Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Afternoon Tea: A full Review

The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Afternoon Tea is delicious, luxurious and charming; we share a full review of our experience.

The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok is one of the most prestigious and historic hotels in Bangkok, so of course, it has one of the best afternoon teas in the city. Overlooking the Chao Phraya River and dating back to 1876, the hotel is iconic for its exceptional service and excellent location.

You can stay at this hotel, with great deals being available on their website when booking in advance. However, if you want to experience this luxury hotel in Bangkok without spending a lot on the hotel room, then visit the Author Lounge for their (almost) perfect afternoon tea in Bangkok.

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Afternoon Tea

Location

The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok is located along the banks of the Chao Phraya River, in the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. It is surrounded by other high-end hotels but there are some great sites nearby too. You are also not too far from Saphan Taksin BTS and the Bangkok Sathorn Ferry Port.

The easiest way to reach the hotel is using the Grab app (especially for us as we are located on Sukhumvit). However, you could also catch the BTS to Saphan Taksin BTS stop and then take the 13 minute walk to the hotel.

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok address: 48 Oriental Avenue, Bangkok 10500, Thailand

Setting and Decor

The Author’s Lounge is known for its sophisticated decor. As you enter the lounge, you are greeted with a charming colonial style staircase, with elegant white and creams around the walls and furnishings.

With large windows that overlook the gardens, this lounge offers a bright, airy atmosphere, flooring the space with natural lighting. This is complimented with the fresh flower arrangements around the room, plush sofas and armchairs and ornate tables.

The feel of The Author’s Lounge is about Literature, so you can find portratidns and author memorabilia around the room, as well as shelves lined with books; giving you a feel of being in a library.

To add to this, the afternoon tea itself continues the theme, being served in beautiful book displays themselves.

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok dress code: Smart dress is required for all guests, including children. Ladies should wear elegant attire with closed shoes (knee length dresses were fine to wear). Men should also wear closed shoes with long trousers. Vest tops and shorts are not permitted in the Author’s Lounge.

Menu at the Author’s Lounge in Bangkok

There are two afternoon tea sets to choose from at the Mandarin Oriental, a western set and a Thai set.

The menu changes with the seasons but generally, with the western set, you can expect scones with cream and jam, a selection of savory bites and an elegant collection of sweet items. The Thai set tends to include a type of fruit sorbet, papaya salad, dumplings, grilled chicken, shrimps, and sweet treats which often include coconut. Scones are also served with the Thai set too.

To see the items we had, watch the video below. You can find their current afternoon menu here. There are also vegan sets available here as well.

Quality of the food

This is by far, one of my favorite afternoon tea sets in Bangkok. We have had the pleasure to enjoy an afternoon tea at Shangri-La, Lebua and The Peninsula, as well as a Christmas afternoon tea set with St. Regis. So it is safe to say I am well-versed with afternoon teas in Bangkok.

All of the afternoon tea sets in the hotels are tasty and varied but the food quality here was exceptional. The salmon and truffle items felt extra luxurious and the sweet treats were innovative and mouth watering.

Scones were brought fresh to the table, and the cream and jam had a lot of depth of flavor to them.

Customer Service

As with all of the excellent hotels in Bangkok, the customer service was fantastic. The staff were attentive and encouraged us to try different items available. At the end of the meal, they asked us what our favorite items were and bought extras over for us to take home with us.

The bright, open atmosphere and the calming, kind nature of the staff, also made this lounge stand out. Sometimes, when you go to these afternoon tea lounges in fancy hotels, it can feel stuffy or pretentious. But because of the welcoming nature of the staff, I felt completely at ease and would love to go back to the lounge to experience it all over again.

The Price and Value

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Afternoon Tea offer sets at different prices:

• Western Set (with tea): THB 2250++
• Western Set (with tea and champagne): THB 3000++
• Thai Set (with tea): THB 1800++
• Thai Set (with tea and champagne): THB 2550++

These are slightly higher prices than other afternoon tea sets but the quality and additional items make it worth it. For example, the Shangri-La afternoon tea set costs THB 1999+ per couple, rather than per person.

Pros and Cons of the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Afternoon Tea

Pros:

• Beautiful ambience: Gorgeous setting and environment, with light, airy feel.
• Quality ingredients: It was clear that the lounge really ensured they had the best quality for their food.
• Innovative menu: The menu of both afternoon tea sets are innovative and unique. Whether it is a chicken parfait and morel mushroom log sandwich or a Pistachio and orange blossom leaf, the blend of flavors are tasty and unique.
• Theming: Along with the beautiful setting, I loved the theming of the Author’s Lounge. The quiet ambiance of a library theme, matched with the fun book display sets for the afternoon tea sets, made this an elegant but fun experience.
• Additional items: In all other afternoon tea experiences, you generally finish your set and you are done. You can ask for additional tea but additional items aren’t often included. However, at Mandarin Oriental, they were happy to offer us extra items of our favorite items.

Cons:

• The price: We personally found the value to be worth the price, but this is a most expensive afternoon tea set in Bangkok. Therefore, you may prefer to look elsewhere at other hotel or restaurant tea sets, especially when on a budget.
• Reservation: Because of the popularity of this restaurant, you will need to book your afternoon tea in advance. You can do so via their website with ease, but you do need to know of your chosen date, at least a few days before booking. If you are wanting to visit on a weekend during the Summer, Songkran or Christmas period, it is best to book at least 2 weeks in advance.