This afternoon tea with a twist will leave you totally pampered

The English have a knack for high society gatherings and afternoon tea is up there as one of England’s most coveted gifts to the world. But the afternoon tea we’re about to reveal has the added flair of Abu Dhabi luxury to create an even more memorable occasion.

words Derek Issacs

For those who don’t know, Bain Al Jessrain is a district of the capital just off the main Abu Dhabi Island and is situated between two of the capital’s main gateways, Maqta Bridge and Mussafah Bridge. For non-Arabic speakers, it’ll come as no surprise, then, that Bain Al Jessrain actually translates to ‘Between Two Bridges’, which, in our opinion, doesn’t sound as glam!

But don’t be fooled; it’s a delightful destination of beach-front, five-star hotels and a rather luxurious traditional souk, Souk Qaryat Al Beri. It makes for the perfect setting for that English favourite, afternoon tea. And indeed it is! However, the Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri has taken this English delight and infused new ingredients – think pampering and optional free-flowing house beverages.

But, before you head to the Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri Lobby Lounge to sip piping hot tea from dainty china teacups, nibble on delicate triangular sandwiches, and sample English cream tea of crumbly scones and delightful pastries, your first stop is Chi The Spa for some well-deserved pampering, or in this case, manicure or pedicure… you choose, as it’s completely part of the  hotel’s afternoon tea deal.

Making yourself more beautiful

Chi in Chinese means lifeforce and, coincidentally, in Lebanese Arabic which uses smatterings of French, chi also means ‘tea’. But vocab lesson aside, I chose the manicure, after all an English fancy deserves to be picked up by well-groomed fingers, don’t you agree?

Chi The Spa beauty experts, as expected, are welcoming. Yes, there are health forms to fill in and all precautionary measures are in place due to COVID-19, but it’s all in aid of your safety of course.

The male salon (There’s one for females too) has two, large reclining leather chairs but due to pysical distancing only one is in use, so you get the space all to yourself.

The chairs double up as an automatic masseuse and there’s also a gigantic wall-mounted smart TV and a gazillion channels to choose from. Just in case you’re wondering, I chose ‘Friends’. The TV is totally optional so you could listen to music or if you prefer, just listen to the gentle sound of your nails being filed, buffed, shaped by the beauty expert.

The results spoke for themselves. Not only chilled and finger-beautiful, I was more than ready for the great English export of afternoon tea.

Chi The Spa is adjacent to the the hotel but in the intense heat, it’s quite a walk. Fear not, though, the hotel cart is ready and waiting to transport you to your afternoon destination where tea and cakes await in the hotel’s Lobby Lounge, a picture of Arabesque design.

The hotel is grand and is all chandeliers and huge open spaces. The afternoon tea offering is serves up  in equally grand and elegant proportions in terms of fancy pastries, delish-tasting English scones, delicate triangular sandwiches, and more, all washed down with piping hot tea of your choice.

It was a shame to bite into the cakes, which had been expertly worked into rose-style designs, but we did nevertheless as we sat back on ornate sofas that gave way to views across the ornate Lobby Lounge and beyond to the water’s edge outside. There is a rather delightful terrace too, ideal for when the temperature begins to dip, which won’t be long now.

The Lobby Lounge

The Lounge was quite busy and afternoon chat filled the air from friends and family partaking in an afternoon respite. But if you do go alone, as I was, it’s equally as welcoming and superb for a spot of people watching, that’s if you can take your eyes of the cakes.

If you do decide to treat yourself to afternoon tea, you’ll pay just AED 165 per person inclusive of manicure or pedicure. Pay AED 264 per person and you’ll get to add two-hours of free-flowing house beverages, which sounds good to us! So, if you have an afternoon spare (Free one up if you don’t), and you’re looking to treat yourself, now you know where to go!

For restaurant reservations, please call 02 509 8555 or e-mail restaurantreservations.slad@shangri-la.com

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