Authors’ Lounge
The teas are from the famed Mariage Freres of the Marais district in Paris. Their high tea set (B1,200) comes with your choice of tea (or coffee), scones, cakes and sandwiches. But most people just come for the beautiful architecture.
Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, 48 Oriental Avenue, Charoenkrung
Soi 40, 02-659-9000
Agalico
Yearning for a spot of British style? With their all-white tearoom, leafy garden, graceful glass gazebo and a selection of teas (B120-140), Agalico has long been a high tea favorite. It also acts as a showroom for furniture and decorative items, so your cup of tea could end up costing you a whole lot more.
20 Sukhumvit Soi 51, 02-662-5857 ext. 111. Open Fri-Sat, 10am-6pm.
www.agalico.co.th
Vieng Joom On
This famous café from Chiang Mai recently opened a branch in Bangkok, featuring the same Moroccan style as its northern sister. They serves up different mixes of teas from around the world. Try the signature, Vieng Joom On Tea, a wonderfully fragrant mix of black tea, rose petals, white tea, clover, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper and plum (B150/pot; B390 with scones, B650 as a high tea set).
93/332, The Emporio Place, Sukhumvit Soi 24, 02-160-4342. www.vjoteahouse.com
Let Them Eat Cake
Run by the same people as W by Wanlamun, another Chiang Mai dessert eatery, Let Them Eat Cake serves up homemade pastries and sweets that wouldn’t be too out of place in a French patisserie. Their top of the line treats include the St. Honore Rose-Framboise (B175), dôme au chocolat (B130) and éclair à la vanille (B160). And the stylish new bistro has outdoor seating so you can enjoy your bakery selection with a cup of Fauchon tea, a 125-year-old brand that now makes funky flavors like wild strawberry and chocolate. Or just opt for the rich and flavorful chocolat chaud made with dark Valrhona chocolate from France (B180).
G/F, Mille-Malle, Sukhumvit Soi 20, Bangkok, 02-663-4667. Open daily 10am-midnight
Double Dogs
Situated in a shophouse in Yaowarat, this family business has been renovated into a small minimal café by its young owners. Teas here are from many different countries like Japan, Sri Lanka and China. They recommend their Chinese teas (B80-B240/pot) or matcha powder tea (B130)—the owners claim it takes an hour to grind five grams of this very special green tea! They also make their own blends, like apple and bergamot (from B45) or natural milk tea with no artificial colors added (so don’t expect the usual orangey cha nom).
406 Yaowarat Rd., Bangkok, 086-329-3075. Open Tue-Sun 11am-10pm
TWG Tea Salon & Boutique
Finally, luxurious Singaporean tea purveyors TWG have landed at Emporium. The tea menu is categorized into different regions with more than 450 varieties to choose from. Otherwise start your tea lesson with their signature Silvermoon (green tea, mixed berries and vanilla, B250) before graduating to iced South African red tea (B250). The afternoon tea set starts from B370: sit near the bar, where you can ogle the bartenders sipping from every pot before they’re rolled out.
G/F, The Emporium Shopping Complex, 622 Sukhumvit Rd., Bangkok, 02-259-9510
Salon du Thé
Located in a hundred-year-old house, this newly opened museum also contains a little tea house on the terrace, surrounded by an impeccably-landscaped Thai-meets-Zen-style garden. The teas here are from the renowned florist Sakul Intakul’s own collection, and hail from many countries around the world. Try some of his personal recipes, like the Kashmiri Spiced Milk Tea (vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, B120) and Love Pekoe Rose Tea (Assam black tea, Indian ‘hundred leaf’ pink rose petals, B120). Afternoon tea sets are B240 and come with six Asian snacks like tua pap (rice crepe stuffed with mung bean), green tea daifuku and kanom tom (glutinous rice stuffed with coconut).
The Museum of Floral Culture, 315 Soi Ongkarak 13, Samsen Soi 28, Bangkok, 02-669-3633. Open Tue-Sun 11am-6pm
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