New Restaurant Alert: Writers Bar, Raffles Makati

Writers Bar
Raffles Makati, 1 Raffles Drive, Makati Avenue, Makati City
Tel. No. 555-9888 (ext 6840)
Available from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

(SPOT.ph) We need gloves. White lacy ones with a ruffled trim and pearl embroidery. Maybe a Philip Treacy hat to complete the picture. At Raffles Makati’s Writers Bar, tea time becomes more than just playtime with their Afternoon Tea from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Tea for two at the Writers Bar costs P995 complete with a selection of sandwiches, scones, and French pastries. The teas are supplied by American tea distributor, Harney and Sons, and include black (Dorchester Breakfast, Darjeeling), white (Viennese Earl Grey, Genmaicha), blue (Oolong), and herbal variations (Roiboos Chai, Organic Passion Plum), to name a few. A server automatically comes to refill the pots without you having to signal them in a very un-ladylike fashion.

They look unintimidating in size, but they can be pretty filling.

Classic cucumber finger sandwiches open up the palate to the more flavorful offerings like the peppery beef tenderloin with tangy Dijon dressing and the piquant smoked ham with gherkins and onions-all sliced and prepared in miniature for the ladies. The proverbial scones-in plain and dotted with dried currants-are soft and flaky underneath that crisp, pale yellow hue. Clotted cream and fruit jam supplied are at your disposal.

Local brand The Fruit Garden provides the confecture for the scones.

Then finally, the three-tiered server carrying the mouthwatering array of sweets: teeny fruit tartlets and brulees; creamy Gianduja religieuse (hazelnut and vanilla snowmen), vanilla banana eclairs, orange choux; crackling signature macarons, and dark velvety flourless chocolate cakes. Have some bubbly to go with your dessert for an additional P900 (each person).

Special macarons and flourless chocolate cake-that’s our new favorite pairing.

Writers Bar is casual actually, probably quite far from what the Duchess of Cambridge would be having right now-just a cordoned-off area beside the lobby, separated by bookshelves stocked with tomes of general references. But for girls who imagine drinking tea in porcelain cups, wearing floral Sunday dresses and kitten heels, this is nothing short of a dream come true. Suddenly, we felt underdressed.

Photos by Sasha Lim-Uy