The Place After close to two years of renovation, the iconic Raffles Hotel Singapore is finally going to officially open its doors on 1 August 2019. I was lucky to get a glimpse of the refurbished heritage hotel, all thanks to a afternoon tea affair at the classy and chic Grand Lobby which serves the Raffles Afternoon Tea daily.

My first impression of the new lobby space is its elegance. The floor-to-ceiling Victorian pillars adds to the English high tea ambience, and it does feel like an understated elegance rather than being overly opulent.

The Food Available daily from 12pm to 6pm, the Raffles Afternoon Tea is one long affair. It is good in the sense it gives you the flexibility of having the afternoon tea at any time in the afternoon. Priced at S$68++ per person, the Raffles Afternoon Tea is a three-tier affair, along with selection of scones and a choice of tea.

Price wise, it is fairly similar to other five star hotels such as The Lobby Lounge at Intercontinental Singapore. There is also an option to add on a glass of Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve (S$20 per glass).

The three-tier presentation consist of savoury sandwiches at the bottom tier, followed by cakes and pastries at the second tier, and other sweet treats at the top tier.

The classic sandwiches are delicious. The texture is soft, yet the fillings come across strongly, such as the crowd’s favourite crab sandwich. I also enjoyed the squid ink sandwich which has smoked salmon within, and you also can’t go wrong with the classic egg sandwich.

The pastries are equally commendable. My favourite is the hazelnut tart topped with a pseudo peanut, inspired by Long Bar where guests used to throw the peanut shells all over the floor.

The Pistachio Religieuse is also an interesting play of flavour where the choux pastry is stuffed with delectable pistachio cream, which is not too sweet.

Other sweet treats include the likes of Coconut Panna Cotta with Passionfruit and Mango.

I had the glass of champagne, where I also get to enjoy additional desserts from the dessert trolley.

For the home-baked scones, choose between the plain or raisin, served along with clotted cream and rose petal jam. I don’t usually take jam, but the homemade rose petal jam is definitely a highlight here. The scone flavour is not overly buttery, and goes very well with the jam.

The tea selection is quite diverse too, from the renowned Parisian brand Mariage Frères.

Rants For the price tag, it would be good if there is an option to try two types of tea instead of one.

Will I Return Again? Quality over quantity, that is what I feel about the new Raffles Afternoon Tea. The ambiance is great, and it feels like I am transported to the Victorian era. Save this high tea for a special occasion, and it is worth the experience simply by admiring the grandeur of the lobby.

This was an invited tasting, though all opinions expressed are our own.

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4.5/5
Ambience: 4.5/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

Raffles Afternoon Tea
Grand Lobby, Raffles Singapore
1 Beach Road
Singapore 189673
Tel: +65 6337 1886
(Located at the Main Building, accessible via the main hotel entrance)

Opening Hours
Daily: 12pm to 6pm

Ranted by The Ranter