Hello Hive travelers and good bites seekers. Today we are presenting to you the one and only afternoon tea in Zagreb. Croatia has been Europe’s hotspot for a while and for a good reason. Surely, its capital, Zagreb has many stories to share. That is why we want to shine a light on one particular luxurious fascination, celebrating 100 years in 2025. We are talking about a hotel that came to be because of the Orient Express train. Esplanade Hotel Zagreb to be exact. Back then it brought elevated elegance to the town and things still haven’t changed. After all, the Esplanade Zagreb brought a gourmet tea experience to this part of Europe. Now, let’s check this Esplanade afternoon tea review and see how is the experience itself.
Ambiance
Grandeur, in Art Deco style, follows guests at every step of the way around the Esplanade Hotel. The old charm of the 1920s is equally tantalizing and fascinating. However, we felt a sense of safety and tranquillity during our high tea time in the Esplanade 1925 Lounge and Cocktail Bar. Shiny chandeliers and spotless surfaces do that to us. We particularly loved how natural light put the dark wooden furnishings in the spotlight.
Lounge Bar 1925 Drinks Menu
The stocked bar can be seen from far away, but the menu names even more. Even though we were fixed on Ronnfeldt tea we noticed the signature cocktails. We love that cocktails are designed by the prominent mixed drink of the decade since the hotel opened its doors in 1925. Naturally, you’ll also find famous cocktails in the Esplanade bar as well. Along with a handful of LABV cocktails, mocktails, and spritz distinctions. For those looking for something stronger, rest assured you’ll get your needs met in the world of strong spirits. Then it is also a good idea to taste some local craft. A big portion of the menu belongs to the wine, coming from all over Europe.
Our Tea Selection
Pai Mu Tan
The invigorating fruity and floral aroma of the organic white tea enchanted us immediately. Large leaves were able to give their best due to the loose manner. The natural sweetness was clear with every sip and spoke to us about candied fruit and maracuja. We were also glad of the gentle astringent finish coming from the tannins. Pai Mu Tan tea kept on the gripping charm even for the second brew, so we suggest you enjoy it to the max as well.
Fancy Sencha
Fancy Sencha has a smooth body with gentle bitter-sweet notes. The aroma of the freshly cut grass comes as an introduction into the Japanese realm of tea making. Indeed, steaming the picked leaves improves the final product. Although the vegetal notes come from the tea leaves themselves, the process just intensifies it. Taste on the other hand is quite tart but it comes with a rounded sweetness.
Esplanade Afternoon Tea Bites
Savories
The one with the mildest flavors was the first to go, that goes for the grilled cheese on toast. Roasted full-grain toast bonded with grilled cheese nicely. The pair were accompanied by the avocado mousse in the middle and zingy Asian microgreens on top.
The next one was the smoked salmon on focaccia bread. We loved the generous portion of the herbal curd cheese underneath the salmon and rocket for more textural flavor.
We are always happy when prosciutto is so soft it melts in the mouth. That was the case in our last canape and we loved every bite of it.
Sweets
It is always hard to choose where to start first when you have a bunch of sweet delicacies in front of you. However, we try to start with more neutral and lighter delights, continue with fruity ones and finish with chocolate ones. Every bite is accompanied by tea and our palate is clean for the next bite.
Firstly, we grabbed a nice-looking Choux au craquelin. Perfect choux pastry should have a light, airy, and crisp texture. The exterior should be delicately crisp, while the inside should be hollow with just a slight chew. Here the pastry itself was splendid. To elevate this, the creamy raspberry filling was spot on in the craquelin cream puff. It was also a great match to the pistachio cream that was on the top.
Our taste buds were still rioting from the last bite, but here comes a new – raspberry mousse cup. As expected, the blossom-shaped delicacy tasted floral and fruity at the same time, mostly reminiscent of raspberry and rose.
Both macaron cookies tasted as great as they looked. One was hiding the taste of the blueberry behind the sweet veil, while the other wasn’t straightforward. It only gave off a hint of marzipan. However, the technicalities of the great macaroon were all there.
One could say that cake pops were different just in terms of the chocolate. However, we found toothsome nuts in the one coated with ruby chocolate. The other cake pop was plain red velvet with milk chocolate around it.
The last sweet bite we took at the Esplanade Hotel in Zagreb was a chocolate praline filled with nougat and hazelnuts. Crunchy and yet brittle chocolate filled with lavish nougat cream is all you need for great praline. Simply delicious.
Fruit
What can one say about the fruit for our afternoon tea in Zagreb? Well, given the fact that wintertime is no season for basically anything, we must compliment the chef on making strawberries as tasty as they were. Marinated strawberries were brought to life with no signs of struggle.
