A very lovely experience. Quiet, relaxing, and bougie vibes. The service was attentive, but it was hard to understand what the server was saying. The food was actually a hit and miss. The scones were not dry and very tasty with the Devonshire cream and lemon curd. However, the sandwiches were not so great. Love the tea, though. I got a slice of birthday cake - - their famous coconut cake. That was delicious. read more

Halekulani Afternoon Tea - Tea Rooms Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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The Veranda Tea room opens to a secluded garden which makes the Halekulani Afternoon Tea experience a relaxing and intimate atmosphere. The service is 5 Star from beginning to end. We felt like we were the only ones in the room even tho we were not. We had the classic tea which comes with an assortment of pastries, sandwiches and desserts plus your choice of loose teas that was hard to choose from since they all smelled amazing! read more

Halekulani Afternoon Tea - Tea service - Tea Rooms Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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The atmosphere was nice but unfortunately, it was too hot drinking tea in that room they put us in. They should have had a fan on or A/C at least so we can enjoy our celebration. We had the celebration tea which came with champagne and strawberries. They were good. But the sandwiches were pretty disappointing. The scones were great. Especially, with the sauces they provided. For the price I paid, this was pretty disappointing. I've had afternoon tea sandwiches in the San Diego that were so much better than this. read more

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I booked the afternoon tea to celebrate with my friends and it is one of my favorite experiences on the island. There is validated valet parking which makes parking in Waikiki a breeze. The interior opens up to the outdoor area, so there is a nice breeze and view. Our waiter was outstanding and so knowledgeable about the tea selection. The food came out on time and we were able to enjoy everything with the freshly made tea. The food was amazing. The scones were buttery and paired nicely with the clotted cream. I would definitely recommend the halekulani tea over some of the other options in the area! read more

Halekulani Afternoon Tea - Afternoon tea - Tea Rooms Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Great valet Ohana and customer service. We went for afternoon tea and Ricky took care of us. Had the champagne with jasmine tea ono. Seasonal desserts superb and beautiful. Atmosphere perfect for a cold rainy day and sipping tea like we are high class when we are not lol. Supa awesome for any occasion and we just went for a date and it was perfect. Everyday is a celebration! read more

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Delicious food and tea! I don't normally eat all the food or drink all the tea at afternoon tea but I enjoyed everything I tried and finished 3 cups of tea here. The pastries were delicious and not too out of the ordinary. I loved the orchid vanilla tea and didn't even need to add anything to it. The hotel is very peaceful and quiet with only about 6 tables in the afternoon tea seating area. Our waiter was attentive and well informed -- highly recommend making a reservation here! read more

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The service and location was great food was sub par,for our pallet it was just sweet on sweet without enough savory and what was savory was not great, we expected great. It was 2/3's sweet and 1/3 savory and all the sweets were just overly sweet for us. My wife is Japanese and the best praise for a sweet in Japan is "good, not too sweet" wish the sugar content was balanced better as we left jittery. Overall very nice but we won't be back unless menu is balanced a little more. Maybe a classic cucumber sandwich and lower sugar content in sweets and all three sauces were sweet on sweet. All bread tasted dry and stale as well. Really not on par for such an esteemed hotel. We have been to the hotel in Okinawa and it seemed much classier. read more

Halekulani Afternoon Tea - Tea Rooms Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I came here a while ago with a friend to try their afternoon tea. Made reservation early. It's a smaller section inside restaurant. We came on a day with very few people. We got an outside view of the garden which was nice. I think we got the celebratory afternoon tea. We chose our tea leaves...many choices. Sparkling peach and whipped cream strawberries came out first. The desserts/pastry and sandwiches were really pretty. Food was yummy. Got a basket of scones with different jams. In the end we got a cake...coconut flavor cake. Took the leftover home. So yummy! We enjoyed the food and service here. read more

Loved this much needed day of relaxation and high tea. The atmosphere is simply beautiful, quiet, and serene. I appreciate that my friend and I were able to chat for quite a long time, I think we were there for over 3 hours and we didn't feel rushed (there were empty tables so it may not have been a problem that particular day) I did enjoy the selection of both the teas and food offerings, but I did notice that the server who refilled our tea or water did so in sort of a hurried manner, and there were a couple times that we actually wanted to ask him something but he ran off so quickly we had to try to get his attention another time. The utensils also look like they should be replaced soon. Tip: We initially tried to book it online, but it said "sold out". However when I called, I was able to get a table. So that may be something for you to consider if you are thinking about getting reservations. read more

