The best restaurants for afternoon tea in 2025

Few restaurants evoke the timeless elegance of chef Colin Mackay’s refined dining institution, Blackbird. Once the country’s first commercial airport, The Nielson Tower has been impeccably restored, preserving its original Art Deco charm while enhancing it with contemporary polish, making it a stylish pick for life’s momentous occasions.

Blackbird’s Tea at the Tower stems from the classic British afternoon tea, comprised of assorted finger sandwiches, savoury pastries, sweet tarts and cakes, plus dainty macarons and a selection of fine tea. Executive chef Kerwin Go’s freshly baked scones—in their tender, buttery perfection with an ever-so-slightly bronzed exterior—crown the tower, complete with jam and clotted cream from the UK. Celebrating something special? Opt for their Champagne tea, which comes with a glass of house Champagne.

Chef Jen Gerodias rose to fame with her signature empanadas: golden brown, beautifully flaky and generously filled with imaginative flavours from French onion soup to beef rendang, chorizo fundido, and more. When she opened her family’s heritage home, Casa Luisa, for dine-in services, she introduced a broad menu that reflects her classical training and proudly showcases her Filipino sensibilities. 

Casa Luisa’s merienda cena afternoon tea set is as generous as they come, with eleven sweet and savoury treats plus your choice of espresso, tea, palamig or hibiscus calamansi iced tea. Start off with the signature French onion soup empanaditas, finger sandwiches and miniature beef Wellington with prosciutto, then work your way through the scones, strawberry Napoleones, puto macapuno and other sweet endings. The set even comes with a side of their carbonara Filipina, featuring smoky etag, mornay sauce and a sous vide egg.

Crowned Best City Hotel at the Tatler Best Philippines Awards 2025, Shangri-La the Fort, Manila, remains top of mind for luxurious stays and sophisticated F&B offerings. The five-star hotel’s High Street Lounge offers a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of BGC, offering international delicacies and cheeky libations in one polished and plush space.

The High Street Lounge’s take on the afternoon ritual kicks off with a prosecco cocktail before diving into an inspired selection of savoury bites—think pumpkin arancini, roasted duck empanada and cured salmon with ikura and wasabi cream. Scones and croissants arrive with plain and truffle butter, alongside homemade marmalade and clotted cream. For the sweets, expect local flavours like a banana mousse with mango jelly and turones de mani with salted caramel. Their afternoon tea is updated regularly with seasonal offerings for special occasions like Mid-Autumn Festival, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and more. 

Brought to life by the late, great chef Margarita Forés, Lusso masterfully marries French and Italian cuisines, and does so with sheer class. Each of the three Metro Manila branches (Rockwell, Greenbelt and The Podium) exudes her signature flair for understated luxury, from interiors dressed in marble and gold to professional service by waitstaff in crisp whites and, of course, her elegant plates adorned with the world’s most prized delicacies.

Lusso’s afternoon tea, which the chef launched in honour of her mother, Baby Araneta-Forés, presents a selection of high tea staples as well as Margarita Forés signatures. Begin with scones accompanied by clotted cream, strawberry jam and luscious French butter, followed by a plate of savoury finger sandwiches à la Lusso, including devilled eggs and cucumber, tuna with mayonnaise and potato chips and a PLT or pancetta, lettuce and tomato. Dessert is a delectable sampler of Lusso hits: Pecorino cheesecake with strawberries, mocha sans rival and strawberry prosecco tiramisu. Settle in with a soothing, classic herbal blend or get adventurous with their exotic picks. Better yet, indulge in their Champagne service and toast to an afternoon well-spent.

The tandem behind Poblacion’s well-loved neo-Filipino bistro Lámpara takes on a broader arsenal of flavours at Papillon, a Southeast Asian restaurant in Salcedo Village. Chefs RJ Ramos and Alphonse Sotero draw inspiration from familiar Asian staples, applying contemporary techniques to create dishes that excite and delight.

Papillon’s afternoon tea continues this ethos, taking diners on a journey throughout Southeast Asia with every bite. Some items, like the Vietnamese bò lá lot (grilled beef wrapped in betel leaves), remain faithful to the original executions. Others, like the fried chicken tom yum bao, see the pair exercising their creative liberties in playful fashion. Also on the menu are crowd favourites like brioche kaya toast, corn milk egg tarts and brown butter puto bao. While they do offer a selection of teas, the team is hard at work crafting their own blends, which will soon feature on the menu.