Afternoon tea at Hong Kong's Landmark Mandarin Oriental (Brad A. Johnson)
There are two ways to take afternoon tea in Hong Kong—both revered, both steeped in tradition, but with a different culture and practice. And while one is flourishing, the other is fading.
Hong Kong skyline photos from HKTB
It is 5 pm, and like precision clockwork the porte cochere at the Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, in Kowloon hums with a dozen Ferraris: The serious business of happy hour has begun. Elevators brim to capacity, shooting upward like jewel-encrusted rockets to the 103rd-floor lobby, ears popping in the 52-second ascent. Another lift completes the relay to the 118th floor and the ultimate cocktail destination: Ozone, the world’s highest bar, but even more dizzying, the world’s highest outdoor patio.
Afternoon tea is a huge part of the culture in Hong Kong. It might even be bigger here than it is in England.
