5 wonderful tea houses in Bangkok

Chinatown’s Yaowarat Road is always hectic, so this oasis of air-con and peace is a welcome relief. There are specialty loose leaf teas from around the world here, ranging from Japanese green matcha to blue Da Hong Pao and Oolong from China.

Set in the garden of the lovely 130-year-old colonial mansion House on Sathorn, The Courtyard has tables set around the exquisite architecture, which you can admire while you partake of the afternoon tea set, which is served daily from 2.30 to 5.30 pm and features scones

The seventh-generation Ronnefeldt tealounge from Germany has come to Bangkok, with this traditional European tealounge serving up some of the world’s finest teas, along with German pastries, brunches, and a few Thai twists. Located in the elegant Gaysorn Shopping Mall, this is about as regal as afternoon tea gets in Bangkok.

Thai silks, porcelain vases, and old-school decor are part of noted designer Tony Chi’s layout in the Grand Hyatt Erawan’s lovely tearoom. They do an afternoon tea set with lovely pastries, and there is also an excellent Thai food menu if you get hungry. The tearoom overlooks the Erawan Shrine and busy Rajaprasong Junction.

Graham Greene and Somerset Maugham were guests in this 1870s building set in the Mandarin Oriental. While the hotel is expensive, a traditional afternoon tea set here won’t wipe out your wallet, and you can marvel at the old black and white photos on the wall, and the couples coming in to do wedding shots at one of Bangkok’s most photographed locations.