“Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend.” Marilyn Monroe
The Shangri-La Hotel Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi has combined two of my favourite things, cake and diamonds in their new concept, a sumptuous Arabic themed Diamond Afternoon Tea.
The hotel has teamed up with jewellery boutique Diamond Gallery located in the adjacent Souk Qaryat Al Beri to give afternoon tea guests the chance to win a special sparkly gem. All guests who book the Dessert in the Desert afternoon tea can, once they have finished eating, select a box from one of the two glasses cabinets located in the lobby lounge where the tea is served. It’s all very exciting as three of the boxes contain real diamonds, while the others contain the artificial gemstone, zirconium.
Once selected the experts from the Diamond Gallery boutique will verify if the chosen gem is in fact real or not, the grand prize is worth AED 5,000 while the two smaller gems are each worth AED 2,000. Guests who participate but do not win a diamond, like myself sadly, will not go home empty handed as each will receive a voucher for AED 250 to spend in the boutique.
The Dessert in the Desert afternoon tea menu features an extensive selection of miniature sweet and savoury treats with a regional twist. Choose from sumac-spiced grilled chicken brochette, turkey ham and Arabian cheese wrap, Gulf prawn cocktail and crispy pita crouton with hummus. Vegetarian options are available on request including mini cheese tarts, vegetable wraps and hummus sandwiches. Three varieties of scones, chocolate, raisin and plain, are served in small wooden chests accompanied by clotted cream, strawberry jam and whipped Medjool date butter.
The desert selection includes saffron-raspberry bavouris, curry-orange cheesecake, zaatar-strawberry tart, cardamom-mascarpone mousse profiterole, rosewater-almond chocolate cake, pistachio-lemon dacquoise and baklava financier. Chocolate lollipops with camel milk centre and turkish delight are served separately along with seasonal fruits sticks. The tea is accompanied by a selection of teas, coffees and bubbly if you so desire.
If you fancy indulging in a regional inspired afternoon tea and the chance to win a diamond then this is the ideal culinary treat served in an elegant Middle Eastern setting complete with life-size palm trees. It’s a lovely experience to share with family and friends, personally I prefer a more traditional afternoon tea with finger sandwiches and cakes but I did enjoy sampling the different flavours and the excitement of the diamond lucky dip.
Diamond Afternoon Tea
Location: Lobby Lounge, The Shangri-La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri Abu Dhabi
Telephone: 02 509 8555
Website: www.shangri-la.com/abudhabi/shangrila/
Available daily from 2.30pm until 6pm until 26th January 2019. The Dessert in the Desert is served as a set for two persons, available with tea and coffee for AED 266 and with a glass of bubbly for AED 460.
I was invited to try the Diamond Afternoon Tea. The views in this post are all my own based on my experience. Unless otherwise stated all photos © Jo Brett 2018. All rights reserved.