The Mandarin Oriental Munich was my second afternoon tea in a row while visiting the Bavarian capital. I was looking forward to both their high tea and the magnificent view from their rooftop.
Afternoon Tea / High Tea at the Mandarin Oriental Munich, Germany (five-star hotel)
Overall Mark: ★★★★★
MO Munich Afternoon Tea price: 39€/person; Champagne Afternoon Tea price: 45-65€/person
Tea refills: Yes; Food refills: No
Service: Every day from 3 to 6 pm in the Lobby Lounge (Reservation required)
The Setting ★★★★★
The Mandarin Oriental Munich is located in the city’s former Opera House, a neo-renaissance building dating back to the 1880s. It was converted into a hotel in 1990 and purchased by the Mandarin Oriental in 2000. The hotel has less than 50 rooms, almost like a boutique hotel. It’s the most luxurious establishment in Munich.
It is famous for its fantastic rooftop bar. If your schedule and the weather both allow it, I recommend going there for a drink to enjoy the stunning view of Munich.
The Lounge ★★★★★
I went to the Mandarin Oriental Munich on a beautiful day so this might explain why the hotel felt so empty. The Lounge is connected to the lobby but it still offers enough privacy for an enjoyable afternoon tea. The atmosphere is quaint and the sofas are really comfortable.
The only thing missing would be live music, even though that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. It’s also a pity that they don’t serve the high tea on the rooftop but I understand why it wouldn’t be convenient 🙂
Live music: No
The Tea & Beverage Selection ★★★★☆
There are 23 teas and infusions on offer, sourced from the JING tea house. I’m normally not very on the JING tea brand but this particular selection is very good, with many classic teas as well as rare teas. The finest tea is the Wild Wuyi Gold black tea, which will cost 45€ extra (connoisseurs only!).
It is possible to order several teas with your afternoon tea so you’d do well to try a couple of different ones. I recommend the Mandarin Oriental Munish’s Heritage Signature herbal tea and the Sencha green tea.
23 teas & infusions from the JING teahouse (8 black, 8 green, 1 oolong, 1 pu-erh and 5 infusions)
The Savouries ★★★☆☆
The afternoon tea starts with three savouries, which seem to have been inspired by Oriental cuisine. I appreciate the effort to serve something more original than sandwiches but this is still the weakest part of the afternoon tea:
- Boursin cheese date with peanuts and Crispy Prosciutto
- Smoked Salmon Sandwich
- Pesto marinated heirloom tomato with Mozzarella foam (shot glass)
The savouries were good but still missed a certain je-ne-sais-quoi, which made them forgettable. They’re also quite frugal in comparison to the generous serving of desserts.
The Scones ★★★★☆
The Plain and Raisin Scones are served with fruit preserve and clotted cream.
The scones were delicious but it’s the topping that stole the show: that rhubarb preserve was so good that I could have eaten a whole bucket of it!
The Cakes & Sweets ★★★★☆
The cakes are the most interesting aspect of the Mandarin Oriental Munich afternoon tea. They’re as tasty as they are gorgeous! Listed from left to right:
- Passion Fruit Praliné
- Vanilla, Raspberry & Lemon “funky” Macarons with Chocolate sunglasses ♥
- Eclair with berry cream topped with berries
- Cream tart topped with a Raspberry
- Tonka Ben Cheesecake (Mandarin Oriental signed)
- Date & Walnut pound cake topped with an edible Flower ♥♥
The date and walnut cake is the best in terms of flavours. The “stars of the show” are the funky macarons and their chocolate sunglasses!
Service ★★★★☆
The Service is courteous and efficient. It’s just a pity that the booking policy is a bit restrictive and that you have to book in advance.
Below is a video detailing the content of the Mandarin Oriental Munich afternoon tea:
Conclusion & Overall Mark ★★★★★
The Mandarin Oriental Munich serves a good afternoon tea. The setting is calm and soothing, the tea selection is great and the food is both tasty and plentiful.
It is slightly less premium than the Kempinski Munich afternoon tea but it’s also a bit more generous (e.g. the tea refills). Both places are worth the visit!
+: Gorgeous hotel and rooftop view
+: The soothing feeling of the Lounge
+: Decent tea selection
+: A generous afternoon tea
+: That rhubarb preserve with the scones
+: The funky macarons
-: Average savouries
-: The booking policy
Phone: +49 (89) 290 98 829
Address: Neuturmstraße 1, 80331 München, Germany
