Erawan Tea Room Afternoon Tea Review: A Thai Take on High Tea

Our Erawan Tea Room afternoon tea began as a solution to a very pleasant problem. We had already stopped for lunch, as described in our Erawan Tea Room review, yet the Thai desserts were far too tempting to leave unexplored. Ordering the full set gave us the chance to try them alongside savory Thai bites, petite scones and two very different teas. The result was one of Bangkok’s most characterful interpretations of afternoon tea: generous, playful and rooted in local flavors.

A Thai Afternoon Tea in Bangkok

Erawan Tea Room sits within Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, overlooking one of the city’s busiest and most recognizable districts. Its afternoon tea does not simply place a Thai garnish beside familiar finger sandwiches. The kitchen uses the format as a framework for dumplings, sausages, tropical fruit and traditional sweets, with scones acting as a brief nod to the British ritual.

That local point of view was precisely what made the set interesting to us. Bangkok has no shortage of grand hotel lounges serving elegant tiers of pastries, but this experience belonged to the destination. Even the colors, from butterfly pea blue to ripe mango yellow, made the table look unmistakably tropical.

Tea Selection

We chose Fancy Sencha and a fresh butterfly pea flower infusion. The latter arrived in a deep blue shade and carried a gentle earthy note. Its color changes when citrus or another acidic ingredient is added, turning a simple cup into a small tableside spectacle. It was caffeine-free and subtle enough to accompany the many flavors in the set.

Ian’s Fancy Sencha was brighter and more refreshing, with a light green-yellow liquor and a mild fruity aroma. Choosing one herbal infusion and one green tea worked well because the two pots offered a clean contrast throughout the meal. We also appreciated the use of whole leaves and the unhurried service, which gave each tea enough time to develop properly.

Savory Bites

The savory side opened with a steamed, flower-shaped dumpling filled with crabmeat. Its seasoning stayed restrained, allowing the sweet crab to lead, while butterfly pea appeared to give the dough its pale blue color. It was delicate in both texture and appearance, and an elegant introduction to the Thai theme.

A crisp golden cup came generously filled with delicate tuna salad and finished with fresh mint. The mint brought freshness to the fried shell, and the contrast between the crunchy cup and soft filling made this one of those bites that disappeared rather too quickly. A curry mousse with prawn followed. The curry was aromatic without overwhelming the sweet shellfish, while its creamy texture made the prawn seem even more tender.

The Bite We Still Remember

The orange tapioca ball offered a completely different texture: soft, pleasantly chewy and filled with lychee and yellow beans. It kept its shape without clinging to our teeth, which may sound like a small achievement until you have met an overly enthusiastic tapioca dumpling.

Our favorite savory was the grilled sour pork sausage with pickled ginger. The filling was meaty without being excessively salty, and the ginger sharpened each mouthful. It was polished enough for a hotel tea room yet kept the lively character we enjoy in Thai sausage. A moist chicken puff scented with basil and curry completed the savory course. By then, our earlier lunch had become a questionable strategic decision, although it did not slow us down very much.

Petite Scones

The petite scones formed a short bridge between the savory and sweet courses. Their crust had a pleasant crunch, and the small size suited such a generous menu. Homemade strawberry jam supplied the sweetness. Guests expecting large British-style scones with a lavish amount of clotted cream may find this course modest, but we were content to save room for the Thai desserts still waiting on the table.

Thai Desserts

The sweet course continued to blur the usual border between dessert and savory food. A crisp rice pudding bite incorporated pumpkin, spring onion, taro and corn, ingredients we would ordinarily associate with a main course. With its sweeter seasoning and juicy center, however, it made sense in the dessert selection and prepared the palate for the more familiar mango sticky rice.

The mango was ripe and succulent, releasing its juice into coconut-scented sticky rice. A banana and pistachio fritter was equally generous, helped by the deeper flavor of tropical bananas. Fruit this good needs very little ceremony, yet the crisp coating gave it enough contrast to hold its place on an afternoon tea stand.

The durian cheesecake with mango cream was a clever introduction to Thailand’s most famous divisive fruit. Its mousse carried recognizable durian character, softened by the creamy cheesecake base and bright mango. It was approachable enough for a cautious first taste, though committed durian lovers could still identify what made it special.

A raspberry and lychee tartlet brought acidity, while crisp bean crepes developed a flavor close to caramel without becoming cloying. Passion fruit cut through a chocolate cup filled with banana cream, and a fluffy Thai tea castella cake provided a gentle finish. The variety was impressive, but more importantly, the kitchen avoided making every dessert taste of the same sweetness.

Is Erawan Tea Room Afternoon Tea Worth Booking?

Yes, especially if you want an afternoon tea that says something about Bangkok. Our set combined polished hotel service with dumplings, sour pork sausage, butterfly pea tea, tropical fruit and Thai sweets. The savory bites were the highlight, closely followed by the mango sticky rice and the gentle durian cheesecake.

This is less suitable for guests whose perfect afternoon tea depends on large scones and a strictly British pastry selection. For us, the local character was its greatest strength. We even extended the visit with a cup of rare Black Ivory Coffee, still one of the most memorable coffees we have tasted. Erawan Tea Room gave us the kind of experience we hope to find while traveling: recognizable in format, unmistakable in place.

Erawan Tea Room Afternoon Tea Review Card

• 9/10
  ATMOSPHERE – 9/10
• 9.6/10
  SERVICE – 9.6/10
• 9.5/10
  TEA SELECTION – 9.5/10
• 9.3/10
  PRESENTATION – 9.3/10
• 9.4/10
  BITES – 9.4/10
• 9.7/10
  VALUE – 9.7/10

Price, Location and Practical Details

Prices, hours and practical information can change. The current price is subject to a 10% service charge and 7% VAT.