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Everything about the Halekulani Tea service was perfect. We were given teas to decide on based on scent. The room was roomy enough for privacy. I ordered the classic set since I don't drink alcohol. The other sets include champagne. Good service of waiter. He told is about the sandwich and dessert selections. Loved Everything about the Halekulani afternoon tea service. Don't forget to walk around the pretty grounds of the hotel read more

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Beautiful seating area with a nice tea service. They serve 4 sandwiches, 3 desserts, and two scones per person. Their teas were all delicious and tasted very high quality - we got the sencha, jasmine, oolong, and earl grey and all tried each one. Our overall favorite was the earl grey, which tasted like a kumquat black tea more than an earl grey. The only thing that stopped this from being 5 stars was that our server seemed extremely caught off guard by every request (more cream, containers for jam, etc) which made it slightly awkward. Anywhere else I wouldn't take off points for this, but at such a high price I expect perfect service. read more

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They have great small areas for tea parties. We had 15 people in our party. It was beautifully decorated, felt private & special. Service was outstanding! Felt like we had a couple of private wait helps that were very attentive. Food selection was good. So much sweets. Couldn't eat it all. They provided containers to take home their famous sliced coconut cake. read more

Dec 2024 This is becoming our holiday tradition. While many tea services in Hawaii are great, this is most relaxing tea service of all. I like that they use a quiet location in the hotel. You can Relax, take the time to truly enjoy all the lovely flavors, with the beautiful ambiance. Life has been stressful for some of us so for a few hours...just pamper yourself! IMO, we don't need alot of "stuff" in life to be happy. Treat yourself to a lovely meal at Orchids, a relaxing Tea, then stroll this beautiful hotel and find the next restaurant to try! See you again soon! MAHALO! read more

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Very disappointed! The afternoon tea was not worth $72, our view was facing the courtyard but it was heavily trafficked with hotel employees walking back and forth. At any high-end afternoon tea venues use loose tea and not tea bags.  I had high expectations being that it is Halekulani.  A suggestion have the afternoon tea time venue at Orchids. Facing the beach area would be a better option. Advice to Halekulani you should take notes from "The Veranda" at the Moana Surfrider. Will not be returning. read more

The last time I went to Halekulani's afternoon tea at Orchids was in 2017! Glad to see that is back post-Covid. I think the tea menu is significantly better now! They don't serve the poppy seed muffins, but instead there are four savories, larger scones, and the most delicious desserts! At $58 per person for the classic tea I'd say it's the best deal on island (as of right now) for the amount of food and for the quality of the food as well. One thing to note is that afternoon tea is now served at the veranda (which we learned was the original tea room!) rather than the Orchids restaurant itself. Reservations are available on Open Table and begin at 2 PM, Thursday through Friday. read more

Halekulani Afternoon Tea - Such a lovely relaxing area! - Tea Rooms Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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The service and food was excellent. Very relaxing atmosphere. We did not feel rushed. We were able to enjoy our time together.

Is been almost 10 years I return for their afternoon tea. I still remember the first time I had my afternoon tea here, I still remember their scone was so good!!! Food was alright (I like the savory sandwich minus the salmon one over the desserts), I was sad the eclair does not have a swan on it. Scone still good, not dry and pair so well with the lemon curb, strawberry jam and fresh cream. Of course price went up compare to a decade ago. Service was alright, need to flag down for more tea and check. Server did not come check on us. Suggested tips is 15-18% but receipt only shows tips calculation from 18%. I won't return again and I wonder if their bakery sells same quality of scone too. read more

Just do it! Be treated like a Queen or King. Life short get the champagne and place the strawberry in-Yum-servvice was amazing and not rushed. The ambienance is soothing and the open air does allow birds but it cools you down from the warm tea. The food was amazing! It doe snot look like a lot but it feels you up. I loved the scones with clotted cream and lemon curd, but after that sweet I decided to take my desserts with me. I had the black tea from the big Island mine was a tea bag and not loose leaf but it was tasty. Well worth the price!!! read more

