Festive Afternoon Tea @ The Lounge, One and Only The Palm

Following my visit to the Pedi:Mani:Cure Studio on Monday (click here), I was so keen to bring the girls back to see the resident rabbits in the gardens of the One and Only the Palm. So off we went all excited (me included) on a nice sunny afternoon to the end of the west crescent. On the way there, I rang to see if I could make a reservation for afternoon tea, but was politely informed that they only take walk-ins at The Lounge. That’s okay then – let’s just rock up.

After an hour of bunny-chasing and attempting to feed them, we got back to the Lounge a few minutes before 3pm. I asked for a spot that was away from everyone else; the manager pointed to one of the corners indoors and I was very happy to take it. Anywhere I can ‘contain’ my girls is fine. Of course everyone else was sitting outside in the terrace – it was a such a nice day.

Thoughts on the afternoon tea?

What do you get?

A 3-tiered stand containing 11 delicately-prepared items, plus another tray with 2 scones – a unique choice of beetroot and carrot scones. One serving of tea or coffee. Note that food and drink items are non-refillable.

Favourites?

The lychee tarte with pistachio was scrumptious – it was nice to see the use of exotic fruit in their selection. The salmon mille-feuille was absolutely delicious as well – this was smoked salmon on puff pastry, chive cream cheese and salmon egg. I was too late to even have a bite but my girls loved the black forest cake and chocolate log. Of course…chocolate….

How was the ambience?

On a mid-week, the lounge itself was quiet – we were the only ones sitting indoors which was perfect. The team has done a fabulous job on the christmas decorations – it was beautiful indoors. The terrace however was very busy. If my kids weren’t here I would have probably sat outside.

Things that could be better?

The afternoon tea took 45 minutes to arrive. This was definitely too long, more so with restless kids around. This was passed on to the manager who agreed as well and was extremely apologetic, and mentioned he did relay the message onto the kitchen team.
If it takes a long time to prepare – suggest to accept bookings. We were the only ones who was doing the afternoon tea that day and I can only imagine how frustrated other guests would be if there were numerous orders that would have taken longer to prepare.
The team was super kind to serve my girls two little glasses of what I had ordered. It was a really nice gesture, however for future reference – little kids definitely do not need any caffeine in their system, hehe! Babycino (frothy milk) would be fine 😉

Overall thoughts?

Did we have a nice afternoon? Yes. The adorable bunnies was a big part of it, and it helped that the manager was really accommodating as well. It is a true testament on service when you see how staff handle difficult and hungry toddlers in places like these 😉

The damage? The normal afternoon tea would have been 130 AED, however the festive afternoon tea is priced higher at 170 AED. Considering it’s at the One and Only, which also means no deals – it is a little steep but I feel, to be expected at such a boutique resort.

How did I feel about the overall afternoon tea set? I’ll be lying if I didn’t admit that I was very much underwhelmed when they brought the stand out after the long wait. I guess I was expecting something a little more christmassy with regards to presentation (see festive afternoon tea set at Kambaa, Sultan’s Lounge, or Raffles’ Salon). If you’re the type that has a big appetite – I would definitely suggest you go for all the many afternoon teas that are in the Entertainer (click here). If you want something a bit special, quiet, unique – that’s the Lounge for you. Would I return? It’s a one time thing for me this time, as I would much prefer an afternoon tea set that was a bit more aesthetically appealing. How about you? Have you done the afternoon tea at The Lounge? How does the one at Royal Mirage fare?