Afternoon Tea at the Fullerton Hotel

If you’ve ever been to Singapore or are looking to go and have done your research, you’ve likely heard of the Fullerton Hotel, one of the most iconic hotels in the country. A quick search on their website will tell you that this neoclassical landmark was built in 1928 and was officially established as a national monument in 2015, accumulating nearly 100 years of history. Before becoming a 400-room heritage hotel, it was once home to Singapore’s General Post Office, the Exchange, the Chamber of Commerce and the Singapore Club.

Although we didn’t get the chance to stay there as a guest during this trip, we of course had to stop by to walk around its beautiful lobby, which led us to discover that they served afternoon tea. Lucky for us, we discovered this in the period where they were serving a limited edition version of their tea-time treats, inspired by Singapore’s cultural foods. We made a reservation for later that day and headed back out to continue our exploration of the area.

In that short of period of time, we interacted with both the concierge and the host of the tea-time area, both of whom were incredibly kind and friendly. The same applied when we headed back for our reservation and were shown to our table to start our tea-time.

The afternoon tea is held in the Courtyard, a lovely space right by the lobby characterized by the Fullerton’s incredibly high ceilings and peaceful atmosphere. As for most afternoon tea concepts, the only choice we had to make was whether we wanted tea or coffee, and there was one option for tea, which was traditional milk tea. In other places I have been to, there was a complete tea menu to choose from, but the lack thereof did not bother me.

We were first served a complimentary mocktail, which was pineapple-based and delightfully refreshing. The food and tea came out soon after, the former being beautifully presented and the latter being served in a china set I wish I could’ve taken home.

In the three tier serving stand there were two plates of savoury bites and one for sweets, with scones also being served on the side. In true Singaporean fashion, the scones were not only served with clotted cream, but also with kaya, a coconut jam typical of this area and famously served in kaya toast. All of the bites were delicious, but I’d like to make special mention of the pandan roll cake layered with kaya, which was moist and perfectly sweet.

The whole experience was wonderful, from the warm welcome to the service throughout tea-time and the food and beverages themselves. We even had the pleasure of listening to a live harp player towards the end of our meal, which complimented the ambiance beautifully. Overall, the tea experience left me feeling relaxed and satisfied, and has definitely pushed me to consider the Fullerton as an accommodation for my next visit to Singapore.