The bane of expat life is the constant ebb and flow of friends. Every year, about this time, I start deleting names from my cellphone, as a clutch of my old mates disperse to new postings, and the talk revolves around moving companies, garage sales and new schools for the kids. The diary is filled with farewell drinks, dinners and final play dates, and of course I have to arrange the odd afternoon tea as a grand finale.
Raffles has recently arrived in Makati, complete with a copy of the original Singaporean Long Bar where – for some mysterious reason – customers are invited to fling peanut shells around the floor, and the Singapore Slings give the afternoon a truly misty quality. In the Writers Bar – ‘created as a tribute to the the host of literati who have stayed at or written about Raffles’ – they serve afternoon tea with REAL clotted cream, an essential part of any true cream tea. It seemed a fitting place to say goodbye to a good friend who has been part of the scenery since we first arrived in Manila.
So last week a group of us gathered in the Writer’s Bar, just off the main lobby, armed with tissues and a boxed Pinatubo teapot as a keepsake. (Valet parking is still free, which is a lovely little luxury, but be prepared for a lengthy wait when you want it back.) As we were ushered through the main entrance, our first glimpse of the lobby is striking: modern chandeliers of dripping ice crystals that look like Christmas have been blended with floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with ancient tomes no one will probably ever read. There is also some great artwork and a couple of eye-catching statues to entrance you. The atmosphere at Raffles is one of refined elegance, the waitresses are calm and quietly spoken, and the afternoon tea is practically perfect – although I did cringe at being handed a knife and fork to eat a sandwich.
Tea for two at 995 pesos (20US$) is a reasonable price for Manila, and you definitely get your money’s worth: smoked salmon on an eye-catching marbled 
bread; a bite-sized egg brioche; a cucumber delicacy designed like a piece of art; a small, fresh ham roll, and a beef wrap amuse bouche are all arranged two-by-two on a long glass platter. There are medium-sized scones – although I would love them to have been warmed up – with proper Devonshire clotted cream that you could eat with a teaspoon. And the three-tiered tray of cakes was fit for the sweetest Filipino tooth with a huge array of brightly coloured macaroons, morsels of rich chocolate cakes and profiteroles shaped like snowmen.
A pianist played wistful music on the grand piano in the corner. She almost drowned out our conversation, but we just talked louder. We decided not to share champagne for a change, as the price per glass was prohibitive at 900 pesos for a doll-sized glass only half-filled. Albeit they were top quality bubbles, I would prefer a cheaper bottle in a larger glass, as the former would had evaporated into the ether before the froth had settled. Instead, there was a lovely selection of teas to choose from, and as we sipped in a lady-like manner from deep armchairs and cushion-strewn sofas, the sandwiches and the scones quietly disappeared. Later, our teenagers would enjoy the box of sweeter offerings we could not manage, so everyone was happy, and hopefully my dear friend has a lovely memory to take home with her…
Afternoon tea is served daily in the Writer’s Bar from 2.30 – 5.30pm
For reservations please call: +632 555 9777
Email: [email protected]