If you’ve read my earlier post on L’Espresso @ Goodwood Park Hotel, you’d know how much I had enjoyed my dining experience there. And it’s definitely double bliss, now that I have also found another high tea buffet that could be on par with L’Espresso’s.
Tea Lounge at the Regent Singapore serves an eclectic mix of food – English, European, Japanese and Singaporean local delights. The variety of food is pretty decent for afternoon tea. At S$52++ per person for weekend high tea, your tummy will be thoroughly spoilt for sure.
As Tea Lounge only serves high tea buffet on weekends, be prepared to make an advanced reservation of at least one month ahead.
The open-concept lounge is located at the lobby level of the hotel. The bookshelves filled with literature and art pieces make this feel like a cosy living room. The wooden furnishings and warm lighting exude an old English vintage grandeur. Certainly a lovely setting for relaxing over tea with family and friends.
The high tea buffet includes free flow serving of freshly brewed coffee, fine tea selections and hot/cold chocolate.
Tea Lounge is famous for its English scones and clotted cream but I beg to differ. I have rather high expectations for scones after having tasted really good ones in England so unfortunately, these scones have not quite made their mark for being fluffy and moist inside. And their clotted cream is also no where near Rodda’s which is commonly sold in UK. But if I were to compare with other scones I have had in Singapore, these would probably be the best among all. Well, at least they know how to pair them with clotted cream and jam!
Anyway, despite the scones being unexciting which is not a big loss to me, I’m thrilled with what the rest of the buffet has to offer. Savoury sandwiches, refreshing appetisers & salads, caviar, delicious pate, smoked salmon & sushi, carving station, Asian corner, quiche & pot pie, cheese board, huge array of lovely desserts, gelato & freshly made crepes & waffles and dainty cookies. Did I miss out any? There’s just so much food, I don’t think I even manage to try every single bit of them!
Some notable items that I went back for seconds and thirds include the seafood salad with the freshiest scallops and crunchiest prawns ever, the ‘unsightly yet most delightful’ duck rilette with melba toast and the always-popular smoked salmon. Simply scrumptious!
The Avruga caviar looks luxurious but it’s not really my cup of tea. Except for being salty, salty and just salty if you just eat it on its own, there’s really no other flavours to boast of. Neither does it enhance any other dishes because it just leaves you a briny aftertaste on the tongue. It’s probably an acquired taste. Either you love it, or you hate it.
The cheese board is worth mentioning. The Wensleydale cheese with cranberries rocks. I don’t really like strong cheeses so this is a real delight for me with a mildly sweet taste from the cranberries. The smoked cheddar is quite a hit too.
The dessert section is indeed a joyful sight of colours and flavours. I love the way berries and fruits are served on sticks like kebabs. Easy to pick up and eat. There are macaroons, cheese cake, panna cotta, meringue tart, english fruit cake, truffles and many other assorted tea cakes. If you’ve a sweet tooth like my husband, then this is for you!
As usual, I prefer savouries to sweet so I didn’t really get to try every single dessert. But those that I did try were pretty decent. Not overly impressive, but not disappointing either.
So what’s my final verdict? In terms of variety and food choices, Tea Lounge is a clear winner. But in terms of food quality and taste, I’d very much prefer L’Espresso. Both are outstanding in their own way with excellent service so I’d definitely return again for tea.
Tea Lounge
Regent Singapore
Lobby Level
High Tea Buffet (Sat – Sun)
12.00pm – 2.30pm (1st seating), 3.00pm – 5.30pm (2nd seating)
Tel: 6725 3245 / 6725 3246
Online Reservation
Sunday morning tea at my local Chinese restaurant is really special but this is truly eloquent.