Come for the spectacular views, stay for the exquisite Afternoon Tea at MO Lounge, Mandarin Oriental New York.
Indulge in a little luxury on your next visit to New York City by taking some time for Afternoon Tea at a luxury hotel. There are plenty of options for High Tea in the Big Apple, but where is the best afternoon tea in New York City? We rate an afternoon tea experience by its food quality and inventiveness, service level and atmosphere, including views.
One such option is the Mandarin Oriental New York, where Afternoon Tea is served at the MO Lounge on the 35th floor, boasting spectacular views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline. The five-star hotel features 244 hotel rooms and suites, styled with luxurious and elegant décor for the discerning traveller. MO features a sunken lounge with club chairs, plush carpet, cherry blossom trees providing a pop of colour and a dramatic curved lighting feature circling above, but all eyes are on the view.
The most coveted tables in the restaurant are those positioned by the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the waiters try to accommodate everyone’s needs by courteously moving guests closer to the windows as tables become available. I played musical chairs with a local couple from Brooklyn who was treating their daughter Francie to her first High Tea experience.
The view of Central Park, Manhattan skyline, and the streets below are mesmerising. You get a birds eye view of the city from MO Lounge and it is the perfect way to sit back, relax and watch the world go by. The view pulls focus, until the afternoon tea arrives.
Served on a traditional three-tiered high tea stand, with white bone china plates, its presentation is one of understated elegance. We started with the tea sandwich selection, a dainty assortment of four flavourful bites. The sandwiches were modern and inventive, particularly the black truffle egg salad sandwich crafted in checkerboard style.
The scones were a standout, with a deliciously crunchy exterior and soft and light inside – the perfect vehicle for lashings of rose petal jam and dollops of cream. The rose flavours and aromas pair perfectly with the choice of traditional and curated teas, including the tempting ginger yuzu, mad hatter’s tea party or the high mountain oolong but I couldn’t go past the flowery earl grey, described as a cup of liquid sunshine with citrus aromas and complex bergamot overtones.
On our visit, the afternoon tea was presented in collaboration with The House of Creed, a luxury perfumery providing a multi-sensory experience. The pastry team, led by Executive Pastry Chef Jonathan Pereira, pays homage to the essence of the perfume with the handcrafted sweet selection. Each morsel is made to mirror the artistry of perfume-making, where fragrance and flavour unite. This partnership is most evident in the sweet selection, where it’s suggested the pineapple cake with coconut mousse is inspired by the fragrance Aventus, while the Carmina scent inspires the pistachio cherry cake.
Jonathan Pereira, the Executive Pastry Chef at Mandarin Oriental, New York since 2022, embarked on his pastry journey in Puerto Rico, graduating from pastry school in 2011. His career flourished through an internship under the renowned Chef Mari Blanca in Madrid, followed by key roles at Ritz-Carlton hotels in Atlanta and California. After honing his craft at Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai, Jonathan moved to New York, bringing with him a rich culinary perspective shaped by his travels across Asia and Europe. Influenced by Caribbean and Asian flavours, Jonathan’s passion for culinary creativity shines in his edible art, which he shares through master classes, including sessions with L’Ecole Valrhona in New York
The collaboration with Creed is an example of the inventive thematic afternoon teas available regularly at MO Lounge, so check the Mandarin Oriental website for the latest collaboration.
As I finished the last bite, I circled back to the friendly Brooklyn family to discover Francie loved her first afternoon tea experience. The children’s High Tea included kid friendly options like cheesecake lollipops, chocolate chip cookies and traditional scones, that looked delicious and were a generous size for a little fans.
Leaving the hotel sated, I stroll through Central Park, spritzing myself with the Carmina by Creed fragrance, knowing it will evoke memories of this delightful day long after I’ve returned home to Australia.
Mandarin Oriental New York Afternoon Tea Sample Menu:
Freshly baked plain and ginger scones, accompanied by lemon curd, Devonshire cream and rose petal jam.
Tea Sandwiches:
- Roasted beets terrine, goat cheese mousse, blackberry, sourdough
- Cherry tomato jam, burrata, thai basil pesto, focaccia
- Black truffle egg salad, truffle salsa, pumpernickel
- Curry chicken salad, pickled grapes, everything bagel spices, brioche
Sweet Selection:
- Pineapple cake with coconut mousse
- Pistachio cherry cake
- Mango passionfruit cake with vanilla sponge
- Hazelnut tonka bean cream puff
- Snapdragon apple madeleines
High Tea New York – find more experiences
in our High Tea Venue Directory
