Monday, January 4, 2010

Afternoon Tea @ L'Espace by Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok

After sampling the delicious scones at Harrods, Mike was craving for some in Bangkok. We wanted to have it at The Oriental but were too lazy to take a cab from Siam Paragon. We therefore struck a compromise and had our afternoon tea at their Siam Paragon cafĂ© called L’Espace.

L'Espace

L’Espace was located in the middle of the mall and offered an alfresco dining experience. This was done with the aid of plants, a water garden and umbrellas. All they needed was a halogen light and a painted sky like the Venetian to truly fool us into believing we were outdoors.

Restaurant

There were two types of afternoon tea sets that we could order with the more expensive version offering more blends of tea. Mike and Phin chose the cheaper while my brother Kim and I chose the latter.

Differences between Harrods and L’Espace were apparent when our tea arrived.
The wait staff wasn’t as attentive or polished as the one’s in Harrods and the chinaware used wasn’t as nice. Unlike in Harrods where our tea was steeped in loose leaves L’Espace uses teabags.

Our Afternoon Tea Spread

DSCF4596

The scones were also a big disappointment. Served warm it was rather bland and had a chewy and pliable texture similar to that of a semi-cooked bun. The croissant wasn’t fresh and the pastries were mediocre.

Scones and assorted Pastries
Clotted Cream and Jams
Assorted Sandwiches

Overall we were definitely disappointed with our afternoon tea. Despite not being as good as Harrods we felt it should have been a lot better than what we had especially when it is owned by the Legendary Oriental Hotel.

Food: 2/5
Service: 3/5
Ambiance: 4/5
Price: $ (Approx. USD$ 10-20 for an afternoon tea set for 2)

Contact Information
Address: Siam Paragon G Floor
Tel: +66 (2) 610 9840
Web: www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok/dining/restaurants/lespace/

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