The Lobby Lounge, Shangri-La Singapore

Tea time: Daily, 3pm to 5pm

Price: From $88 per set (serves two)

Spill the tea: I’ve always loved the setting of the Shangri-La Singapore – it’s a classic, and a great spot for afternoon tea. The Lobby Lounge was as beautiful as ever on our visit, and it was nice to see the hotel buzzing.

The stunning three-tier tea set was a little different to how I remembered it and came with some local delicacies – a lovely change up! We started at the lower tier and worked our way up. Savoury options included a mix of Nyonya sambal sweet prawn profiteroles, smoked salmon achar and sweet pickle roll, hae bee hiam chicken and apricot sandwich, and a Nyonya otah and eggplant mousseline tartlet.

Local favourites such as kueh lapis, ondeh ondeh, ayu puteri, kueh ko swee and kueh salat also made an appearance; I must admit, in all my years in Singapore, I just hadn’t had the opportunity to try these delicious items. I loved the unusual blend of tastes.

The top tier consisted of a rainbow macaron, red velvet roulade, gula melaka cake, and sea salt caramel financier – the latter was definitely my favourite. I had to save a little room for my favourite afternoon tea item: scones. Served with strawberry jam and clotted cream, these were something special.

The selection of classic and speciality teas, coffee, kopi tarik or teh tarik is a great pairing, and offers something for everyone. At $88 for two, it’s excellent value for a lovely afternoon outing in this beautiful hotel.

22 Orange Grove Road

6213 4398 | shangri-la.com/singapore