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| - I entered the new Mandarin Oriental hotel and admired the decor, rode the elevator that has a red velvet bench in it up to the Sky Lobby on the 23rd floor, and sought out the Tea Lounge. Mandarin Bar was to my right, and Twist restaurant to my left...where is the lounge? The hostess from Twist graciously walked us to the area next to the lobby check-in. It is unmarked and just has couches and chairs.
The view is great - the expanse of City Center is to the left and forward and on the right is a view of Planet Hollywood and Paris. My group of 6 sat down and got barraged by servers (there is not a shortage of employees here). We received both cocktail and tea menus. The cocktail menus were steep (but what do we expect from a high end place?) - from $18-$22 for signature cocktails, plus "spoons" from the bar for $6 each - a la tuna tartare, etc.
We opted for tea (post-Raku dinner schmoozing). A pot is $12 and has about 3 cups worth. I ordered matcha, and my friends ordered Mandarin Oriental's black mandarin tea, and other friends got white jasmine tea. Mine came in an opaque pot, while theirs was served in a clear pot where you can see the tea strainer in the middle, atop a clear base with a tea candle underneath. It came with sugar, cream, and small biscotti.
The waitstaff was very attentive, the tea hot, and the biscotti replenished. The pastries were out for the day (coming from the 3rd floor patisserie that was closed), but they have a cupcake bento that I will try next time! This is a nice place to go with friends to unwind. Afternoon high tea is also available. Give it a go! (At this time, there is only valet parking available).
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