Tried and Tested: Capella Christmas and the Festive Family Tea

Meet Santa, decorate Christmas cookies, dine on delectable nibbles, and enjoy one of the prettiest views you’ll find in Singapore at Capella’s Festive Family Tea

Looking for a fun way to kick off the holidays with the kiddos this weekend, mama? If you’re in the mood for something sweet, I can highly recommend the Festive Family Tea at Capella Singapore that will be happening over just two dates this holiday season (3 and 17 December).

Last week at a media sneak preview, Maggie and I dined on yummy treats like Mushroom Croque Monsieur with Cheese and Smoked Duck, Home Cured Salmon Gravlax with Watercress Puree and Pickled Shallots, and (our absolute favorite), Freshly baked Cranberry Scones with warm butter. I think the sign of a truly delicious dish is when your toddler steals it off your plate when your back is turned!

Come prepared for a sugar rush, as the tea culminates with an Apricot Cardamom Chocolate Sacher, a Lemon Curd Tartlet, Almond Marzipan Stollen, Dark Chocolate Cheesecake with Gingerbread Crust (OMG I want this recipe!), and assorted Christmas cookies. You can also choose from a wide range of elegant teas freshly brewed tableside.

Of course, the food was hardly the main draw for kids in attendance: most pressingly, Santa Claus was about, doing everything from helping kids color to hand-delivering cupcakes to the table (Maggie was delighted to see if his beard was real as Santa poured sprinkles onto her red velvet cupcake).

For slightly older kids, there’s a tricked out art station with colouring and even sparkly puffy paint. As cool as this is, though, it was unsurprisingly less of a hit than the cookie and cupcake decorating station, replete with gingerbread, many colors of frosting, and all manner of sparkly decorations.

The Festive Family Tea happens at the new dining space Chef’s Table, an intimate and cosy home-style kitchen. The ambience was further enhanced by a sparkling Christmas tree and classic holiday tunes playing on the stereo. Although the kid-friendly Festive Family Tea will only be happening on the 3^rd and 17^th of December, Capella will be serving up Festive Afternoon Tea priced at $39.90++ per person throughout the month of December with many of the same dishes.

If you’re looking for even more festive dining, you can choose from various lunch and dinner options on Christmas Eve and Christmas at The Knolls, or opt for Capella’s ultra-popular Christmas Market Brunch held on Christmas Day in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom. Priced from $198++ per person, it serves up just about every kind of food imaginable, from traditional Baked Christmas Turkey, to fresh sushi and sashimi and every kind of dessert under the sun!

I’m happy to report that the kids’ art corner, along with the cookie and cupcake decorating, and Santa will all be present at the Christmas Market on December 25th. You can also look forward to a roving band of musicians to set the festive mood!

Following tea, Maggie and I strolled out onto the adjacent terrace overlooking Capella’s multi-tiered swimming pool and the beautiful sea beyond. A couple moments later a peacock strolled by (I think he wanted Maggie’s gingerbread cookie). It’s one of the prettiest settings you’ll find in Singapore — the way I see it if we can’t have a traditional wintry Christmas, a truly tropical Christmas is the next best thing!

The Festive Family Tea will be held at Chef’s Table on Saturday 3 December and Saturday 17 December, from 3pm to 5pm. Cost is $52++ per person for adults, $28++ for kids ages 4 to 7 (with a slightly modified menu), and free for children under 4. Click here to see the full menu. To make a reservation, call (+65) 6377 8888 or email [email protected].

Capella Singapore, 1 The Knolls, Sentosa Island, Singapore 098297, Tel: (+65) 6377 8888, www.capellahotels.com/singapore