Keio Plaza Hotel in Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo is dressing up its afternoon tea for the holidays. From December 1 (Tue) to December 31 (Thu), the 45th-floor Sky Lounge Aurora is serving a "Christmas Afternoon Tea" featuring sweets shaped like Christmas trees and ornaments, adding festive color to the season. The lineup includes the pâtissier's top recommendation — the hotel's signature strawberry shortcake, also sold as a Christmas cake — alongside show-stopping desserts modeled on Christmas trees and ornaments. Warming winter savories such as beef stew round out the menu, all enjoyed alongside a view of Tokyo from 160 meters above ground.
Festive Sweets and Winter Savories for Christmas
Each sweet in the December afternoon tea represents a motif of the season, from Christmas trees to ornaments. The pâtissier's top pick, the "Strawberry Shortcake," is the hotel's traditional recipe — also sold as a Christmas cake — made in a generous size so the strawberries stand out. The "Matcha and White Chocolate Christmas Tree Tart," shaped like a Christmas tree, pipes a matcha and white chocolate ganache in Mont Blanc style to form a three-dimensional tree. The "Framboise Mousse, Ornament Style" tops raspberry mousse with a glossy white glaze and gold powder, finished with a snowflake-shaped piece of white chocolate. On the savory side, the "Beef Stew With Broccoli and Cauliflower" brings warmth for the colder months, alongside a "Flambé Tart With a Ham Ribbon." Combining festive sweets with warming winter dishes, the afternoon tea is paired with about 30 kinds of drinks over a seating of up to three hours.
November's Chestnut and Autumn Flavors
In November, the hotel offers an "Afternoon Tea – Chestnuts x Autumn Flavors" built around chestnuts, paired with pear, chocolate, cassis, and tea. The "Chestnut and Pear Verrine" layers chestnut mousse studded with chestnut pieces over pear jelly. The "Mont Blanc" is topped with Tianjin sweet chestnuts and gold leaf, while the chestnut-shaped "Chestnut Mousse" combines the sweetness of chestnut with the tartness of cassis and framboise. The lineup explores chestnuts in a range of styles for a taste of deepening autumn.
Plan Overview
- Location: 45th floor, Sky Lounge Aurora
- Period:
- Chestnuts x Autumn Flavors: November 1 (Sun) to November 30 (Mon), 2026
- Christmas: December 1 (Tue) to December 31 (Thu), 2026
- Time: 3-hour seating
- Entry time: 2:00–3:00 PM on weekdays; 1:00–3:00 PM on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays
- About 30 kinds of tea, coffee, and other drinks are served free-flow (last order 30 minutes before the end of the session)
- From December 18 (Fri) to 25 (Fri), the last entry time is 2:00 PM
- Price:
- ¥6,300 (weekdays only)
- ¥6,900 (with a welcome glass of sparkling wine)
- Also available for ¥7,800 with an L'Occitane gift
- Prices include service charge and tax
- Phone reservations are accepted until 10:00 PM the previous day; online reservations until 9:00 AM on the day
- Photos are for illustration purposes only. Menu contents and tableware may change depending on season, weather, and ingredient availability
- All plans require advance reservation
For more details and reservations: https://www.keioplaza.co.jp/menu/aurora_afternoontea_2612/
