Review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream Afternoon Tea at Kona

From start to end, this experience not only invites you to indulge in culinary excellence but transports you into a whimsical world of imaginative storytelling.

Upon arrival in the beautiful courtyard of Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites and Residences, a midsummer dream in itself with its whimsical fountain and seasonal flowers, lies one of the world's longest Shakespearean sylvan friezes.

Setting the scene from the start, this impressive hand-carved frieze displays scenes from some of Shakespeare’s most famed plays including Much Ado About Nothing, Love’s Labour Lost and of course, Midsummer Night’s Dream.

This one-of-a-kind Afternoon Tea invites you to step into a realm of fantasy, enchantment and indulgence. This experience is set into five acts, each to be enjoyed in Kona restaurant, a beautiful setting that is thoughtfully transformed into an enchanted forest. With whimsical flourishes and bespoke crockery, Kona brings the magic of the forest alive in every element of this experience.

‘Act I: The Spell is Cast’ is the first of the five courses. Served in a bespoke vessel resembling the cross-section of a tree trunk is Viola Moelleaux, a violet infused confection. Adorned with florals and filled with a generous bed of pumpkin seeds, this act mimics the natural beauty of a forest.

This delicate blossom mirrors the “love-in-idleness” flower from the play—used by Puck to enchant lovers. It’s a direct nod to the plot's central magical device.

‘Act II: Love’s Mischief’ serves an array of savoury delights including thyme roasted chicken & apricot mayo in caraway bread or a spiced butternut squash hummus & caramelised onion puff. Act II brings you a harmonious balance of refined elegance and untamed spirit, perfectly leading onto act III.

‘Act III: A Banquet for Fairies’ features a medley of indulgent sweets including The Mystical Grove pistachio-lemon delight, beautifully designed with hand-crafted, golden wings and florals, and The Heart of Love & Confusion. This rich dark chocolate heart is filled with a fruity tropical coulis, poured at your table by your server.

‘Act IV: The Dream’s Delight’ serves a medley of scones ‘where flavours shift like lovers in the night’. Plain and raisin scones are served with clotted cream, refreshing berry jams and both lemon & orange zest.

‘Act V: Puck’s Magic’ is the final course of the five, ‘a final sweet memento, ensuring the dream never ends’. Capturing the playful spirit of Puck himself, this enchanting potion is served in a small bottle, adorned with raised, multi-coloured floral embellishments. With a crystal-like stopper, the bottle resembles a miniature potion bottle - exactly the kind of vessel you'd imagine a fairy queen like Titania keeping her magical elixirs in.

Its delightful sweetness hides a deeper, unexpected complexity with Bourbon, homemade wild berries sherbet and bitters.

As theatrical and enchanting as the play, The Elixir of Enchantment is a signature tea blend that when mixed changes from an ethereal cerulean blue to a striking violet. The glass is exquisitely sculpted in the form of a blooming tulip or rose, with its delicate petals forming the rim.

Kona has excellently portrayed the magic and the beauty of A Midsummer’s Night Dream with this amazing Afternoon Tea experience. With knowledgeable and attentive staff, it was a pleasure to be one of the first to try Kona’s new Afternoon Tea experience which we are sure you will all love as much as we did.

Experience the magic of A Midsummer’s Night Dream Afternoon Tea at Kona for yourself. Book here now.