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Authors’ Lounge Afternoon Tea – Bangkok’s Famous

December 14, 2018

The Authors’ Lounge is the most picture-perfect place we have ever had afternoon tea. This lounge is inside one of the best hotels in the world – Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Hotel. The word impressive doesn’t even seem enough to describe the surroundings of our afternoon tea. This historical place is one of the best-known lounges and despite its age, it is still in an enviable shape with service still at the highest level.

Contents

  • Ambiance
  • Tea Selection
    • My Tea Choice
  • Afternoon Tea Sets
  • Tea Sorbet
  • Scones
  • Savories @ Authors’ Lounge Afternoon Tea
    • Thai Trio
    • Amazingly Well Prepared
  • Sweets @ Authors’ Lounge Afternoon Tea
    • Traditional Thai Desserts
  • Conclusion
    • Room for Improvements
  • Authors’ Lounge Afternoon Tea Review Card
  • Price and location of Authors’ Lounge Afternoon Tea
mandarin oriental bangkok
In the dark, the original building really starts to shine. Mandarin Oriental Bangkok hotel or La Grande Dame is hiding breathtaking Authors’ Lounge.

Ambiance

When we entered the bright Authors’ Lounge, it took our breath away. You could say that it took our hearing away as well, because the receptionist had to ask us twice if we had a reservation. We were busy looking at the airy place with colonial feel where every detail has its purpose.

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok
Bangkok’s most photographed location – Authors’ Lounge, is not only pretty, but it has a very pleasant vibe as well.
authors lounge
Isn’t it spectacular? We were lucky to stay long enough, here at the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Hotel, so we saw another glamorous flower arrangement as well. Any difference?

For example, the striking staircase serves as a stage for the guitarist, who performed beautifully in this acoustic lounge. The bamboo pattern matches more than just the teapot and the teacups, as there was a large bamboo plant growing in the corners. Actually, all the tableware matched, except for the centerpiece, which was the Authors’ Lounge afternoon tea set. Everything looks so fresh here, and there is a reason. In 2015, they restored the wing where the Authors’ Lounge.

romantic balcony
Vivi didn’t want to leave the flowers behind at Authors’ Lounge.

Tea Selection

At the Authors’ Lounge afternoon tea Bangkok, they serve prestigious TWG teas. Ian’s choice was the TWG Royal Darjeeling, a black tea that is also known as the king of India teas. The fragrance of the dried fruit worked as an invitation to keep on sipping, to taste the overtones of ripe apricots with a just a hint of bitterness.

special tea
‘La Grande Dame’ tea celebrates the 140th anniversary of the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Hotel. A special blend is made of green tea, citrus and oriental rose.

My Tea Choice

My choice for this luscious Authors’ Lounge afternoon tea was the TWG 1837 Black tea. The pleasant cherry aroma evolved in the complex flavors of berries and vanilla. There was even a taste of cinnamon and rum with the lingering caramel and berry aftertaste.

twg tea
For Authors’ Lounge afternoon tea we got to choose from the wide selection of TWG teas.

At the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Hotel, the service is impeccable and the awareness of the guest’s individual preferences is always on the staff’s mind. We say this because for the first time in South East Asia, we were asked if we preferred milk or lemon slice with our tea.

mandarin oriental bangkok
The middle part of the Authors Lounge with flawlessly preserved original mirror.


Afternoon Tea Sets

Here at the Authors’ Lounge, you can choose among three versions of afternoon tea sets. The afternoon tea menu ranges from Western, vegetarian and Oriental; we opted for the last one. This afternoon tea set came in the three identical bowls with a golden pattern and shiny handles. It is certainly one of the most beautiful sets we’ve seen so far. A nice place, sophisticated tableware and a promising menu – everything complemented one another.

authors lounge
The oriental afternoon set came in beautiful bowls with golden ornaments and moon cake next to the scones.

