Alice Wang

Review of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group ...

This review is for the Empress Lounge in Mandarin ...

This review is for the Empress Lounge in Mandarin Oriental.

Pinkies up! In my book, tea is always a good idea. And when it's afternoon tea at the Empress Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental, how could it not be? I made reservations on OpenTable for my friend and I about a week prior to our scheduled date. There were plenty of open reservations available then, no problem getting a reservation. I even had to change the reservation and make it a little earlier, and it wasn't a problem.

The Empress Lounge is located in the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental. You basically enter the hotel and go straight and there's a lounge/bar area for tea and cocktails. All the tables that have been reserved have little Reserved cards on them. When you think of Mandarin Oriental afternoon tea, you're probably thinking - stuffy, super dressy, snooty. But that is not the case at all. You don't need a ballgown to have tea here. And the service and environment are far from stodgy; everyone is super friendly and accommodating, making this afternoon tea experience a true gem.

I selected the flowering osmanthus, a green tea, and my friend selected the lychee red, a black tea. Teas come in the cutest mini teapots and there's a separate glass teapot warmer and glass teapot with hot water, so you can replenish hot water into your mini teapot at your convenience. This is brilliant! At home, I'm always struggling with having a full pot of tea and having it to drink it fairly quickly so the water doesn't turn cold. I love these mini teapots, and now I'm going to hunt for some to purchase!



You could always get supplements:
Tier replenishment - $5
Champagne pairing - $10
Cocktail pairing - $5

A total of $41 before tip. Honestly for afternoon tea at the Mandarin Oriental, the price is very reasonable. I had afternoon tea at the Grille at Morrison House in Old Town Alexandria and it was $45, although granted they offer all-you-can-eat but the quality of the teas, sandwiches, and sweets are definitely not on par with Empress Lounge. Fantastic service, of course. I would definitely come back and recommend this tea lounge.