The combination is classical and has the same ingredients at the Royal House of Great Britain, in Ceylon or in Japan and in the retro future Romania: teas, infusions, cappuccino, coffee for the caffeine-addicted and even champagne, sandwiches, in variants of creativity, proportional to the skills and imagination of the chef or of the host and miniature sweets, the dream company of any 5 o`clock.
It`s a tradition, it`s an artistic/bourgeois custom, it`s a ritual and I respect it in all the corners of the world where I go with all my colored stories. And after so many years of 5 o`clock tasting, here`s an absolutely personal top of 5 o`clock teas, in the wide world, I myself tasted :

1. St. Regis Hotel, Mauritius - macarons, fruit tarts and lovely cookies, along with vanilla tea, specific to the island, and recollections from the Golden Age of New York, luxury and care for the details-checked!

2. Shanghai - A  Red Velvet Afternoon Tea, where tea is very meticulously and carefully served and is completed by the strains of classical music, violoncello, violin or harp. The gentle, velvet-like touch of the famous "Red Velvet Cup Cakes", besides all sorts of other goodies, make the dream setting of the incredible Waldorf Astoria complete.

3. The Dandolo Bar in the palazzo of Hotel Danieli, Venice - baroque meets classic and an absolutely successful combination of snacks: ”salate delizziose”, fine pastries, beneficent and savory cakes and teas-checked!

4. Sea Lounge, in the Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai - chichen in crust of herbs, shrimps, avocado and beet salad, toast with cheese and chilli, raspberry cheesecake, caramel and almond tart, green, white, oolong, fruity teas, flavored coffee, but also a bit of street food of Mumbai, all together under the same roof-checked!

5. The Plaza, in Palm Court, New York – a host of the great swing, Gatsby, Capote and Onassis`s favourite place, with its marble, exquisite décors and sweets inspired by the “roaring years”. Try them all along with equally sophisticated teas.

6. Al Bayt, Dubai – for the mix of traditional and contemporary, for the super duper Dammann teas, for the chicken saorma, the kofta sandwich, mille feuille with egg-plants and Arabian bread, cufeta joint roasted on the stick and melon, dumplings with cardamom and saffron, date cake, velvet-like pancakes (qatayef), cheesecake with rose petals or basboussa-checked!

7. L’Hotel, Paris – for the Violette cheesecake with almond biscuit, the Financier with peanut butter and blueberry sauce, the Française Meringue, the perfect marmalades, along with the mini sandwiches with smoked salmon, all accompanied “parfaitement” by the best known range of Lupicia Japanese teas-checked!

8. Kubbeli Saloon Tea Lounge, from Pera Palace, Jumeirah, Istanbul - in an incredible atmosphere, with luxurious, Turkish details, huge chandeliers and crystal domes, with wooden panelings and antique furniture, with an Art Nouveau style, combined with an oriental one; an irresistible spot for an afternoon tea-checked!

9. Palacete Chafariz D`El Rei, Lisbon - On the terrace brimful of bougainvillea of this awesome palazzeto, you need to taste the famous Gorreana teas, along with some fluffy pancakes with apples and cinnamon; ah, did you know that Portugal is the oldest tea producer in Europe?

10. The Biltmore - The American Riviera, Miami - beach, ocen, sun, sky-scrapers, stars and a muffin with salmon or turkey with guava jam, a mini sandwich with cheese and cucumber and devilish eggs, combined with white tea, with chamomile and osmanthus, green tea with jasmine or black tea with bergamota. Mmmm..-checked!

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