Jumeriah at Etihad Towers.
220aed
I absolutely love it when patisserie chefs and baking supremos get to show off what they can do. And this afternoon tea was like a culinary limbo contest: each dish seemed to be unsurpassable - until the next one ...
Served on a Shinto temple-esque tower, the options were endless and the theme evident throughout. The savoury options included everything from piquant goats cheese tarts to the beetroot bagel and the basil with bocconcini: thoroughly enjoyed.
The sweet selection ... where to start? The green tea scones with clotted cream and jam? Or the mochi ice-cream lollipop? Everything screamed innovation while maintaining the delicate blend of flavours synonymous with Japanese sweets. My favourite was probably the black forest doughnut: soft, gooey and oh-my-goodness good.
I can’t recommend this definite bar-raiser (or lowerer if you’re still doing the limbo!) highly enough.