Cheers to Dean & DeLuca’s New $54 Afternoon Tea

My girlfriends and I have an annual tradition of going for afternoon tea during the holiday season, so we decided to try one of the newest options in town. Since November, Dean & DeLuca in the Ritz-Carlton Waikīkī serves afternoon tea on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays upstairs in The Artisan Loft. We made a reservation for a Wednesday in January.

Photo: Andrea Lee

What I love about afternoon tea is that you get to eat a bunch of snacks and call it a meal. It’s afternoon girl dinner over tea with your girls. What I don’t love is the price, which often seems like a lot considering the small portions. At The Kāhala Hotel & Resort, it’s $80, and at the Moana Surfrider in Waikīkī, afternoon tea starts at $69. How would Dean & DeLuca’s $54 five-course offering hold up?

The Artisan Loft, with big windows, a long banquette and just a few tables, is cozy. It’s mostly full when we arrive, and the other tables fill up.

Photo: Andrea Lee

Here, you can choose two teas from an extensive menu. At first, it’s a bit confusing: Teas are organized by place of origin, with choices listed underneath. I try the Marco Polo (black tea with floral notes), the most popular, and Green Angel (green tea with pear and peach).

I’m a bit disappointed when the tea is brought in teabags, but it does make it easier to swap them. The Green Angel is mildly sweet, the Marco Polo lightly floral. I don’t get to enjoy them to the fullest, however, because my water is lukewarm to warm. Even when I ask for hot refills, the water quickly loses its heat. Maybe better-insulated teapots are needed?

Photo: Andrea Lee

Fortunately, it’s not the tea we’re really here for. Unlike other places that serve the sweets and sandwiches of afternoon tea all at once on a three-tiered stand, courses here arrive one by one, starting with a small orange scone. It’s crispy and dry—the perfect vehicle for the tart pineapple curd and sweet mascarpone whipped cream served on the side.

Photos: Andrea Lee

Next comes a demitasse filled with saffron seafood chowder and topped with a puff pastry. I puncture the flaky pastry crust to get to the creamy soup with plump chunks of shrimp. Note: There are no substitutions; my friend who’s allergic to shellfish just eats the puff pastry.

Photo: Andrea Lee

The main attraction is impressive. Since I’m sitting across from one of my friends, our seven savory sandwiches and pâté are combined on one tray. The terrines are a rare highlight I haven’t seen anywhere else, afternoon tea or otherwise. The truffle asparagus terrine is a light, flavorful jelly, and the pork rillette with prosciutto terrine is nicely porky with crunchy roasted macadamia nuts. Spread on rosemary crackers, both are delightful.

The croissant crostinis are extra flaky: One is topped with curried chicken salad; another with salami, cheese and slightly sweet pickles; and a third with the classic smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers.

The egg salad sandwich is so cute, cut perfectly round and rolled in chives. The open-face shokupan sandwich mixes lightly spicy mentaiko into the potato salad, while its peppery, finely chopped egg salad practically melts into the soft bread.

At this point, though I skipped lunch, I’m feeling quite full. And there are two more courses.

Photo: Andrea Lee

All our desserts arrive on one tray. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so my strategy is to take home my ube tart from Uber Factory and macaron from La Tour Café. The house-made desserts I devour, starting with the raspberry and vanilla bavarois, which is like a light cream cheese cake with a tangy, fruity accent. The pistachio cream puff, salted like a roasted pistachio, is unexpectedly savory. The chocolate and vanilla mousse is a bit rich for my taste.

If you’re keeping track, that was the fourth course. The finale, thankfully, is a light, refreshing Kochi yuzu sorbet with bits of zested rind in the mix.

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Afternoon tea takes a little more than two hours because the wait between courses can be long, though it’s not that noticeable when you’re chatting and sipping tea. And what about value?

Bite after intricate bite, the Dean & DeLuca afternoon tea adds up to a full stomach and leftovers. Divide the $54 price tag by the 15 dishes and it’s $3.60 each, which is well worth what you get to try. It’s a treat-yourself indulgence that’s actually a full meal and then some. Save this for your Galentine’s Day get-together, Mother’s Day or just-because treat with friends.

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Photo: Andrea Lee

Reservations are required. They come with a few safeguards against no-shows: You need to provide credit card info when you book. If you cancel less than a day before, you’ll be charged $25 per person. Same if you reduce your party number less than a day in advance—you’ll be charged $25 for anyone who doesn’t make it. And if you don’t let them know in advance and show up with fewer people than you reserved for, you’ll be charged full price for the missing people. So once you reserve this tea, commit or cancel with ample notice!

Kids ages 3 and up are welcome; those 10 and up will be charged the adult rate. The Dean & DeLuca afternoon tea comes with three free hours of valet parking in the Ritz-Carlton Waikīkī; just make sure to get validation before you leave.

Afternoon tea offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., 383 Kalaimoku St., deandeluca-hawaii.com, @deandelucahawaii