Hong Kong is loud, bustling,  bright, showy, trendy and in your face. I love it.  For a long time it held the title of the highest rate of Rolls Royce ownership in the world. Mongkok still holds the title of the most densely populated area on earth. And yes, the place is full of hard working people, many of them prefer their wealth to be, err, conspicuous.  Where else in the world would have a thriving chain of agnès b. Cafés?  There’s no better tribute to capitalism than the Central area on Hong Kong Island and the two IFC towers, with everything from French designer fashion right through to Hong Kong’s first Apple Store.  Go through the IFC towers and you’ll get to the Four Seasons, Hong Kong.

For me, subtlety is a timeless virtue, that speaks of security and, well, pure class.  And that’s just what the Four Seasons exude around the world, but is particularly evident in Hong Kong. The Four Seasons Hong Kong towers offer uninterrupted views of the harbour, but still manages to remain elegant and unobtrusive, preferring to let the sizzle rather than the steak to the talking.

The Lounge four seasons hong kongthe lounge four seasons hotel menu

This classy confidence extends to the generous, but subtle interior and to The Lobby where noodlies, Sydney food blog had the pleasure of enjoying a long, luxurious afternoon tea.  Here the bronze and wooden feature walls create a dramatic but harmonious backdrop with plush velvet chairs and unobtrusive but attentive staff providing the creature comforts.

the lounge four seasons afternoon teathe lounge four seasons hong kong

At The Lounge, you can choose their elegant traditional three-tiered afternoon tea (above) with a selection of fine teas, hot chocolate or French champagne.  The savoury sandwiches and wraps at the bottom layer manage to be tasty and delicious without needing to resort to over-the-top flavours.  The middle layer is the famous Gregoire Michaud’s fruit and plain scones served with homemade jams and Devonshire clotted cream. But of course, it’s the top layer that is the most captivating; a selection of stunning, contrasting delights – from mini green ‘apple pie’ to bold red macarons, from crisp to creamy textures.

champagne

I had both the hot chocolate as well a few glasses of Laurent-Perrier Champagne which was magnificently crisp and, well sparkly.  While I loved the smooth, silky hot chocolate, nothing beats the bright bubbles of this magnificent drop.

afternoon tea the lounge four seasons hong kong

There’s also an a la carte menu of devilishly tempting sweets, which I couldn’t pass on either. The chocolate nugget was a magnificently rich outer enveloping a crumbly centre. My favourite was the fig and cherry flan Parisien, vanilla panna cotta, elegant and refreshing, the figs sourced from local organic farms supported by the Four Seasons hotel.

Doing brash and bold would be easy, but the appeal would be fleeting.  The Lounge at the Four Seasons chose to to deliver timeless elegance and they do it in such an effortlessly confident way.

The Lounge
Four Seasons Hotel
Lobby Level, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong
+852 3196 8888

This noodlies, Sydney food blog experience was courtesy of the Four Seasons, Hong Kong.

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