Discovering Tea Time at The Peninsula Palace in Paris

It’s becoming a tradition: whenever we find the time during our brief visits to Paris, we treat ourselves to a little indulgence: enjoying a tea time at a palace hotel.

In September 2018, we discovered the tea time at the Ritz. In December 2022, it was the turn of the George V.

Why did we choose The Peninsula?

Almost by default.

Anh wanted to go to Shangri La: tea time is not offered in the summer. Same for the Royal Monceau. The Peninsula was our last attempt, and they were happy to have us 🙂

Tea times in Parisian palace hotels are memorable experiences. Gustatorily, of course, but also the whole environment around it. For the duration of an afternoon tea, you can get a glimpse of grand luxury. The price of such an experience is not cheap, certainly, but much more affordable than spending a night in such an establishment.

After a too long journey on public transport from our suburb (even though it’s less unpleasant in August than usual), we arrive in front of The Peninsula, just a stone’s throw from the Arc de Triomphe.

We didn’t take any photos, out of respect for the guests concerned, but the hotel’s bellboys were busy unloading impressive Rolls-Royces with Qatari license plates. The stage is set!

Stepping through the doors of a palace hotel is like entering another world. “Hello Sir”, “Welcome Madam”, all the staff members are welcoming and smiling.

After checking in at the reception, we are escorted into the restaurant room Le Lobby which hosts the tea times.

The room, in the Belle Époque style, is magnificent.

We had booked, but in this month of August, it probably wasn’t essential. The room wasn’t empty, but almost.

Even if there were more people, the tables are spaced far enough apart to keep things intimate. Which wasn’t really the case at the George V during our visit there.

It’s also possible to sit in the glass roof area, but the setting is less impressive.

I was glad I had done my research beforehand, because the tea time menu we were presented with didn’t show any prices. In this type of establishment, the cost of things is probably not a detail worth mentioning.

It’s quite simple anyway, there are 3 different options:

• The “L’heure du thé” formula classic : consisting of all the sweet and savory items on the menu + a hot drink of your choice.
• The “L’heure du thé” formula prestige : the same as the classic formula classic, but with an added glass of champagne.
• The “L’heure du thé” formula gourmet : the same as the classic formula classic, but with the choice of an extra pastry.

The first formula is offered at the price of 75 € / person. The other two at the rate of €95 per person.

You really need to have a wolf’s appetite to go for the package gourmet. We deliberately skipped lunch to fully enjoy our 3pm tea time. I wasn’t hungry at all after tasting my classic package.

For tighter budgets, know thatit’s possible to share a package for two. The waiter suggested it spontaneously. The quantities seem a bit scanty for two, but it can be a chance to treat yourself to a prestigious experience at a price that becomes very affordable.

As we’re getting used to, we always order the homemade hot chocolate during our tea times. A viennois in my case, to enjoy its delicious whipped cream.

And without whipped cream for Anh. The very concentrated chocolate and the cloud of milk are separate and mixed only at the time of tasting.

Then comes the 3-tier stand with our afternoon tea.

The tasting order suggested is original since we were advised to start with the top tier, sweet. Then the second, savory. To finish with the last, sweet again.

We loved everything and we rank the Peninsula tea time at the top of the three we’ve experienced so far. The hot chocolate at George V was exceptional, but the one at The Peninsula has a little extra that makes me rank it first too.

Only small regret: while everything was delicious and harmonious, none of the pastries or canapés struck us as unforgettable. Whereas we still remember the chocolate marble cake at the Ritz 5 years after indulging in it.

This tea time met our expectations: a gourmet break in a beautiful setting with the quality of service of a Parisian palace. An experience we encourage you to have at least once!