4.8 rating Quite hard to get a reservation since the room they use seats about 20 people. I had to change our reservation for 5 people, and the next availability was a month away. However, it's well worth the wait. Service is top notch, even as we stayed past the end of tea service by almost an hour. We never felt pushed to go. Valet parking is free with validation. It's an elegant open air space, quiet, and relaxing. Because it's open air, there is the issue of birds. On this last visit, there was only one sparrow flying around, but it did remind us our last visit long ago when several friends got bug bites from the armrests of the chairs. No issue with this visit. Choice from 12 different teas that you get to sniff to help with your selection. I was hoping for a fruity tea with hints of passion fruit, but it's probably not the season for it. 2 scones, 4 mini sandwiches, and 3 sweets each were presented beautifully and all were at the standard expected of the Halekulani. Although it may not look like much, we left happy and satisfied. read more

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Lots of difficulty getting a reservation. They claimed no availability. When we arrived the place was empty. Teas are just from bags and scenery was unimpressive of the lawn. Worst part was that a persistent bird kept trying to get our food and succeeded once. Food was good though. Teas were very mild-flavored. read more

We came as a group of 6 for afternoon a couple months ago and we had such a wonderful time! There were many different tea options and we had such a good time selecting our tea for the afternoon. The food was beautifully presented and everything tasted wonderful. I especially loved the scones. We opted for the champagne in addition to the tea which was even more delicious. The strawberries came with cream which was perfect-not sweetened and so delicious. We felt a little rushed by our server so next time I will opt for an earlier reservation. It might also be easier to come with less than 6 people so that we receive better service-the server seemed slightly overwhelmed. read more

Halekulani Afternoon Tea - Tea Rooms Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Love experiencing afternoon tea and the one at Halekulani is one I've been wanting to try for a long time. Made reservations about a month prior. On day of, checked in at Orchids but they walked us over to a room with about 6 tables overlooking the garden. Very quiet and intimate. There was only one waiter servicing the room, and he did a great job. A box with sll the teas are brought over so one can read the descriptions and smell them. We decided on the classic and the celebratory tea services with a pot of Earl Grey and a pot of the Pineapple Coconut Rooibos. A glass of champagne and a plate with 2 strawberries and cream were served first for the celebratory service. The scones and tiers were brought after. The 4 finger sandwiches included a brie with strawberries, smoked salmon, roast beef (?), and curry chicken. Nothing in particular stood out about the sandwiches, except the curry one in which one side was coated with crushed peanuts. I love scones, even more so with Devonshire cream, lemon curd, and strawberry preserves. Hubs enjoyed them as well. As for the desserts, read some reviews in which they noted the desserts had no flavor. I do not agree. The desserts were our favorite part. The mini desserts included a raspberry lemon tart, black sesame swan cream puff (), and a chocolate mousse-like cake (hubs fave). A coconut celebratory cake was also served - probably my fave. Such a light cake and so good with the raspberry sauce. Hubs ordered coffee while we enjoyed our time there. It was a freshly made French press coffee - full flavored and strong. Plenty to share and great way to end our tea service. It was a very enjoyable experience, and I can't wait to return with my daughter. read more

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It can be tough to get weekend reservations nowadays. Prepandemic, I had luck booking less than 2 weeks in advance, but since they still aren't doing afternoon tea on Sundays, getting that Saturday reservation requires making the call a month in advance. That said, I took a late afternoon weekday reservation. Tip, they are on Open Table and you need to search for "Afternoon Tea at Halekulani". My wife loves afternoon tea and this reservation was for her birthday. Been here several times before the pandemic for her birthday and sometimes Mothers Day. She has loved the views of Diamond Head each and every time we have been here. Except for this last visit. We were out in a room by the grassy courtyard where it was mostly very quiet as we dined with others having tea. Service was excellent, as always. The goodies that accompany the tea are beautifully presented. You get only one refill of your tea pot. It is still a good experience, but just not what we have been accustomed to. read more

I was lucky enough to finally get a reservation for the Sunday brunch. This is probably one of the best brunches I've ever had. The food was just amazing. You can start off with a glass of champagne or mimosa or Kir. The service was outstanding of course. You do pay for service. They had so many different salads, sushi, fresh fruit, fresh fish, and seafood. They had an omelette station so many different cuts of meat and they had crab legs. Then let's move over to the bread table. They had everything you can think of. The desserts were so many and so good. They had a little ice cream bar and yes, ice cream with bread pudding was perfect. Daniel was my server and I couldn't say enough nice things about him. Will I be back absolutely! read more

