Please note that since writing this blog post, Gartine has closed down
Despite being born and raised in Britain, I never quite got the obsession with tea. I don’t mind a fresh mint or an Earl Grey, but English breakfast tea (or builder’s tea) was just not my thing. That said, high tea – or afternoon tea as it’s usually called in England – is a different story.
Afternoon tea in Amsterdam for any occasion
Classic high tea at The College Hotel
Some of the best high teas in Amsterdam come from the city’s fancier hotels – and The College Hotel is a case in point. At their bright, airy bar/lounge area, high tea comes generously stacked on brass platters with large pots of jasmine tea (although I assume you can ask for other tea if you prefer). The top layer features savoury finger food like warm cheese pastries, cucumber pinwheels and kletzenbrood with brie and fig jam. At the midway point, you’ll be treated to dainty smoked salmon sandwiches and avocado toasts. And of course there’s plenty for those with a sweet tooth on the bottom layer: think miniature eclairs, macarons, tompouce, doughnuts, you name it. Given the hotel’s elegant status and culinary cachet, the price tag is surprisingly reasonable too: €39 per person at the time of writing.
Elegant afternoon tea at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Afternoon tea at the Waldorf Astoria feels like an escape into old-world elegance, with views over the hotel’s tranquil garden. Unsurprisingly, Peacock Alley (where afternoon tea is served) is suitably grand: think bronze chandeliers and sweeping curtains. But it also has a sense of fun: the staff are friendly, not obsequious, and their afternoon tea is themed every year. When I visited, a few of my favourites on the savoury side included posh hot dogs and decadent gingerbread “horses” filled with a cream of foie gras. In the sweet department, the mini bundt cake topped with pineapple and mango was standout in terms of flavour, while the “toffee apple” stole the surprise prize for its cake-pop appearance and popping candy filling. As for the tea, the Waldorf’s “China Supreme Rose” tea was miraculous: when I began to eat the savoury elements of the afternoon tea, it turned spicy. Then, as I worked my way over to the sweet side of the dishes, the tea became floral. I even asked the restaurant manager if it was all the same tea. It was – and I ended up drinking about six cups of the stuff, despite my aforementioned aversion to tea. Caffeine buzz aside, Peacock Alley at the Waldorf Astoria is the kind of place where it’s easy to relax and feel very taken care of.
Locally grown high tea at Gartine
Despite the fact that Gartine is sandwiched between the Kalverstraat and the Rokin in the centre of town, it has its own moestuin (allotment) in which they grow much of the produce you’ll eat at the tearoom. The location is delicate and classy, but in an old-fashioned way – as if your grandma had taken a degree in interior design. The food is likewise: think choux pastry filled with smoked salmon tartare, savoury cakes with lovage cream cheese and cured ham, friandises and macaroons. Gartine’s high tea comes in four different styles and price points, from a simpler savoury version to a larger luxury version.
Casual afternoon-T at Teds
More American brunch than English tea, Teds pairs the best of both sides of the Atlantic with a casual, fun vibe at its two locations in Amsterdam. You can still expect a stacked-up tower of shareable bites, but they include eggs Benedict with salmon, fried chicken with sweet-chilli donuts, and French toast with bacon and banana, rather than your usual sandwiches and scones. Teds’ waffle fries are the business, too: topped with a mayo-based sauce and lashings of grated parmesan. For those with a sweet tooth, you can expect a couple of cakes (we had a chocolate-toffee gateau and a pomegranate layer cake) plus unlimited tea. The ambience (and the volume of the music) is perhaps more lively hen party than sophisticated tea party, but that’s no bad thing. Teds offers afternoon-T (their spelling, not mine!) at both their original Oud-West location and their newer Jordaan location.
Glamorous high tea at the Amstel Hotel
The Amstel Hotel offers a high tea in Amsterdam that’s as much about the atmosphere as it is the food. Overlooking the Amstel River, the setting is both impressive and relaxing, especially if you’re lucky enough to score a spot by the window or on the terrace. Their high tea has all the essentials: delicate pastries, savoury sandwiches and Brit-approved scones. On the sweet side, we enjoyed pistachio financiers, something like a cross between a caramel doughnut and a Danish pastry, and little gooey butterscotch-topped chocolate sponges. We also had two delicious tartlets filled with frangipane and topped with raspberry and passionfruit mousses respectively. The teas (which I managed to fit in between glasses of Champagne) were extremely high in quality, although all but the jasmine were probably lost on me, not being much of a tea connoisseur. With an ever-changing view of the boats drifting past along the river, high tea at the Amstel Hotel offers a touch of old-school glamour that’s just right for a special occasion or a spontaneous treat.
High wine at Bubbles & Wines
Not technically high tea but rather “high wine,” Bubbles & Wines offers the ideal solution for people like me who are more about the bubbles than the bergamot. The mid-priced version of their high wine arrangement (option two on the menu) involves eight half glasses of wine, in a diverse range of styles from an apple-fresh Cava to a luscious New Zealand Pinot Gris to a deep, complex, decade-old Rioja Reserva. Each round comes with substantial high tea-style snacks, and in our case the server kindly switched out the platter of cured ham for some veggie bites for my friend who doesn’t eat pork. And all of this for €45 per person. When you consider that Bubbles & Wines is a stone’s throw from Dam Square, that feels like very good value.
Editor’s note: I was invited to The College Hotel, Waldorf Astoria Hotel and Teds as a journalist, and didn’t pay for my afternoon tea. Obviously I try to be as objective as possible, but I always disclose when I’ve had a freebie.