{"id":24056,"date":"2010-02-24T22:57:01","date_gmt":"2010-02-24T21:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hightea.com\/nl\/afternoon-tea-at-the-peninsula-shanghai-hotel\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T09:33:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T07:33:52","slug":"afternoon-tea-at-the-peninsula-shanghai-hotel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hightea.com\/en\/afternoon-tea-at-the-peninsula-shanghai-hotel\/","title":{"rendered":"Afternoon Tea at the Peninsula Shanghai Hotel"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Peninsula Hotel, Shanghai \u00a9 Peninsula Hotels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

It was Friday afternoon in Shanghai \u2013 the largest city in China with a population exceeding 20,000,000 \u2013 and rush hour traffic was in full force.\u00a0 In my taxi, I was observing how drivers fought for every square inch of pavement in an effort to make slow but steady forward progress. However, no one ever makes contact, at least not as far as I can tell. In my whole time there, I never witnessed a single sideswipe or glancing blow \u2013 it\u2019s amazing, really, how so much iron and steel can squeeze through the streets of old Shanghai without so much as a scrape or a small dent.<\/p>\n

After about 45 minutes or so, I arrived at \u201cThe Pen\u201d \u2013 the Shanghai Peninsula Hotel, located right on the historic Bund <\/a>and facing the river. It was quite an adjustment to step off the crowded Bund and into The Pen where it was, all-of-a-sudden, quiet and serene with string (violin) music playing from the mezzanine above.\u00a0 It was remarkable, really, how different it was inside the hotel \u2013 an oasis, if there ever was one.<\/p>\n

From the moment you walk in, you know you\u2019re in a Peninsula Hotel.\u00a0 The staff is impeccably dressed, gracious, and focused on you. You just know that you\u2019re going to be in good hands from the moment you arrive.<\/p>\n

Just like the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago, afternoon tea in the Shanghai Peninsula Hotel is served in a large, airy, high ceilinged room located just off the lobby area. The copious amount of natural light and the live string ensemble promote a casual and relaxed feeling.<\/p>\n

The Afternoon Tea Menu, which is written in both Mandarin and English, was presented to me and included a traditional English-style Afternoon Tea and a \u201cNaturally Peninsula Tea.\u201d This second option is geared more toward lower fat food choices.<\/p>\n

For tea, the menu listed classic teas like Assam, Darjeeling and Earl Grey, but also offered a Chinese tea selection, an organic selection, herbal infusions and the Peninsula Signature Hot Chocolate. I chose the Pu Er from the Chinese category, which the staff advised me was grown in Yunnan Province in Southwestern China. It\u2019s a strong, earthy, robust tea that was perfect for this cool February day in Shanghai.<\/p>\n

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Three tier Tray at Peninsula Shanghai \u00a9: HighTea.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

After the three tier tray arrived, I was reminded again of one of the things that makes afternoon tea at The Pen so different and special \u2013 the artistry and effort put forth in the preparation of the savouries and sweets. Afternoon tea here is not an \u201caccommodation\u201d for hotel customers but an event that is discharged with the highest level of service and attention to detail. The scones, tea sandwiches and sweets were not only pleasing to the eye, but were equally delicious and reflected the emphasis that is placed on this tradition.<\/p>\n

The apple scones were served warm and\u00a0had to be\u00a0so fresh that they nearly crumbled in\u00a0my hands.\u00a0 Condiments served with them were the traditional lemon curd, strawberry jam and clotted cream.\u00a0 I could have stopped right here and been very happy, but there were some interesting tea sandwiches to investigate.<\/p>\n

Without a doubt, my favorite sandwich was the citrus prawn salad with fennel slaw on a brioche roll \u2013 absolutely outstanding, light and mouth watering. The chicken salad, pastrami smoked salmon and onion quiche with black truffle weren\u2019t too shabby either \u2013 all fantastic examples of the culinary skills of the kitchen staff.\u00a0 When something tastes as good as it looks, all the planets line up and everything is right with the world.<\/p>\n

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The Lobby for Afternoon Tea \u00a9 HighTea.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

It was interesting to me that up until recently, I had not had a single shrimp or prawn-based tea sandwich served to me at an afternoon tea, and I\u2019ve recently had two – here in Shanghai and also at the Sofitel\u2013 The Grand <\/a>\u2013 in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n

On the upper tier where the sweets resided, the clear winner \u2013 for me at least – was the banana lime entremet. It was not only a thing of beauty, but tantalizingly delicious as well. It\u2019s a layered dessert that kind of reminds me of a mille feuille, though in miniaturized form. The coffee \u00e9clair and the orange florentine were also very good dessert items.<\/p>\n

The service is just what you would expect at a Peninsula Hotel \u2013 it exceeds your expectations. They\u2019ll engage you if you like, or leave you alone, if that is your wish. It was amazing that\u00a0one of the young Chinese staff, upon learning I was from Chicago, informed me that he was a Michael Jordan fan and now also follows Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat. There are about seven thousand miles between Shanghai and Chicago, but for that moment in time, we may as well have been neighbors.<\/p>\n

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The Peninsula Shanghai Hotel Entrance \u00a9 Peninsula Hotels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Watch the video below:<\/p>\n