August-High Tea in Oahu!? Why not try it, especially if you love high tea. First off, the tea room is lovely. Comfy elegant chairs, serene colors, high ceilings and beautiful dark woods. Downside-Open walls that let in the birds(!) And heat...and the birds get bold. Sadly, no views of anything but the hotel courtyard and hotel guests walking by. There are ocean front views at the restaurant across the lawn...so we went by after teatime to snap pictures. I really wanted to love the food, but it was mediocre. Not bad but not memorable. Would I go again? Probably not, would I recommend? If you really want a photo opp tea time, sure!! Others mention the Kahala Hotel/Veranda...so that will be next time! read more

Halekulani Afternoon Tea - Desserts looked better than they tasted. The best was a complimentary slice of coconut cake I received for my birthday, that was delish! - Tea Rooms Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Ambiance is super nice. I believe limited sitting? Maybe depends on people who made reservation. The service was good, our server was very attentive and was recommending tea's. Food was fresh and desserts wasn't too sweet. Over all a good experience! read more

Halekulani Afternoon Tea - Tea Rooms Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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It's been a while since I came to this afternoon tea. Out of all the places this is one of my faves when it comes to the food selection. The scones were so good I could just eat those and be happy. I got the Darjeeling black tea which as someone who really hates tea this was pretty easy to drink. Definitely recommend the vibes are awesome. Also highly recommend making a reservation on open table.. read more

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The food was delicious but I think more savory versus dessert would be great. Everything was very very high quality and attention to detail was in point. The service was attentive but not hovering. Professional but not stiff. I'm usually very particular about service and critical but Ricky and Alyssa were perfection. The tea room was beautiful and open air on one side creating a calm environment with great lighting. read more

Halekulani Afternoon Tea - A beautiful tea setting. - Tea Rooms Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Well attempted to book an afternoon tea for a large group and first was on hold for 10 minutes, then the service person was not customer service oriented and rude. Said she couldn't hear me due to loud noises, I asked what the charge per person would be and she said manager would have to call me. Really? Can't even find out the price(s) for afternoon tea? When I asked about prices she rudely said 'manager will call you'. Guess I'll be waiting for that customer service call I hope! read more

What a treat we decided to have afternoon tea here at the halekulani. Their hours are from 2:00-5:00 Tuesday through Saturday. The tea sandwiches were all yummy (chicken curry, Brie on brioche, pastrami, smoked salmon. Service very good as it is in all the restaurants in the hotel. The atmosphere is very tranquil here. What a lovely treat as I said before. read more

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Every year we visit Oahu to see family and everytime we're back my family likes to go to afternoon tea. We decided to try a new place this time and came here after doing some research. Will say that we are not disappointed! Afternoon tea is usually on the higher end, and for a place like this with amazing view and interior setting, I wasn't surprised to see the prices a little higher than some other places. We went with the classic afternoon tea. The tea was great. There's a lot to choose from and with four people in our party, we were able to sample 4 great selections of teas. FOOD: Wow, I can't get over the scones and small pastries that they gave out first. I absolutely loved the fresh baked current scones with the lemon curd. The spreads that they have (lemon curd, some sort of cream, and jam) were simply amazing. ESPECIALLY the lemon curd. I love tart things so it was a great compliment with the scone. The sandwiches that were served were also tasty and unique from the other tea houses that I've been to. I really enjoyed the Cucumber with Cream Cheese and Chives on Caraway Seed Bread and the Smoked Salmon with Lemon Cream on Rye Bread. I felt that each of the sandwiches were pretty flavorful and fresh. Dessert. Okay this is my favorite part! We had 3 types of desserts for each person. I don't really know the names but here's how I would describe them: Black sesame mousse, Acai blueberry cream puff, Chocolate mousse cake. My favorites are for sure the black sesame mousse and the blueberry cream puff. I loved how distinct the black sesame was in this dessert. It wasn't too sweet and it was light! The blueberry cream puff was a bit tart which made it delicious (because I do like tart things). The chocolate mousse cake was great too but I'm not into the too sweet desserts, but still delicious. The presentation of things were just so beautiful which helped make the experience really enjoyable. SERVICE: The service was great! The people are so friendly and you're well taken care of. ENVIRONMENT: I loved the open windows/doors because it meant being able to enjoy the Oahu air and water! The view was great since we were seated near the windows/doors. The place is nicely decorated and you can tell that they put a lot of effort in keeping the place clean and classy looking. Would highly recommend this place to anyone looking to do afternoon tea! The place and food is just so great and I know that I'll be coming back again soon. read more

