A family Afternoon Tea @ Lotus Lounge, Anantara The Palm

So you ask me, with all the 241s available for afternoon tea, why would you come to The Lotus Lounge in Anantara The Palm and pay full price? There has got to be something different, something special, for you to pay that extra. Yes, once you use the voucher, The Lotus Lounge usually loses out (145 AED per person), as all the other ones available end up being about 100 AED or less per person ( Jumeirah Hotels / The Address Hotels – click here to view my reviews on all afternoon teas ).

Here’s why I think it’s worth that little extra bit of splurge :

a) If you’re at an afternoon tea, you like pretty things. That, or someone who does dragged you here 🙂 Love love love the tiers that the little sandwiches and cakes came in here at The Lotus Lounge. Similar in theme with the asian pagoda roofs in the Anantara, simple and elegant, and shows off the food well. Here’s one of the 20 images that we took yesterday :

b) The food is actually quite good. Whilst some of the other afternoon teas are more so for photos and to fill up the tummy than it is yummy, this is a little bit of both. The scones my mum and I both loved, definitely fresh out of the oven. Highlights : Classic egg mayo with chives and caviar on soft rolls, and the blueberry cheesecake. For the vegetarians, you’ll love the grilled organic zucchini and red peppers, with buratta cheese on tomato focaccio.

c) Maybe I don’t spent enough time at Anantara, but if you’ve been to the Madinat area too many times, this is a bit of a different feel. The pool, the trees, the sea. Atlantis in the distance. We opted to sit indoors because it’s still a bit warm at 2pm in the afternoon – you can choose to sit right by the full-height windows overlooking the this :

And when it gets even cooler, take a seat outside 🙂

d) Now that we have a little one – couches are the way to go. It was so comfortable we didn’t want to leave. We went there on a Sunday and it was very quiet, which was perfect for us. Probably a lot busier in the weekends if that’s what you’re after.

We spent most of the afternoon there, taking a million photos, as you do when you’re an afternoon tea 🙂 For those who are wondering, yes Anantara does have baby-changing facilities in the disabled toilets on ground floor. The lounge has steps so not really pram-friendly though the staff were very kind to assist, so no issues there.

Were we full? Yes, and there was so much leftover that we asked for it to be taken home (please don’t waste food and do the same!)

Things that could be better?

Instead of having just one serving of tea or coffee, it would be nice if we could have a few (or minimum two). Honestly you probably would have two at max. Considering the amount of food there is, one is not enough 🙂
Consider having local water at the premises. 22 AED for a 500ml San Pelligrino is a little bit steep.
Ensure all staff is aware of what’s being served, where it’s from. I spoke to one, who was new and apologised that she did not know where the cakes came from. A little bit more briefing and training would make the experience perfect. After speaking to another, yes – Anantara prepares all their pastries in-house ( and you could sign up to learn how to do it with their pastry chef over Anantara Gourmet 2016 – details on their website here )

A location for baby shower?

Definitely.

A nice quiet date afternoon, or a catch up with a girlfriend.

With all the vouchers around, Lotus Lounge would lose out to the other afternoon teas as I don’t think many people know about it. Now you do. So if you don’t mind splurging a little bit more for something different, check it out, and let me know what you think.