The sweet selection included a brownie, fruit cake, cheesecake, roulade and lemon tart.
Editor’s note: We first published this Cameron Highlands Resort high tea review on July 25, 2020. The photographs, food descriptions, price and ratings below come from our visit. The resort still serves English Afternoon Tea in the Jim Thompson Tea Room, although the room and current menu have since been refreshed. Current information was checked in September 2026.
Afternoon tea makes particular sense in the Cameron Highlands. The cool air, green slopes and traces of British architecture give warm scones and a pot of local tea a setting that Kuala Lumpur cannot quite reproduce. At Cameron Highlands Resort, the ritual takes place among rattan furniture, timber details and soft daylight in the Jim Thompson Tea Room.
Our set followed the familiar three-tier formula with crustless sandwiches, plain and raisin scones, small cakes, strawberries and BOH Gold Blend tea. The warm scones, soft sandwiches and attentive service were the highlights. The tea choice and presentation were more restrained, while one lemon tart struggled to compete with the excellent sticky toffee pudding we had eaten at lunch.
Is Cameron Highlands Resort high tea worth it?
Best for: Travelers who value atmosphere and classic flavors over a large tea list or elaborate presentation.
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Yes, especially if you want a classic afternoon tea in one of the region’s most polished heritage-style hotels. The experience suited the landscape as well as the resort. BOH tea represented the surrounding plantations, local strawberries appeared among the sweets, and the warm scones were exactly what we wanted in the cooler mountain weather.
This was a modest tea set by our standards. Its appeal came from well-prepared food, an unhurried room and an excellent sense of place. The strong value at the time of our visit made the occasional weaker detail easy to forgive, and our overall impression remained very positive.
The entrance to the Jim Thompson Tea Room opened into a small sitting area arranged with antique rattan furniture. A polished black piano stood behind the daybed and helped connect the room with the quieter pace of the resort. In the evening it was used by the house pianist; during afternoon tea, the windows and surrounding greenery supplied most of the theater.
Parted curtains brought daylight into the large room and framed the lush landscape outside. The interior was elegant and relaxed, which suited a long pot of tea after a morning exploring the highlands. Guests could also visit for lunch and dessert, though afternoon tea was the occasion that belonged most naturally here.
Jim Thompson was an American businessman who helped revive Thailand’s silk industry and built one of Bangkok’s most memorable houses. He disappeared while walking in the Cameron Highlands in 1967, and the mystery has never been solved. The resort’s tea room uses his name as a link between Malaysian highland history, regional travel and the colonial-style interior.
The standard drink with our afternoon tea set was BOH Gold Blend tea or coffee. Gold Blend is a smooth black tea with enough depth to accompany sandwiches, clotted cream and cake without overwhelming them. A different tea was available for a small supplement during our visit, although the limited included choice helped explain why the tea selection received the lowest score on our review card.
BOH is woven into the landscape here. John Archibald Russell founded the company in 1929, and its plantations became one of the best-known sights in the highlands. Visiting a BOH tea plantation adds useful context before sitting down with a pot at the resort, since the tea in your cup was grown on those same hills.
Our set followed the English afternoon tea tradition with savory sandwiches on the lower tier, scones with cream and jam, and a selection of small cakes above them. Cameron strawberries with chocolate dip gave the menu a local accent. The portions were suitable for two people and left room to enjoy every course, so tea never felt like a second lunch.
Four crustless sandwiches covered the classic fillings: smoked salmon, ham, egg and cress, and cucumber. Their bread was soft and moist, a small detail that quickly reveals whether an afternoon tea tray has been waiting too long. Each filling came through clearly, and every sandwich was balanced and moist.
The plain and raisin scones arrived warm from the oven. Both had a firm outer crust and an airy, moist center, followed by generous clotted cream and strawberry jam. They were rustic, simple and among the best reasons to order the set.
