakfast tea or a cup of coffee.

Price: RMB 318
Time: 11am-6.30pm

TiensTiens

TiensTiens brings a French twist to afternoon tea, with the usual staple of scones being swapped out for macaroons instead. A nice thing about this afternoon tea is that you can pick out which delicacies you want, selecting three out of a list of ten along with two flavors of macaroon.

To finish it off you can also pick whether you want tea, coffee or a cold drink to accompany your meal. They have a beautiful, large rooftop for you to enjoy your tea on so this is yet another great spot during spring or summer.

Price: RMB 321
Time: 10am-10pm

Eudora Station

Lastly, Eudora Station up in Lido have an afternoon tea that you could perhaps describe as an “afternoon tea with Chinese characteristics”. Along with an array of cakes, biscuits and other sweet treats here the three tier tea set comes not with the traditional savory selection of goodies, but is instead topped with a tier of fruit.

There are also no scones in sight, so if you're looking for the more traditional afternoon tea, this probably isn’t the one for you. Besides the three tier set, you can also choose from either tea or juice to wash it down.

Price: RMB 236
Time: 2pm-5pm