Apart from high-end luxury hotels, you’re hard pressed to find a place that serves up old-fashioned British-style afternoon tea anywhere in Guangzhou. At least, that was the case. Enter Rebel Rebel to Guangzhou’s dining scene.

High tea is synonymous with a certain degree of class, service, atmosphere, pomp and circumstance, but really, what matters is the food on the table. You won’t mistake Rebel Rebel for afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong, but the Guangzhou restaurant definitely gets points for effort and food quality.

The taste test

Served on a three-tier cake stand, the assortment of treats: finger sandwiches, raisin scones, gourmet cakes and pastries await.

Filled with lettuce and tomato and either ham or bacon (we couldn’t put our finger on it), the sandwiches were a good start washed with our choice of Earl Grey tea.

The warm scones melt in your mouth with a helping of butter and jam. The raisins raised the richness in the aftertaste. Perhaps a dollop of cream would rein in the strength of the sweetness. Raisins, though, add a different texture, kind of making them a bit more chewy.

For the finale, the gourmet cakes waiting at the top of the cake stand included a slice of a spongue-cake like dessert and profiteroles. My guest and I both agreed these were the best. We were not so keen on the other two offerings which we couldn’t identify.

The service and staff

We were greeted by the staff, who recognised us from British Day, which worried us a bit because we want to ensure we get the same service as everyone else.  But we didn’t notice any special service or extra treats thrown our way just because we were with The Nanfang.

One of our frustrations was frequently having to wave our arms in the air because the fuwuyuan was on the other side of the bar; but other than that, the staff were attentive and helpful and very efficient in serving us.

The atmosphere

We ventured into Rebel Rebel during lunch hour, and on first impressions, you get the feeling it’s more of an American-style diner.  But at close inspection, you begin to notice the matching colours and British-themed decorations and music, which is a little more appropriate for high tea.

Although it was lunchtime, the restaurant was fairly quiet.  Still, there was some construction nearby which sometimes made it hard to hear our dining companions, and there were more than a few mosquitoes buzzing around which was a bit of an annoyance.

Final thoughts

Rebel Rebel’s afternoon tea is really good value for money, with a balance of sweet and savoury and treats. You can’t fault the food at all, and while the atmopshere is okay it could probably be made better. In Guangzhou, though, there aren’t a lot of options for good afternoon tea, and Rebel Rebel is filling a big void in the city’s dining scene.

Overall rating
3 forks out of 5

Price
Afternoon Tea for two: 98 yuan

Address
42 Tiyu Dong Lu, Tianhe, Guangzhou
42 体育东路, 广州

Telephone number
020-8520-1579

Email
[email protected]

Extras
Free wi-fi is available