Afternoon Tea at Halekulani Hotel (Oahu)

Afternoon tea at Halekulani Hotel, one of Hawaii's best afternoon tea spots. We're taking a detailed look at the menu, food (and tea!) offerings. Plus a few good tips for your next visit ^_^

Note: This post was originally published in July 2019. I updated it in November 2024 with new photos, menu, and prices. You can still read the original 2019 post if you scroll down (it's neat to compare how afternoon tea has evolved!)

Hong Kong is full of afternoon tea options. As is New York City. And London. And especially Singapore! But after you visit a few, they all start to feel the same. 

Hawaii afternoon teas are very different from the rest of the world.

The Hawaii spots have an ideal blend of ambiance, location, and that aloha spirit. That's why I love afternoon tea in Hawaii ^_^

While there aren't many tea places in Hawaii (quality over quantity!), what we have is special.

A big part of that has to do with location. Veranda seating or half-indoor / half-outdoor seating is common for Hawaii teas. There's some sunshine, but you're still secluded and safe. The best is when there are gentle trade wind breezes.

The main Hawaii afternoon tea spots are at hotels.

We visit regularly, and today we're at Halekulani. Tea is offered from Tuesdays to Saturdays. Seatings at 2pm, 2:30pm, 4pm, and 4:30pm. Reservations required

One important thing to keep in mind about afternoon teas in general:

It's not really about the food.

What? Yes. Once in awhile you'll come across a great afternoon tea that is as delicious as it is beautiful. But that is very rare.

Usually the ambiance and service is great, and the food good enough. Enjoyable but you're not really going for the food (though I wish we were!)

You're going for the full experience. The chance to take a few hours off in the middle of the day to do nothing but relax, enjoy, and catch up with friends over tea and little bites.

Ready for tea?

Afternoon Tea Menu

Back in 2019, afternoon tea was $36.

The price has gradually gone up over the last several years...and now it is $72! I didn't even realize the price had fully doubled until I compared my 2019 photos (below) with the 2024 photos.

There are three afternoon tea options:

• Classic Afternoon Tea ($72) - The classic offering with savories, sweets, and scones. Plus your choice of tea.
• Champagne Afternoon Tea ($80) - The Classic Afternoon Tea plus champagne and strawberries with cream.
• Celebratory Afternoon Tea ($92) - The Classic Afternoon Tea plus champagne, strawberries with cream, and a celebration cake.

We had the Classic Afternoon Tea, but the Champagne Afternoon Tea is actually a really "good deal" because you can have champagne and strawberries with cream for just $8 more.

Tea Selection

Now onto the tea selection!

A tea sampler box is presented at each table. Open each container to get a better idea of each tea, the look, the scent, the everything. There are 12 different teas to select from:

Classic teas:

• Darjeeling First Flush
• *Halekulani 40th Anniversary blend - Black tea with cardamom and roses.
• Golden Assam
• Halekulani Earl Grey
• Jade Oolong
• A'a Black Tea from the Big Island - $19 premium.
• Orchid Vanilla - Black tea with Hawaiian vanilla.

Non-caffeinated:

• Mamaki
• Pineapple coconut rooibos with mango
• Cerise Hibiscus

What if you don't drink tea? No worries, you can have coffee! Select between French press, espresso, or cappuccino.

*Note: the Halekulani 40th Anniversary Blend is a completely different tea from the Halekulani 30th Anniversary Blend.

The 30th Blend was a mix of Ceylon and Golden Assam, Ceylon Silver Tips, and Assam Golden Tips. The 30th Blend was an updated blend of the original blend Halekulani offered in 1983.

I'm so curious what the Halekulani 10th and 20th Anniversary Blend was! I'll have to ask about it next time ^_^

Scones and Financiers

In a basket, and served warm to the table!

Currant scones and poppy seed-lemon financiers. Two scones and two financiers per person. I like how the financiers are canelé shaped hehe.

Creams, Curds, and Preserves

From left to right, the scones come with:

• Double Devonshire Cream
• Lemon Curd
• Kula Strawberry Preserves (Kula is on Maui and they grow really good strawberries there!)

Halekulani is also known for a "secret" jam called Poha Berry Jam. Poha Berry is a local berry that is similar to a gooseberry. Sweet, tart, and makes great jam.

The jam comes only with an order of popovers at lunch/brunch. But if you nicely ask for a side, you might be lucky enough to get it! It's been a hit or miss though my past few visits.

Afternoon Tea Savories

Four savories, clockwise from the top:

• Chicken Salad - Multi whole grain bread, chicken salad, dehydrated apricot, mayonnaise, and horseradish. On top is a tasty sweet-salty peanut crumble.
• Housemade Salmon Gravlax - pumpernickel bread, salmon gravlax, and lemon drill cream.
• Bresaola Beef - Poppyseed bread, bresaola, arugula, parmesan, grain mustard , and a pipette filled with lemon dressing. Squeeze just a little of the lemon dressing in the sandwich and eat!
• Tartelette - Puff pastry with ricotta, spinach, and leek.

I like the chicken salad sandwich the best. The cool part is that some variation of this sandwich has been on the menu forever! It changes a little here and there, but the chicken salad sandwich is a constant you can count on.

Afternoon Tea Sweets

Now we go to the sweets! The savories change stay pretty consistent, but the sweets are always changing.