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One of my friends recommended this place to me, therefore I took another friend here to celebrate her birthday. We wanted to try something new and an afternoon tea experience seems perfect for a special occasion. We were both seated at the Veranda at their main building. The room was small, but the setting and surroundings were charming and classy. We have to seat ourselves and once we looked at the menu, we both ordered the Halekulani's Classic Afternoon Tea with Eden Rose and Jardin Rouge tea. Once our teas and meal came out, the presentation was beautiful. The teas were fragrance and tasted sweet. The array of tea sandwiches were very good where the bread was soft and the taste was flavorful. The scones and muffins were good where they are moist and the spreads that go along with it makes the flavor enhanced even more. The desserts (which seems to change frequently), however, were not as good as the sandwiches and scones. The pastries tasted hard and not fresh. It almost seems like something that were kept overnight and taken out the next day. We both didn't finish all of the desserts. Finally, the service was what ruined our entire experience. When we ordered our meal, our waiter didn't bring us the sample tea leaves for us to smell to be able to pick and choose our teas. During and after our meal, he didn't even once bother to ask us how our meal was or how were we doing. We also have to call on him to refill our tea pots every time. There were also two other guests seated nearby and their service were way better than ours by the same waiter. For a restaurant in a 5-star hotel, we have expected better and less bias service, especially for the price they offered for such small portions. I would not recommend this place to anyone especially when wanting to celebrate a special occasion. read more

Halekulani Afternoon Tea - 11/4/18- Classic Afternoon Tea - Tea Rooms Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Love their afternoon tea. It's affordable and starts at $36. Free Valet parking. Attentive and very efficient staff. Did not give us a hard time splitting our checks into 4! They even gave us extra pastries for free! we came here on a saturday 3pm and the place was pretty empty. We had a nice ocean view (although fenced with no beach access) & nice cool breeze. (it was 90F that day so it was good). Will go back to bring my daughter since we love afternoon tea. read more

Halekulani Afternoon Tea - Tea Rooms Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This was my first experience of afternoon tea and Halekulani didn't disappoint! My friends took me to celebrate my birthday and we got the Halekulani's Classic Afternoon Tea. It came with the following -An array of tea sandwiches (ham and watercress with grain mustard, cucumber with cream cheese and chives, chicken with horseradish, and smoked salmon with lemon cream) -Freshly baked currant scones served with cream, lemon curd and kula strawberry preserve -Assorted afternoon tea pastries and cakes -A pot of fine tea My favorite was definitely the scones and the sweet cakes. Service was exceptional and the ambiance was so relaxing. It felt like we weren't in Waikiki where everything is so loud and busy. The menu is a little pricey but definitely worth the experience. I will definitely be back again. read more

Halekulani Afternoon Tea - Classic afternoon tea - Tea Rooms Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

It was my 1st time to have afternoon tea at this place, the ambiance is nice and relaxing and the service was great, food was delicious especially the finger sandwiches and tea was nice, dessert looked beautiful and delish, and the scones was perfectly baked not too dry. My husband and I were having a wonderful and relaxation moment. I definitely will take my girls there and highly recommend to anyone who loves afternoon tea! read more

The atmosphere is clean and decadent. Water view while you munch goodness. A tad expensive for a tea but well worth it.

This is my first time of the Halekulani's afternoon tea. Great ambience. I had the 30th Anniversary blend. It was excellent. It was the wonderful experience. read more

