Tom During our recent visit to Penang, we decided to suss out the afternoon tea sets at the hotels we stayed. We also complimented these visits with other prominent high teas in Penang. This time, we visited 3+1 venues (you’ll find out why we said “+1” in a bit) and this post is simply the outcome of these visits.
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But first, a look back in time on how afternoon high teas came about.
The Origins of Afternoon Tea
It was said that Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford started the afternoon tea as a way to satisfy those mid-afternoon hunger pangs in the 1840s. As dinners can start late at about 8pm in the evenings, Anna would complain of “having that sinking feeling” in the late afternoons. Hence, in the late afternoons, she would ask for a tray of tea, bread and butter to help her through the afternoon till dinner time.
Coincidentally, “sandwiches” had already been created by the 4th Earl of Sandwich – John Montagu in the mid-1700s. Hence, Anna modified the sandwich to be small, bite-sized snacks for the afternoons. Soon, this became a habit for Anna and she would invite her friends over for these gatherings where ladies would have tea indoors and nibble on petite-sized snacks. Dressed for afternoon teas then became a fashion statement among the rich and influential households.
Today, afternoon high tea has evolved to extensive meals and even buffets in some cases. But true afternoon tea sets would still adhere to having traditional bite-sized canapes for decerning clientele of today.
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Afternoon High Tea in Penang – DoubleTree Resort Hilton Penang
Priced at 68RM ($22SGD), the set includes canapes such as smoked duck cheese croissant, tuna puff, smoked salmon canape and apple puff. To be honest, the taste for this afternoon tea set at DoubleTree Resort Hilton Penang was nothing to shout about. Our favourite was probably the fresh cream canape and macaron which was nutty sweet and salty. As for beverages, we had the chamomile tea which was refillable. As the afternoon tea set is served in the lobby of DoubleTree Resort Hilton Penang, there is no air conditioning here. However, if you choose your seats wisely, you’ll be rewarded with sea views, where you’ll be able to enjoy a nice leisurely afternoon tea away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
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Afternoon High Tea in Penang – Prestige Hotel Penang
Priced at 78RM for 2 pax ($23 SGD), the afternoon tea set is served at the Glasshouse – a posh in-house restaurant of Prestige Hotel Penang where breakfast is served daily. Again, nothing to shout about in terms of taste. In fact, there were several items which we found to be pretty dry. But what we really loved was the presentation of the entire afternoon tea set. There were matching cups, teapot and plates on the tiered presentation – gold line cups with matching green colours. Definitely worth a photo shot. However, if you’re looking for more than a great venue and presentation of a 3-tier afternoon tea set, we’d say that the afternoon tea set here can be a miss.
Afternoon High Tea in Penang – David Brown’s Hilltop Garden Restaurant Penang Hill
Priced at RM118++ ($40SGD), the afternoon tea at David Brown’s Hilltop Garden Restaurant atop Penang Hill was probably the best afternoon tea set that we enjoyed during this trip. In terms of taste, the bite-sized canapes hit the right spot for most of the items. We particularly enjoyed the crab canape, scones (which were warm and served with fresh, not-so-sweet cream) as well as the puffs that were topped with gold flakes – decadent stuff. However, the main draw of dining here is the ambience of the gardens. Nestled within a sanctuary atop the iconic Penang Hill, you could literally hear the birds chirping and the cool air of 24 degrees atop Penang Hill made the experience so much more relaxing and enjoyable.
Afternoon High Tea in Penang – Top View Restaurant Penang
We also wanted to try out the afternoon tea set at Top View Restaurant Penang – located at the 68th floor of The Top Penang. However, we made a boo-boo and did not make a reservation, hopping that it would be still served when we arrived. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Hence, we were only able to show from the photo above, what it would be like to enjoy an afternoon tea at Top View Restaurant while overlooking George Town Penang. If you’re intending to try out the afternoon tea set here, don’t forget to make a reservation. If you have tried out the afternoon tea set at Top View Restaurant, do let us and our readers know more in the comments section below!
Afternoon High Tea in Penang – E&O Hotel Penang
At the ticketing counter of The Top Penang, we found out that we were not able to have the afternoon tea set at Top View Restaurant. Hence, we were recommended to head over to Eastern & Oriental (E&O) Hotel Penang to try out their high tea. However, we decided to still ascend The Top Penang since we were already there and missed an experience at E&O Hotel. However, we did browse through the afternoon tea set of E&O Hotel and found it to be priced at RM176 (or $54SGD) for 2 pax. Being the most expensive of the lot, we think it will be an experience in and of itself. If you have tried the afternoon tea set here, do let us know more in the comments section below as well!
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How do they stack up against the afternoon teas in Singapore?
There are two main differences that we noticed between the afternoon tea sets in Penang vis-a-vis in Singapore.
Firstly, in terms of taste, Singapore afternoon high teas are definitely much better. We’d strongly recommend the scones at Fullerton Hotel – unlike any other scones that we’ve tried anywhere. Warm, crumbly on the outside yet slightly chewy on the inside. Clotted cream is always fresh and it is such a delight to have these combination with a little butter and jam together. Yum!😋
Secondly, there seems to always be a “buffet” element to afternoon high teas in Singapore. Either there will be a semi-buffet on the side or having canapes that are refillable, you will leave afternoon teas in Singapore feeling stuffed to the brim.
Of course, prices are more expensive at about 2 to 3 times that of what we had in Penang.
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Nonetheless, we found that it was an excellent afternoon tea experience at Penang Hill’s David Brown Hilltop Garden Restaurant where you’ll be able to enjoy nature up close while sipping and nibbling away leisurely in a sanctuary away from the city. Reminded us almost of the afternoon tea experience at Taj Rambagh Palace in Jaipur – that, is another experience to tell…
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Eeyore just tried the high tea in E&O hotel. It wasn’t outstanding either. 😂
Hey Eeyore,
Thanks for the update! It seems that David Brown’s afternoon tea is still on top at the moment.
If anyone has tried the version at Top View Penang, do share your thoughts with us as well!
Tom & Kate,
2bearbear.com