Where to Eat… High Tea in Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Despite being born and raised in Britain, I never quite got the obsession with tea. I don’t mind a fresh mint or an Earl Grey, but English breakfast tea (or builder’s tea) was just not my thing. That said, high tea - or afternoon tea as it’s usually called in England - is a different story. Here, it’s all about the dainty sandwiches and crumbly scones, the mini-quiches and petit fours. Plus, if you’re not into the tea part itself, you can make a quick segue to Champagne or mimosas.

it’s all about the dainty sandwiches and crumbly scones, the mini-quiches and petit fours. Plus, if you’re not into the tea part itself, you can make a quick segue to Champagne or mimosas

Perhaps unsurprisingly, you won’t come across too many places serving high tea in Amsterdam - after all, we’re in the Netherlands, not the UK. But that number is growing, and you’ll find at least a handful of afternoon tea options to suit any occasion and budget: whether at a ritzy hotel, a cute café or even a wine bar.

Some of the best high teas in Amsterdam come from the city’s fancier hotels - and The College Hotel is a case in point. At their bright, airy bar/lounge area, high tea comes generously stacked on brass platters with large pots of jasmine tea (although I assume you can ask for other tea if you prefer). The top layer features savoury finger food like warm cheese pastries, cucumber pinwheels and kletzenbrood with brie and fig jam. At the midway point, you’ll be treated to dainty smoked salmon sandwiches and avocado toasts. And of course there’s plenty for those with a sweet tooth on the bottom layer: think miniature eclairs, macarons, tompouce, doughnuts, you name it. Given the hotel’s elegant status and culinary cachet, the price tag is surprisingly reasonable too: €39 per person at the time of writing. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).