Cherry Blossom Desserts! Spring Afternoon Teatime In Tokyo

Enjoy the Season of Cherry Blossom Sweets!

Cherry blossoms are awaited eagerly by everyone in Japan, and not only because of their sheer beauty. It is also because, in Japan, every new season is a reason for celebration, and "celebration" often means special treats and festivals that bring people together.

The cafes and restaurants of Tokyo's best hotels offer refined cherry blossom-themed sweets that are available for a limited time. We introduce below six sakura afternoon tea dessert menus that will definitely turn the beginning of spring into a celebration.

1. Sakura Strawberry Afternoon Tea at Conrad Tokyo

Picture courtesy of Conrad Tokyo

Conrad Tokyo, located in Shimbashi near the picturesque Hamarikyu Garden, offers the Sakura Strawberry Afternoon Tea menu at its 28th-floor bar and lounge Twenty Eight from March 1 to April 30, 2020.

The menu includes refined pastries and savory dishes that use Japanese strawberries and cherry blossom flavors.

Picture courtesy of Conrad Tokyo

The sweets are small works of art made using cherry blossom cream, pink and dark chocolate, strawberry ganache, cherry blossom jelly, and other seasonal ingredients.

Savory items include strawberry and foie gras tarts, sakura shrimp and bamboo charcoal croquettes, tea sandwiches with cherry blossom bread, and other delights.

Picture courtesy of Conrad Tokyo

The standard Sakura Strawberry Afternoon Tea set includes twenty varieties of drinks. Guests are welcome to choose several beverages and enjoy them to their heart's content.

Special versions with an even more gorgeous lineup of dishes are also available. Please check the official page for details (Japanese).

Sakura Strawberry Afternoon Tea

Availability: March 1 - April 30, 2020
Hours: Weekdays 11:00 - 16:30; Saturday 11:00 - 16:30, 18:30 - 20:30; Sundays and public holidays 11:00 - 16:30, 18:30 - 21:30 (*two-hour limit)
Location: 28F Bar & Lounge Twenty Eight
Price: Standard Sakura Strawberry Afternoon Tea 4,900 yen (before tax)/person

Conrad Tokyo

2. Strawberry & Sakura Afternoon Tea at Cafe & Dining ZelkovA

Picture courtesy of The Strings Omotesando

Cafe & Dining ZelkovA, located in the fashionable area of Omotesando, offers a special Strawberry & Sakura Afternoon Tea menu from March 3 to April 21, 2020.

The set includes savory items such as pink bread sandwiches with chicken and canola and verrines with strawberries and ham. The sweets menu consists of gorgeous desserts like blancmange with cherry blossom jelly, sakura flavored strawberry mousse, and matcha scones. Japanese traditional sweets like sakura dango and strawberry pink taiyaki are also available.

Picture courtesy of The Strings Omotesando

There are sixteen types of beverages to accompany the desserts in the Strawberry & Sakura Afternoon Tea set, including black tea, flavored tea, coffee, and cafe latte.

Strawberry & Sakura Afternoon Tea

Availability: March 3 - April 21, 2020
Hours: Weekdays 11:30 - 18:00, Weekends and holidays 11:00 - 18:00 (*two-hour limit, L.O. 30 minutes before closing time)
Location: Cafe & Dining ZelkovA (The Strings Omotesando 1F)
Price: 3,900 yen after tax (*a 12% service fee is paid separately)

Cafe & Dining Zelkova

〒107-0061 3-chome 6-8 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo

3. Pink Afternoon Tea at Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo

Picture courtesy of Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo

Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and marks the event by releasing special seasonal menus.

The Pink Afternoon Tea (Japanese) is a dessert menu inspired by the colors of spring. The set will be available from March 2 to April 30, 2020. It includes original berry and rose-flavored sweets created by the hotel's patissiers.

Strawberry shortcakes, jelly desserts made with lychee blancmange and rose jelly, raspberry scones with sakura petal and cherry jam - these are just some of the items on the menu. Savory dishes like sakura shrimp quiche, rolls of smoked salmon and ham, and salad are also available. The set includes black tea or coffee.

Picture courtesy of Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo

The Pink Afternoon Tea set can be enjoyed at the Garden Lounge within the Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo.

Pink Afternoon Tea

Availability: March 2 - April 30, 2020
Hours: 14:00 - 17:00 (*two-hour limit)
Location: Garden Lounge (open 11:00 - 19:30 L.O.19:00)
Price: 4,840 yen (*the price includes tax and the service fee)

Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo

4. Sakura Sweets at Hotel Nikko Narita

Picture courtesy of Hotel Nikko Narita

At the Coffee Lounge of Hotel Nikko Narita, visitors can enjoy two types of sakura-flavored desserts from March 1 to April 30, 2020.

The Sakura Mont Blanc and the Sakura Mousse have a pleasant cherry blossom flavor, being made with springtime ingredients such as cherry liqueur and cherry blossom-flavored red bean paste. These gorgeous desserts are each available for 561 yen (with tax) or as part of the cake and coffee/tea set for 815 yen (with tax).

Picture courtesy of Hotel Nikko Narita

Narita boasts beautiful cherry blossom viewing spots, so how about treating yourself to delicious sakura-flavored sweets on your visit?

Sakura Mont Blanc and Sakura Mousse

Availability: March 1 - April 30, 2020
Hours: 7:00 - 22:00
Location: Hotel Nikko Narita - Coffee Lounge (main building, 1F)
Price: cake 561 yen after tax, cake set 815 yen after tax

Hotel Nikko Narita

〒 car charging stand

5. Nighttime Dessert Buffet "Sakura Journey" at Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu

Picture courtesy of Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu

The popular nighttime sweets buffet offered by Somerhouse, the lounge of Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu, will have a cherry blossom theme in April.

The "Sakura Journey" menu includes refined cherry blossom shortcakes, cherry blossom and raspberry roll cakes with a refreshing flavor, as well as sakura fruit cocktails created by the hotel's patissiers. Light meals such as antipasti, salad, and soup are also available. The drink menu consists of several types of wine, as well as soft drinks.

Picture courtesy of Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu

Somerhouse offers great views of Sakura Avenue in Yokohama and Minato Mirai. The beautiful nightscape, along with the gorgeous sakura desserts will make for an unforgettable spring evening in Yokohama.

Nighttime Dessert Buffet "Sakura Journey"

Availability: Thursdays and Fridays from April 2 to April 30, 2020 (*reservation required; the reservation can be made only for two or more persons)
Hours: 19:30 - 22:00
Location: Lounge Somerhouse (Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu, 2F)
Price: Adults 5,200 yen after tax/person (*price includes unlimited sparkling, white, and red wine)
Elementary school children 3,050 yen after tax
Children over 4 years of age 1,650 after tax

Somerhouse

2-3-7 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama 220-8543 Yokohama Bay Hotel Toky...

Enjoy the Cherry Blossom Season with All Senses

The seasonal dessert menus introduced above are some of the most refined sakura-themed menus available in the Tokyo area this year.

Remember that almost every Japanese cafe or restaurant will offer some special menu inspired by the cherry blossoms in April. In other words, if you're in Japan in spring, there are many opportunities to enjoy beautiful views and the flavors of this exciting season.