If you compare with 2019 sweets below, it's a completely new set of desserts. Here's what's on the plate:

• Strawberry cream puff
• Layered pistachio cake
• Almond tart with a macaron shell

Don't forget you can request as many tea pot refills as needed. Always nice to have a warm cup of tea throughout the meal ^_^

Insider Tips

Parking
Parking in Waikiki is usually a hassle, but come for tea and you get four hours free validation (can valet or self-park).

Special Jam
Don't forget to ask for the poha berry jam when they bring out the scones. Sometimes they have it and sometimes they don't. This is a very tasty jam that is usually only served at lunch/brunch, but they are so good with the scones. 

Seating
Afternoon tea is served in the Garden Courtyard on the Veranda. It's a cozy room with about 10 tables and big open doors, it is fun for people watching. If you prefer one of the "front row" tables closer to the open doors, note that in your reservation.

Note: afternoon tea was served at Orchids restaurant for several years, but they recently moved tea service back to the Garden Courtyard room.

Birthday / Celebrations
Celebrating a birthday or a special occasion? Let the reservationist know in advance. They'll bring a complimentary slice of Halekulani's famous coconut cake. It is super delicious ^_^

Afternoon Tea at Halekulani Hotel in 2019

Curious about what the Halekulani afternoon tea was like in 2019?

The prices doubled (from $36 to $72) between 2019 and 2024!

Take a look below at my previous post:

Afternoon Tea Menu

First things first, menu! These are the offerings:

• Classic Afternoon Tea ($36) - The standard sweets + savories, scones, and tea
• Champagne Afternoon Tea ($49) - The Classic Afternoon Tea plus champagne and bowl of strawberries and cream
• Celebratory Afternoon Tea ($56) - The Champagne Afternoon Tea plus a slice of cake

Tea Selection

There are 12 teas to select from. Most popular is the 30th Anniversary Blend tea (that's the one in the top left). It's an updated blend of the original blend Halekulani offered back in 1983. The tea has a balanced mix of Ceylon and Golden Assam, plus Ceylon Silver Tips and Assam Golden Tips.

The 30th Anniversary Blend tea is a great go-to afternoon tea type of tea, especially when you're in an add-milk-and-sugar mood.

The tea selection also includes classics like Taiwanese Oolong, Japanese Sencha, Chinese Jasmine, Indian Darjeeling and Assam, and a few herbal offerings (eg. Rose, Chamomile, and Rooibos). Pictured above is the 30th Anniversary Blend tea.

Scones and Financiers

Now we eat. After tea is delivered/poured at the table, out comes a basket of currant scones and poppy seed-lemon financiers (though they are shaped like canelés). They are warm and wonderful.

You get two scones and two financiers per person (though they often add a few extra financiers, no complaints here 🙂 ).

To accompany the scones:

• Lemon Curd
• Double Devonshire Cream
• Kula Strawberry Preserves (Kula is a district on Maui island that's famous for strawberries)

Secret Poha Berry Jam

These three accompaniments are necessary with the scones. If you want to really upgrade the experience, nicely ask your server for the Poha Berry Jam. The Poha Berry Jam comes only with popovers at lunch/dinner brunch. But if you ask politely, there's a good chance they'll be happy to bring it out. 

Here is is! Poha berry is a local berry similar to gooseberry. They're part of the tomato family, cherry-size, golden color, and come with a pretty husk. Peel off the husk and pop the berry in your mouth. Poha berries are sweet, tart and make great jam. 

Afternoon Tea Savories

A classic afternoon tea comes on three tiers (savories on the bottom, scones in the middle, and sweets on top).

Because Halekulani serves the scones in the basket (which I prefer, because they stay warm longer), they use a two tier system. This is the bottom tier with four savory options.

First is the ham and watercress with grain mustard. Rolled on poppy seed bread.

Second, smoked salmon with lemon cream cheese on rye bread.

Third, cucumber with cream cheese and chives on caraway seed bread.

Fourth, chicken with horseradish on whole grain bread. On top is this sweet-salty peanut crumble crunch. This last sandwich has been on the menu forever. I've been having tea at Halekulani since middle school and I still remember eating this my first visit. 

Afternoon Tea Sweets

On to the sweets. It's neat to see how afternoon tea at Halekulani has evolved over the past two decades. The savories and how they are served has stayed pretty consistent, but the dessert part is always changing.

My favorite period was when they had a dessert trolley (a whole trolley filled with just desserts!) There would be six options and they were all so beautiful. They would roll the trolley around after you finished the savories, and you could pick two desserts. That was the best. The trolley disappeared sometime during my college years. And now you get three pre-plated desserts. 

Chocolate hazelnut mousse and cake.

Coconut and lime tart.

Red velvet éclair. 

One important thing to remember is that afternoon tea is more about the experience than it is about the food itself (this is the one of the few times I'd say something like this).

I still dream of that one day when we'll have a Hawaii afternoon tea where the food is just as great, or even better, than the ambiance. That might be hard to do (especially in Hawaii where the setting is unreal), but we can dream. 

Afternoon tea at Halekulani Hotel: Info

• Address: 2199 Kalia Road, Honolulu, Hawaii 96815
• Phone: (808) 923-2311
• Website: halekulani.com/dining
• Cost: Afternoon tea starts at $72 per person.
• Hours: Afternoon tea is served Tuesdays-Saturdays, with seatings between 2-4:30pm. Reservations required.