Treat Thursday: Las Vegas Mandarin Oriental, Tea Lounge Review

Enjoying High Tea is always a fun, elegant, and delightful experience for Bon Voyage Friends. We are presenting a series of reviews of the various tearooms we have enjoyed from Las Vegas, London and beyond.

The first high tea experience in our series to be highlighted is the Tea Lounge at the gorgeous Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas. My friend Tara and I enjoyed a lovely afternoon and plan to return in the near future! Their menu provides a clever opener, a brief history of afternoon tea is explained. 

 

According to legend, one of Queen Victoria’s (1819-1901) ladies in waiting, Anna Maria Stanhope (1783-1857), known as the Duchess of Bedford, is credited as the creator of afternoon teatime. Because the noon meal had become skimpier, the Duchess suffered from “a sinking feeling” at about four o’clock in the afternoon. At first the Duchess had

her servants sneak her a pot of tea and a few breadstuffs. Adopting the European tea service format, she invited friends to join her for an additional afternoon meal at five o’clock in her rooms at Belvoir Castle. The menu centered around small cakes, bread and butter

sandwiches, assorted sweets and of course, tea. This summer practice proved so popular, the Duchess continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for “tea and a walk in the fields.” The practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon was quickly picked up by other social hostesses.

As the only AAA 5 Diamond and Forbes 5 Star property in Las Vegas, the Mandarin offers an unparallelled world-class experience from the moment you arrive. 

Downstairs lobby at the Las Vegas Mandarin

 Ambiance- The Tea Lounge is located on the 23rd floor of the Mandarin, a perfect setting for a relaxing afternoon tea. The floor to ceiling view provides a stunning view of the Las Vegas Strip. Tip: Even with a reservation, seating preference is based on availability. Make a reservation for the first seating time and you will increase your chances of sitting next to the floor to ceiling window.

Elegant Las Vegas Mandarin Oriental 23rd Floor Tea Lounge

View of the Las Vega Strip from our table

 

Service- Having the distinction as a 5 Diamond and 5 Star resort, these credentials come with high expectations. The Las Vegas Mandarin member team are a class act. We were received wonderful service from the very beginning and throughout our experience, they were attentive and accommodating. We made sure to include special instructions in our reservations, which was the request of the gluten free option for Tara. We were also welcomed by the leadership team, Julieta and Jerome-they personally visited each table asking guests about their experiences and provided their business cards should we desire to contact them in the future. Julieta is the Manager of the Tea Lounge and Jerome is the Manager of Twist by Pierre Gagnaire- another elegant experience at the Las Vegas Mandarin Oriental. A class act team!

Menu and Pricing-There are nearly 20 different tea options to select from. There is also an option to enhance the experience by adding a glass or bottle of Veuve Clicquot. The delightful afternoon tea is  reasonably priced at $36, which includes an array of delicious assortments pleasing to the palate. An option of adding an additional plate of desserts, tea sandwiches, or scones is available for an additional $5. For the Veuve Clicquot option, the cost per person is $56 which includes a glass or two people can enjoy a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and high tea for $185. This fun experience isn't just limited to adults, children's afternoon tea with a menu customized of kid friendly options is available for $28 per child. 

Presentation and Taste- The quality of the presentation and the taste of each delectable bite goes hand in hand with the Mandarin Oriental's philosophy of providing a first class experience. The desserts, scones, and tea sandwiches are beautifully displayed on a traditional 3 tier stand. As a gluten free substitute for the scones, Tara received a wonderful array of fruit. Everything was simply delicious. Compliments to the chef!

Top to Bottom: Sweet: Dessert assortment, Scones accompanied with imported Devonshire cream and freshly made jam, and a selection of beautifully created savoury sandwiches and  deviled eggs.

The deviled eggs were served in such a unique way- the smooth deviled egg, with a mousse like texture, is placed inside of a perfectly hollowed and cut egg shell. As though the presentation wasn't creative enough, the eggs were placed atop stones which has magnetic properties, allowing the spoons to 'stand' on top of the stones. A unique culinary presentation!

A beautiful fruit selection was provided as the gluten free option in place of scones.

Overall Experience- Afternoon tea at the Las Vegas Mandarin Oriental was a wonderful experience. I would highly recommend any visitors or locals in our city take the opportunity to enjoy this jewel in Las Vegas. You will be greeted with elegance, taste the delicious and thoughtfully prepared cuisine, relax in the perfect setting above the strip, and participate in a time honored tradition. Guests also receive a postcard size guide which includes an excerpt of the history of high tea as well as a guide for how long to seep a variety of teas. With an exceptionally pleasing time from beginning to end, I look forward to returning to the Tea Lounge. 5 Diamonds, indeed!! Thank you to the Las Vegas Mandarin Oriental and to my friend, Tara for an amazing time!