I finally got to meet up with the winner of My Favorite Things Giveaway last weekend! I arranged to have Afternoon Tea with lovely Lusi at the exclusive The Darmawangsa Hotel. I was really excited to meet a reader of my blog AND to try the famous scones of Darmawangsa Hotel.
When I enter the Darmawangsa it always takes my breath away. From the way they greet you when you get off you car, to the staff that welcomes you at the reception and the heart of the hotel, the spectacular Majapahit Hall. Leading up to the heart of the hotel, the hallway itself is filled with interesting Objet d’art have history and meaning. (Go ahead ask the staff and you will learn so many interesting things!) I also cannot help at the extremely high ceilings.
The Darmawangsa Hotel is a unique concept. Unlike other 5 star hotels in Jakarta it is in a residential area in posh Kebayoran Baru and the interiors reflect the modern Indonesian while keeping its historical roots with the Majapahit Empire objets d’ art and interior design elements. The in-room registration and butler service for each room in the hotel is also in line with the residential theme. When a guest arrives, they are led immediately to their room where they register. The feeling is more like visiting a friend (in a grand mansion!) rather than checking into a hotel.
Then I see the centerpiece of the hall, a magnificent 14th century house temple, and soothing traditional acoustic musical instruments surround me. The music is played in the mornings, afternoons and evenings and is wonderful accompaniment to high tea or cocktails with friends or a date!
Across from the musicians are a spread of traditional Indonesian sweets displayed with other quaint elements of coffee and tea.
I chose to have Afternoon Tea at The Tea Lounge which overlooks a bright sunny courtyard. Afternoon Tea was Indonesian sweets and savouries, finger sandwiches, mini pastries and 3 freshly baked scones with a choice of coffee or tea. Can you believe that the selection below is good for ONE? At only IDR 195.000++ I think it’s definitely good for two! We could barely finish it after having a scone each! The scones are pretty substantial so I might even say that this can be shared among 3 ladies! It only comes with a pot of tea (which you can refill) so you may have to order extra coffee/tea.
I had The Citrons. It’s a blend of unsmoked Chinese and Sri Lankan black teas with bits of dried mango, pineapple and jackfruit. It was so YUM and definitely something different that I haven’t had anywhere else before! I can’t wait to try their other teas!
Click here to check out their other tea flavors.
The warm scone, though heavy, was just so delicious with clotted cream, French butter and strawberry jam! Now I know why I’ve heard so much about these raisin scones! They are the perfect combination of crusty on the outside and moist inside.
I really enjoyed our afternoon chatting away.. so much so that I was running late for dinner with TD! We had so much in common, our love for interior design, food, fashion and DIY among other things! I loved her brass and ribbon necklace and her gorgeous bag!
DID YOU KNOW?
Initially I was calling this meet up High Tea, but after speaking with Pak Diki he educated me about the difference between High Tea and Afternoon Tea. This whole time I have called mid-afternoon tea with dainty pastries and tea cakes served on a low table HIGH TEA… when in fact the correct term for this is AFTERNOON TEA or LOW TEA. It originated from the upper class of Britain (ladies of leisure) during the time when evening meals were served quite late and they needed Afternoon Tea to tide them over till the 8/9pm dinner. Afternoon Tea or LOW Tea is served on low tables while sitting on comfortable parlor chairs or relaxing in the garden.
High Tea was a meal for the working class or laborers. It consisted of heavier fare like sausages, steak and kidney pies, casseroles, baked beans, etc. And it was served on higher tables (with high back dining chairs) shortly after a day of hard work, at about 5 or 6 pm.
Who would have thought! We’ve been misusing the term “High Tea” all along! Thanks to Pak Diki of Darmawangsa for enlightening me! All those times I posted about High Tea… I was actually referring to Afternoon Tea!
Next time I come to The Darmawangsa I would love to try another thing they are famous for, their Chocolate Martini! And I would love to try it in another one of their 4 lounges. Pictures of the other lounges below.
- Tea Lounge – where Lusi and I sat
- The Library
- Caviar Lounge
- The Bar
The Library
The Bar
Caviar Lounge
This one I am especially in awe of! The wall is 
Another lovely option during the day time is the al fresco area. It’s a courtyard where the lounges and restaurants spill out. It’s such a serene spot with the fountain in the middle.
I had such a wonderful time at The Darmawangsa that a few days later I was back again – TWICE in one day! Will post about it soon. =) Would love to hear your comments and thoughts about anything on this post!
