No, we haven’t arrived in Miss Austen’s Haye Park, we are still in Shanghai, in a place where tea is art, modus vivendi, poetry and history (nevertheless, the Chinese are the "forefathers" of the tea, the first people on earth who were passionately fond of liquids&hot cups. I’m telling you this story from the splendid tea salon in Waldorf Astoria, the most "British" spot in the area, with posh, refined details which remind us at every glance, of the grandeur and the deco aestheticism of the old British Empire.

The architecture of Waldorf Astoria, one of the most spectacular hotels in the big city, is a smart and perfectly balanced mix of neoclassical style and modern details, and Salon de Ville, the charming room where tea is being drunk, is full of stories. 100 years ago, the gentlemen in the high society would meet here to puff at their pipes, to read the latest news in the journals of the day and to indulge in petty politics, but the "decor" evolved gradually over a long period of time, people changed, women gained the right to a cosmopolitan life-style and today, the deco touches are rather...feminine. The sofas and the cupboards, the other pieces of furniture in the Salon preserve the same traditional note and the silk carpets, the brown, golden, brick-colored plush, as well as the crystal chandeliers and the mirrors, with their complex details create  a perfect ambiance for a cozy tête-à-tête in a quiet afternoon.

It’s the ideal place for people to come here, to relax and enjoy the splendid Red Velvet Afternoon Tea - sheer madness! - a coffee or a good champagne. Tea is very carefully and meticulously  served, and is completed by the strains of classical music, violoncello, violin or harp. The velvet-like touch of the famous "Red Velvet Cup Cakes" (they are on every pretentious gourmet’s list and lover of sophisticated desserts) as well as the sweet, soft  kiss of the fruit infusion turn everything into magic.

And the range of desserts is impressive: macarons with pistachio and cherries, cheesecake with mango, meringue and lime tart, panacotta with green tea, not to mention the famous queen of desserts...colored with red beet juice and cocoa powder.

Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund
Address: No.2 Zhongshan Dong Yi Road, Huang Pu District, Shanghai 200002, P.R. China
(The other entrance: No 88, Sichuan Zhong Road)
Tel: +86 (0)21 6322 9988
Fax: +86 (0)21 6321 9888
E-mail: shawa.info@waldorfastoria.com
www.waldorfastoriashanghai.com