Tea Sorbet

In the tropics, hot and cold always work well together and there’s no way we would ever say no to the ‘La Grande Dame’ tea sorbet with mandarin and bergamot. The Mariage brothers made a special blend of green tea, citrus and oriental rose named ‘La Grande Dame’ for the 140th anniversary of the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Hotel. Each ingredient added its share to the sorbet.

mandarin oriental bangkok link

Clementine and mandarin contributed sweetness, while yuzu added some citrusy bitterness and bergamot the floral tones. We loved the complex taste of the sorbet and the creamy texture that could always make us mistake this for ice cream.

lounge afternoon tea
Our Authors’ Lounge afternoon tea started with a delicious scoop of the ‘La Grande Dame’ tea sorbet with mandarin and bergamot.

Scones

After the exquisite sorbet, we focused our attention on the traditional scones and Thai mango mooncake. We liked the texture of the scones, which didn’t fall apart and made it easy for us to apply homemade jam on top – the very tasty jam with proper clotted cream, to be exact.

scones mooncake
Next to the traditional scones were the Thai mango mooncakes – a nice tribute to Thailand. A tasty one as well, especially when combined with aromatic rose petal jam and warming mango jam with ginger.

The luscious clotted cream is a far cry from whipped cream. Sadly, the easily accessible whipped cream is much more commonly used for the afternoon tea, but clotted cream is well worth the struggle. The scones were delicious and so were the house-made jams. Amazingly aromatic rose petal jam and warming mango jam with ginger. Naturally, we ate everything before the mooncake came into play, which tasted similar to custard with a compact texture.

Authors lounge afternoon tea
Is it as tasty as it looks? At Authors’ Lounge afternoon tea, they pay attention to the details, we even got the clotted cream.

Savories @ Authors’ Lounge Afternoon Tea

The savories were presented in nine different bites and neatly put on top of a banana leaf. We started with the tasty flower shaped steamed Thai dumpling, which had the crunchy peanut inside. This delicate dumpling was tasty, nicely steamed with a great texture. However, we loved the crisp fresh Vietnamese spring roll even more.

bangkok afternoon tea
The savories at Authors’ Lounge afternoon tea are in the top bowl; Thai dumpling, fresh Vietnamese spring roll, Thai curry puff and fried vermicelli in a pastry cup.

It was seasoned with mint and coriander and paired with a sweet dip. The spring roll was the complete opposite from the mild Thai curry puff. The sweet and juicy filling of the puff soaked the dough a little, but it was still an enjoyable bite.


Thai Trio

A crunchy balance was established in the next snack: the fried vermicelli in a pastry cup with sweet-sour-spicy seasoning. This classic Thai trio went extremely well with this vermicelli crispy bite. The renowned Thai seasoning was also present in the wing bean salad. The main components of this salad were the chicken and prawns. All the protein was perfectly seasoned and placed on top of the betel leaves. A nice refreshing salad for the tropical climate!

afternoon tea sandwich
Minced chicken canapé with black olive seasoned with kaffir lime.

What an exciting start of this delicious Authors’ Lounge afternoon tea, right? Our next meaty bite was roasted chicken wrapped in a pandan leaf, which kept the chicken moist and served as a seasoning. The minced chicken with black olive got a refreshing note thanks to the kaffir lime. It went well with a slice of fresh bread, which to our surprise was not too spicy, despite the red chili.

afternoon tea set
Oriental afternoon tea set includes a pot of TWG tea of your choice.

Amazingly Well Prepared

The last chicken bite was settled in the crispy pastry shell with corn on top. It looked simple, but it was very well performed. For an easier transition to the sweets, we had the crabmeat sandwich with lemongrass and chili. Definitely, the lavish filling made us happy with refreshing flavors that shined through the tender wrap. In addition, the lemongrass was there to support the crabmeat and allowed it to be the king of this sandwich.

high tea
Savories at Authors’ Lounge afternoon tea: wing bean salad, roasted chicken wrapped in a pandan leaf, minced chicken canapé, chicken in the crispy pastry shell with corn on top and crab meat sandwich.

Sweets @ Authors’ Lounge Afternoon Tea

After the appealing savories, we dug straight into the sweets, starting with the steamed pumpkin custard. We are more used to the French style desserts and the steamed pumpkin custard felt more like paté than the dessert. Surely, we can’t say the same for the mango tartlet with vanilla cream.

Guitarist on the balcony
Authors’ Lounge afternoon tea gets even more classy. A very talented man performed really well in an acoustic Authors’ Lounge.