The Dharmawangsa Jakarta, Best Hotel in Indonesia 2011 – 2013 by Hospitality Asia Platinum Award (HAPA) Regional, is certified as an Ecological Green Hotel and licensed for HACCP qualification.
Related reads:
- High Tea vs. Afternoon Tea
- What is the difference between afternoon tea and high tea?
- The difference between High Tea and Afternoon Tea
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nice pics. i agree there’s enough there for at least 2 people. i wasn’t too fond of the scones, but the savory and sweet assortment of finger foods was lovely, and one of my dining companions had the chocolate martini (which was very tasty, though almost the same price as the whole afternoon tea). thanks for the write-up. I have visited your blog before for the resto reviews –and was wondering if you’ve already reviewed the Bluegrass Bar and Grill. I just recently noticed it while out at Epicentrum.
Hi Painopepla, haha! I on the other hand enjoyed the scones more than the finger foods (though they were good as well!). I agree that the Martini is pricey… though I guess well worth it for a special occasion. =) Thanks so much for visiting my blog and I appreciate you dropping me a line to say “Hi!”
Yes I did a short write up on Blue Grass here: http://undiplomaticwife.com/2012/05/05/dinner-drinks-at-bluegrass/ We were there for drinks so I can’t talk about their entrees.
You’re welcome and thanks for the link. I stumbled across your blog when looking for Jak activities shortly after moving here last year. Although I can’t say I share the same interest in fashion, i relate to the interest in food; and, as someone who shares the same ethnicity, the Phil posts are also enjoyable/informative.
WOw! I love this! So when are WE doing high tea???? I’ve never been to high tea in Jakarta. I used to do it all the time in BKK. We even did a Chocolate high-tea often!
Wow chocolate high tea?? That sounds AWESOME. Let’s go for it when I get back! It will be first on my list when I arrive.. so we can catch up! =D How are you settling down after your long vacay?
The place looks great! Im an expat from Manila, i’m planning to live in Jakarta anytime soon, work related. Is Jakarta cleaner and more safe than Manila? Can you tell me the difference of the two cities?
Hi Clara, I will try to answer you as objectively as I can. The areas that expats live in Jakarta are certainly cleaner than Manila and because of the strict gun laws, Jakarta is is also safer than Manila.
However in terms of air pollution it seems worse here due not only to cars but also to haze and lax rules on smoking (people can smoke inside buildings and the non-smoking and smoking areas don’t usually have any partitions) and the amount of smokers in the city. I guess this would depend on where exactly you decide to live. I know many expats who are having respiratory problems. I myself have to bring an asthma inhaler in Jakarta, which I don’t normally do in Manila.
The traffic of Jakarta is worse because of the size of the city and the crazy number of motorcycles on the street. Usually I only schedule one errand a day here, unlike Manila where despite the traffic I can go from Makati to QC to Ortigas and back to Makati with 10 things ticked off my to-do list.
If you don’t plan to own a car, then Jakarta’s Blue Bird cabs are a dream. All the cars are new and it’s so easy to grab a cab!
You will have to learn Bahasa Indonesia because most people don’t speak English, unlike in Manila where you can survive without speaking any Tagalog.
Water quality is worse, and you will need filters in the house. Water is expensive and no free filtered water is ever given away here, unless you are in an expensive hotel.
I have to say that Jakarta is a beautiful and green city, without as many billboards marring the skyline. My only cons are the air/water quality and that it is more expensive to live in that Manila.
Again these are only my opinions based on my own experience. You can have a totally different experience from me depending on where you live/shop/dine/etc. You might find these 2 posts interesting to read:
– http://undiplomaticwife.com/2011/02/07/travel-diaries-✈-things-to-know-when-visiting-indonesia/
– http://undiplomaticwife.com/2011/05/03/travel-diaries-✈-my-jakarta-hitlist/
I hope you found my answer helpful!
Aww, Lusi is a lucky winner!
Who would’ve thought that High Tea actually refers to something entirely different!
Hi Ellyna! IKR?!? Who would have thunk! =P
You took some very nice photos! You’re really getting great with photos! The quality is very good! I love their scones that come in the basket warm. I still can’t define Afternoon Tea and High Tea even though I learned about them many times in the past! It’s nice to learn about the background. I find it a very reasonable and I love it!
Thanks so much Kaho! Some of the photos (without the watermark) were from Darmawangsa, which I requested for because I didn’t want to bother the lounge guests by taking pictures while they were enjoying their time.
Glad you found the info interesting. it really is so reasonable. I was shocked because at first they said they had prepared 2 of the towers, but it was really too much so we asked for one only. Let’s explore another Afternoon Tea sometime soon!