Théatre Tea: Excellent Value Afternoon Tea Sets and Moreish Pastries at This CBD Bakery
Following a positive showing via Dianping – and obviously not satiated by our recent forays into vegetarian afternoon tea and a RMB 1,000 afternoon tea set – it was time for Théatre Tea in the CBD's WFC mall to prove itself worthy of the ultimate afternoon tea experience.
The place was busy on a weekday afternoon with diners enjoying the luxurious and refined décor, surrounded by modern ornaments, glass, and bronze.
The afternoon tea for RMB 198 matches the style of the venue and may be one of the best value in CBD, and includes three tiers of savory and sweet delights like chicken mushroom tartare, cucumber cheese sandwiches, crispy ham cheese rolls, citrus scones, caramel chocolate cherry mousse, matcha cheesecake, matcha raspberry mini cupcake, pistachio strawberry chocolate mousse, and two pots of tea (choose from cocoa black, cherry black, fruit, or wild orange with rose petal teas).
Unlike the spread at other afternoon tea venues, which can be guilty of placing style over substance, we were happy to discover that the nibbles here are not only excellent eye candy but also taste as good as they look. The effort put into these snacks is immediately apparent and we especially enjoyed the small pleasures of the crispy ham and cheese croquette topped with shredded carrot as well as the chicken mushroom bite with its rich filling of cheese, minced chicken, mushroom, cheese, all finished with fried onion and nori to deepen the flavors. The scone was also a winner; still hot and moist from the oven, it was served with an abundant helping of homemade raspberry jam and matcha cheese, making for the perfect afternoon treat.
The accompanying wild orange with rose petal tea was both citrusy and sweet, the acidity of orange bringing out the floral aromas of the rose petals. The choices of tea here are dazzling, with approximately 70 different types: white, black, green, pu'er, oolong, chai, herbal, flavored, fruit, and a number of blends, mostly from India and Sri Lanka, and some from China. There's also your usual range of coffee.
The pastries here are also solid, including European-style bread such as croissant, wheat bread, and cinnamon rolls. The matcha croissant (RMB 18) was flaky, light in texture, and moist with a subtle taste of matcha – one of the best we’ve tried in Beijing. There are also daily lunch sets: RMB 88 will get you a cup of tea (between ginger black tea or chamomile), and a choice between a smoked chicken breast salad or the daily soup, spaghetti bolognese or a seafood sandwich, and a matcha opera cake; RMB 58 will get you a cup of tea, the daily soup, a vegetarian matcha lasagna or maple bacon coleslaw sandwich, and a matcha raspberry mini cupcake
All in all, Théatre Tea is certainly geared towards the office workers in the floors above but the deals, light atmosphere, and palpable care that goes into their food and range of teas make it one to seek out if you're looking to while away an afternoon in style without breaking the bank.
Théatre Tea
Mon-Fri 8am-8pm. Sat-Sun 10am-8pm. E-102, WFC, Middle East Third Ring Road, Chaoyang District (8587 8068)
朝阳区东三环中路1号 环球金融中心1层E-102
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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Tracy Wang, Dianping