The sweet tier kept the character and traditional presentation of an old-fashioned hotel tea. Our favorites were the rich fruit cake and chocolate-walnut brownie. Cheesecake and roulade added variety, while the lemon tart was less convincing and never found the same balance as the stronger cakes.
Our judgment of the lemon tart may have been affected by lunch. The resort’s sticky toffee pudding was still vivid in our memory and set an unfairly high standard for anything sweet that followed. It remains one of the dishes we remember most clearly from our stay.
We finished with local strawberries and chocolate dip. Strawberries are one of the Cameron Highlands’ best-known crops, so their place on the tray made sense even though their appearance promised more sweetness than their flavor delivered during our visit.
Service was one of the strongest parts of our visit. The room encouraged us to slow down, and the staff supported that pace and kept the experience relaxed. Our original service rating records how well the afternoon was handled, even though we did not document every individual interaction.
Presentation was traditional and quite plain for a luxury resort. Everything was tidy and appetizing, though the stand and plating relied on the familiar afternoon tea formula. Value was the happier side: at approximately USD 26 for two during our visit, the setting, food and service formed a very generous package.
Cameron Highlands Resort delivered an afternoon tea that belonged to its destination. The tea room, BOH Gold Blend, local strawberries and warm scones gave the experience a clear highland identity. Sandwiches with soft bread and excellent service supplied the substance behind the setting.
The limited included tea choice, simple presentation and uneven lemon tart kept the set from reaching the very top of our list. Even so, it remains one of the most complete options for travelers who want classic afternoon tea in the Cameron Highlands. For a broader comparison, see our guide to the best high tea and scones in the Cameron Highlands.
| Detail | Information checked in September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Experience reviewed | English Afternoon Tea at Jim Thompson Tea Room |
| Price during our visit | Approximately USD 26 for a set for two |
| Current price | Not published on the resort’s dining page; confirm directly |
| Current serving hours | Not published on the resort’s dining page; confirm directly |
| Venue | Jim Thompson Tea Room, Cameron Highlands Resort |
| Address | By The Golf Course, Cameron Highlands Golf Course, Brinchang, 39000 Tanah Rata, Pahang, Malaysia |
| Resort telephone | +60 5 491 1100 |
| Current information | Official Cameron Highlands Resort dining page |
Cameron Highlands Resort offered the most polished hotel setting among the teas we tried in the region. The Smokehouse Cameron Highlands afternoon tea had a more rustic atmosphere and simpler presentation, while our comparison of the best Cameron Highlands high tea experiences places both visits side by side. Travelers planning a longer stay can also read our guide to whether the Cameron Highlands are worth visiting.
Yes. It is particularly appealing for travelers who want traditional afternoon tea in an elegant heritage-style room. Warm scones, well-made sandwiches, local strawberries, BOH tea and excellent service made our experience worth the price.
English Afternoon Tea is served in the Jim Thompson Tea Room at Cameron Highlands Resort in Brinchang, near Tanah Rata. The room is named after the American silk entrepreneur who disappeared in the Cameron Highlands in 1967.
Our set for two cost approximately USD 26 when we visited before the article was published in July 2020. The resort’s official dining page did not publish a current price when we checked in September 2026, so contact the hotel for the latest rate.
Our set included four types of finger sandwiches, plain and raisin scones, clotted cream, strawberry jam, small cakes, Cameron strawberries with chocolate dip, and BOH Gold Blend tea or coffee. The current menu may differ from the one shown in our photographs.
BOH Gold Blend tea was included during our visit, with other teas available for an additional charge. BOH is grown in the Cameron Highlands, which makes it an especially appropriate choice for this afternoon tea.
The resort promotes the Jim Thompson Tea Room through its public dining page and provides a direct dining enquiry option. Contact the resort to confirm availability and reserve a table if you are not staying overnight.
Smart casual clothing suits the elegant but relaxed tea room. The highlands are cooler than much of Malaysia, so a light layer can be useful. Our afternoon tea dress code guide has practical ideas for women and men.
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