The Chinese Whispers Afternoon Tea at Kai

Review summary

1. J

   Jakub

   London

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on October 20, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great food, great service, great experience. I hope that I will be able to visit Kai again.
   

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2. B

   Brenee

   Tampa

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on October 13, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This was a truly beautiful tea time. They accommodated our allergies and everything was really delicious.
   

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3. f

   frankb

   Seattle

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on October 12, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Unique afternoon tea experience. We recommend it.
   

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4. M

   Myranda

   Los Angeles

   5 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on September 7, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had a delightful experience at the Chinese Whispers tea. The entire experience was curated to evoke whimsy and charm. The food was excellent. There were playful options if sprinkles to add to a delicious giant macaron. You may want to ask your server to point out the few spicy items if you have a low tolerance for spicy foods. Most savory items were wonderful. We lived the egg cup with soy broth. The grilled vegetables and the duck were both excellent. Absolutely marvelous experience. (Tea is served in the basement of a listed property, so no lift)
   

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5. C

   Chee

   London

   31 reviews

   5.0

   31 reviews

   Dined on August 22, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Afternoon tea with a (Chinese) twist - loved the playful themes, inventive nibbles (particularly the spicy "potion of eternal youth" and fragrant "money" cake) and second helpings. Was quite stuffed at the end of it all. Also - immaculate service.
   

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6. X

   Xuan Mai

   London

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on August 17, 2024

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   I found a bone in My food and the waitress/manager said she will tell the chef, but thats it. They did not campensate or do Anything more. The food was a little bit dry. But the place was nice.
   

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7. M

   Meghan

   London

   2 reviews

   2.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on August 3, 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   The food was fine, nothing too special. The egg dish was my favorite savory bite. It was very beautiful table setting and the food itself was very pretty as well. Our service was not great. We felt rushed by the staff and were told we couldn’t have extra refill on savory sandwiches due to the table needing to turn, even though we had only been at the table for 50 minutes and the restaurant had more empty than full tables. It made us feel unwelcome and dampened the experience. Our waters were also not refilled and other small service things you’d expect at this nice of a restaurant. I was also surprised by the choice of the macaroon for a desert, as it didn’t lean into the Chinese theme at all. I feel there are so many amazing Chinese desserts that could have been more fun.
   

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8. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   London

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined on July 31, 2024

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   The service is so bad. The tea is very average and cannot be replaced. Food cannot be continued. I’ve had so many afternoon teas in London and none was like this! ! !
   

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9. CC

   ChelseaC

   Cincinnati

   3 reviews

   2.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on June 20, 2024

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   I was very disappointed with our experience at Kai. A friend and I booked the 4pm afternoon tea upon our arrival in London and because of the Michelin star, were excited with high expectations. Now the food overall was very good, although a few pieces felt like they had been sitting under a heat warmer or something. Some dishes didn't taste the freshest. Overall, again-- the good was pretty good, my real disappointment fell with the ambiance and service. We sat in the basement which was empty except for 1 table, which is not their fault but would have been nice to know that we were basically the only booking. It was very quiet since the music wasn't turned on until 1/2 way through our meal. Our server either went on break or disappeared 1/2 way through our meal as well and no one helped out in her absence. After our server brought the first round of hot plates, she said the kitchen was closing soon which made us feel rushed through we had only been there 35 minutes. We ran out of water, were never offered our 2nd pot of tea (included in our prix fixe menu), and no one came and checked how our food was during our meal, which would have been nice because we had some questions and wanted to order more champagne. At the end of the meal, we had to find someone to ask for our bill and when we went upstairs to get our coats, no one was there. We went to the back seating area of the restaurant where staff was eating and asked if someone could grab our coats. It felt like we were disturbing them as everyone just looked at us. One woman helped us with a mouth full of food with not much of goodbye or thanks for coming. This was our first experience at a London tea as well as a Michelin star restaurant and I wish I could have a redo. I design brand experiences as a profession and there was such a disconnect between the food and service which made the entire experience feel disjointed. Someone at Kai needs to read the book "Unreasonable Hospitality."
   

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10. EK

    EKH23

    Los Angeles

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on June 6, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3

    Afternoon tea at Kai is very much a visual feast for the eyes, some intriguing delectables presented on a 2-tier stand like most afternoon tea sets — but it was missing some key details to make it more than that. (This review is only for the afternoon tea experience, so see others’ reviews on the normal menu.) For the price paid, the experience felt like it was missing the essence of an afternoon tea— not because it wasn’t a typical afternoon tea, but because if I have afternoon tea, I want to see the tea leaves in the pot. I was solo on this visit, so it would have also made sense to be seated in the spot away from the foot path. I was not expecting any of the teas requiring additional supplemental charges to be lacking— but if I am paying extra for ‘jasmine pearls’ tea, then please provide me the real tea leaves that unfurl in the pot as it steeps, do NOT just give me a tea bag in a nice ceramic pot, as it changes how the tea is perceived. Seeing a tea bag in my tea pot colored my experience from the start. I did like the sweets offerings, macaron/clotted cream/toppings and the plate of sweets beautifully placed on the top tier plate. The pandan crème brûlée was nice. And I admit it did have a creative take on afternoon tea— deconstructed duck bao, nanyang bao and veggie bao. I enjoyed the steamed egg. The prawn toast was more of a firm prawn paste on something that was not reading to me as ‘toast’. The ‘potion’ broth may not be to everyone’s liking (it was not mine). I will say though, service was helpful, and they do provide a ‘re-fill’ of savory seconds. Again, this review is from my own visit, so others may have a different experience.
    

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