The Peninsula (香港半島酒店) located at the junction of Nathan Road and Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui is also Hong Kong’s oldest surviving hotel.

Out of the 10 people I’ve asked, 7 said that The Peninsula has the best afternoon/high tea in country, so I guess The Pen it was. All 7 of them also mentioned that we should call to make a reservation a couple of days in advance, just so we wouldn’t have to wait in line for a table.

Afternoon tea was pleasant but slightly overrated. There were so many tables catering to demand, it felt over commercialized and almost canteen-like. But I guess everyone including us were there so we can claim we’ve had tea at The Pen.

Our tiered afternoon tea set comprised of snacks on silver platters accompanied with coffee or tea. For those of you who don’t know, top tier is usually scones, middle is the savoury and the last tier is the sweets. But nowadays no one really keeps to the tradition.

For ours, the bottom tier was raisin scones accompanied by whipped butter, fresh strawberry preserves and clotted cream. You must MUST have clotted cream, and none of that fake cream instant bottle crap. Second tier was finger sandwiches and assorted pastries, and the last tier the sweets: chocolate and cake.

To be honest, it was over-priced, but you pay for the colonial grandeur and ambience which is The Pen. There you are sitting beneath the arches of the lobby, listening to The Lobby String quartet, sipping tea like ladies of leisure. A tad bit chi-chi, and not exactly my cup of tea, so it won’t be a repeat visit. But at least I could tick it off the list.

The Peninsula
Address: Salisbury Road, Tsim Tsa Tsui, Hong Kong
Afternoon Tea is served daily from 2pm to 7pm
Dress code: Casual – smart casual

COVA Pasticceria – Confetteria heritage dates back to 1817 when it was founded in Milan by Antonio Cova. Specialising in coffee, pastries, cakes and chocolates, their flagship cafe is situated on the famous fashion street of Via Montenapoleone in Milan, Italy.

At Paragon, setting and ambience was kept classy but casual.

At Cova, we ordered some mini pâtisserie to go along with our drinks. As wonderful as it looks on picture, the taste was dissapointing and left me unsatisfied. Should have just walked downstairs to Canelé and ordered a Chocolate royale instead.

I judge a cafe on their ability to make the perfect latte. It’s all about the coffee grounds, aroma, temperature and the right amount of foam.

Alot of places don’t tamp their grounds hard enough, or don’t start their shots immediately giving it a burnt taste. But the part that gets to me the most is the temperature of the milk and how much foam there is. Sometimes it looks like i ended up with a flat white or a cappuccino. Thankfully, Cova’s saving grace was the perfect latte.

Cova Pasticceria
Paragon Shopping Centre #01-20A
Tel: 6733 0777
Open from 9.00 am to 9.30 pm daily.

Went through the mall directory looking for a suitable place, and finally settled on the agnès b. café. The name agnès b. is more well known for its clothing line, but just like Project Shop in Singapore, they extended their business into F&B.

The café entrance definitely sold the place, with plants and flowers welcoming you as you walk towards the maître d’. I waited for the girls to come before committing to the place, just in case they had other ideas in mind.

So where are my girls? Ah, here they are!

The inside of the café/restaurant wasn’t as impressive as the outside. You get an obstructed view of the sea, because of the balcony columns.The overall vibe was feminine and flirty, but a bit too quiet for my liking.

What we ordered:
La P̢tisserie au choix РChoice of pastries with our coffee, tea or juice
L’assiette de viennoiserie – Choice of mini Danish with our coffee, tea or juice

The food looked good, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say it tasted amazing. It was average, and a bit pricey for what it’s worth. I guess I shouldn’t compare with Singapore prices.

My favourite item would have to be the Lemon tart.

We spent a good hour and a half chatting and trying to recap the dramas from the night before. That’s what I absolutely love about high tea, quality time spent with friends.

Agnès b. le pain grille
Level 3 Shop 3089-97
Telephone (852) 2805 0798