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Afternoon Tea at Orchids is the absolutely the best tea on island, at least in my humble opinion. 3:00 in the afternoon is so much better than morning tea and the fare is better suited to my palate. Ah, too bad the guys were planning on fishing, what will the gals do? Ha ha we'd been looking for an excuse to ditch them anyway and scheduled a trip to the Halekalani for Afternoon Tea at Orchids. Seated on the outside lanai, beautiful breezes, fantastic view of Diamond Head thru swaying palm trees we were happily ensconced at a table for four. The tables are covered with crisp linens, proper tea service and tropical flowers low enough not to impede the visual impact of the views and your table mates. Servers promptly bringing their showcase of teas, inviting you to not only chose from the menu but to sample, aromatically, the teas available. Choices made, tea pots delivered, we started sipping while the tiered serving tray loaded with savory and sweet treats was delivered and explained. Two of our group ordered the Champagne (hand raised as I was guilty of that afternoon delight) which came with two large Kula Strawberries and a small pot of sweetened, lightly whipped, heavy cream each. Being part of a sharing family and since there were four strawberries, we shared, but darn I wished they'd ordered their own....I would have happily enjoyed their glass of bubbly! I must admit, I much prefer the savory finger sandwiches to the sweet cakes. I loved the small scones which broke nicely for added lemon curd, Kyla strawberry jam and the Devonshire cream....also wonderful on the little poppy seed muffins. Don't misunderstand me, the sweets are awesome, beautifully presented and rich. Maybe I could find someone to trade? I'm a fan of eating with my fingers so the finger sandwiches were a big hit with me. Where can you find a cold salmon finger sandwich lavished with a lemon infused cream topped with fresh dill on a light rye bread? A chicken salad sandwich topped with a tongue tingling creamed horseradish, sprinkled lightly with peanuts? Traditional cucumber sandwich? Ham and watercress rolled into little cylinder sammies? Oh my I'm drooling just writing this review. Everything is a proper as it can possibly be given you're in a beach setting. The servers will invite you to stand under those swaying palms with the Diamond Head back drop and take your picture(s) with your camera to show all your friends. Beautiful setting, fabulous experience.....I want to go again soon! read more

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Halekulani is a beautiful spot for Afternoon Tea. It is hosted in Orchids and the Veranda. You can call ahead for reservations for seating in Orchids. Orchids has a beautiful view of the water, while Veranda has a garden view. The classic afternoon tea comes with your choice of tea. I chose the Jardin Rouge and it was very tasty. I don't like caffeine and it was a fruity, tasty caffeine free option. There are also small finger sandwiches and desserts. The sandwiches are delicious and the desserts were the perfect sweetness. The scones are also to die for!! They are crisp on the outside but moist on the inside. They come with three options to spread on top. I love mixing the lemon curd with cream. So good! The classic is $35. It's such a good price for this beautiful experience. It's so delightful and I highly recommend this tea to anyone looking for a calm and relaxing afternoon tea. read more

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It doesn't get lovelier than the afternoon tea service at Halekulani. It's a pricey but very special treat if you happen to be in the area on vacation. The relaxation and truly excellent service is well worth the price. I have to say, I almost cancelled our plans to go after an evening of pre-dinner cocktails at House Without A Key. I couldn't imagine paying almost $50 a person for the type of service we received there. But I'm glad we persevered, because the tea experience turned out to be quite the opposite. Our servers were beyond attentive during our tea, helping us to select our pots, presenting each lovely course, and offering to box up what we didn't finish at the end in a very cute reusable totebag, which I wasn't at all expecting but highly appreciated, as someone who can't stomach food waste. The tea and the food offerings were exquisite. I had a wonderful honey oolong, and my husband went with the house earl grey blend, which he loved. I do wish that milk had been brought with the tea, as I prefer my black teas with a smidge of dairy, instead of just sugar, but I'm sure it would have been brought if we asked. But since the tea was lovely on its own, we just went without. The first course served is a basket of cloth napkin-wrapped and still warm scones and financiers. These were accompanied by adorable little jars of lemon curd, strawberry jam, and a thick clotted cream, which honestly tasted best all layered together--a little tart, a little sweet, and a little fat. The scones, studded with currents, were buttery and light. Scones aren't normally my favorite because of how dry they can be, but these were great, and split easily with a fork to open up and pile high with condiments. But the financiers, normally one of my favorite pastries, were perfected here, baked in a canele mold, which allowed for more chewy, caramelized edges. Fresh and warm, they were heaven. These were tough acts to follow, but we were soon bought a two-tiered tray of savory sandwiches and desserts. There were 4 mini tea sandwiches, each lovely, but my favorites were the lox on rye, which featured buttery salmon studded with capers, and a chicken salad sandwich, topped with crushed peanuts. I typically add toasted slivered almonds when I make chicken salad at home, but have never thought to use peanuts instead. Now I'm kicking myself for all the wasted years, because this was absolutely decadent. The desserts were probably the weakest link, although still all very tasty. My favorite was a pastry shell filled with what tasted like banana cream. But I would rather have had another another jam- and cream-topped financier, to be honest. I'm not sure if I would return, simply because it's an odd hour to have such a large amount of food, and I think that next time, I'd try to find a place that serves a lunchtime tea instead. But who knows--I wouldn't turn up my nose at a visit back, if only to stuff my face with canele-shaped financiers. read more