It was a very gratifying bite with crunchy dough underneath the vanilla cream and scoops of juicy mango on top. The same goes for the sweet coconut pudding wrapped in banana leaf, despite being a little salty. The pudding with coconut stripes really let the coconut shine in its delicate glory.

thai dumpling
Dumpling in a flower shape is always a good start, especially if it is right next to the real flower and fresh spring roll.

Traditional Thai Desserts

Another traditional Thai dessert, the Foi Foi Thong, was elegantly wrapped in leaf basket. The egg yolk was very sweet and strongly infused with jasmine aroma. Usually, I am not fond of eggy desserts, but this really didn’t taste like an egg. The assorted Thai marzipan – or Luk Chup – looked so lovely. However, it’s not surprising to guess the meaning of this word. It means exactly what it is: lovely.

afternoon tea desserts
Sweets were the traditional Thai desserts: Thai mango tartlet with vanilla cream, coconut pudding wrapped in banana leaf, steamed pumpkin custard, assorted Thai marzipan, orchid tea praline, traditional Thai dessert, the Foi Foi Thong

It has a coat of vibrantly colored jelly that looks like a polished inedible decoration. The look was deceiving and underneath the coating, we got the sweet mung bean paste with coconut milk. It had a mushy texture with a hint of jasmine and a slightly smoky aroma. Definitely, a perfect fit for a king, so no wonder that it used to be the exclusive treat after a royal meal. Once, it was enjoyed only inside the walls of the Siam Palace and to this day, the Luk Chup is a delicacy eaten mostly on special occasions.

mo bangkok
Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Hotel has offered hospitality to a vast range of guests, among them are also many celebrities. I bet they opted for Authors’ Lounge afternoon tea.

We finished one of the best afternoon tea in Bangkok with Royal Thai orchid tea praline. The brilliant mousse melted away easily and left the mouth full of floral chocolate. Normally, the splendid chocolate was the queen, but in this bite, there was a sophisticated addition, the orchid.

tea setting
Stylish afternoon tea setting with the garden view has a calming effect.

Conclusion

The Authors’ Lounge high tea is on the top of our favorite high tea list. However, this is one of the famous high tea in Bangkok and we can see why. The photogenic place truly is the most beautiful ambient in Bangkok and it’s no wonder this lounge is one of the most photographed sites in Bangkok.

garden afternoon tea
A garden view from the Authors’ Lounge reaches all the way inside with the rattan chairs.

The service is impeccable, which is reflected throughout the entire Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Hotel. Authors’ Lounge afternoon tea, in general, was a nice experience and it will be forever in our hearts. To be honest, not only lounge but also this Luxury hotel with its Bamboo Bar and outstanding Le Normandie , where we had an unforgettable dining experience!


Room for Improvements

There is always a room for improvement and even Authors’ Lounge afternoon tea can make some. The savory food was extremely nice, but the sweets could be a bit better. We know very well that Thai pastries are not the same – and shouldn’t be – as French ones (which are our personal favorites). But for exactly that reason, we think they should introduce more exotic local ingredients, like Thai chocolate, other fruits and nuts. These ingredients are more known to us Farangs.

oriental lounge
Vivi simply didn’t want to go home. Ever! The legend says she is still at Authors’ Lounge afternoon tea.

Authors’ Lounge Afternoon Tea Review Card

  • 9.8/10
    ATMOSPHERE – 9.8/10
  • 10/10
    SERVICE – 10/10
  • 9.4/10
    TEA SELECTION – 9.4/10
  • 9.8/10
    PRESENTATION – 9.8/10
  • 9.2/10
    BITES – 9.2/10
  • 9.1/10
    VALUE – 9.1/10
9.6/10

Price and location of Authors’ Lounge Afternoon Tea

The Authors’ Lounge afternoon tea will cost you about 45 USD per person. Here is a link of location, to this legendary luxury heritage Hotel in case you don’t know where the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Hotel is.


afternoon teaAsiaBangkokHigh teaMandarin OrientalreviewTWG Tea
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AFTERNOON TEA

Vivi
A culinary enthusiast who is prone to writing. She loves discovering new flavors, spiced with cultural differences. The fear of the unknown does not stop her exploring and learning new things.

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