Every January the pastry kitchens of Tokyo switch to one fruit. The strawberry teas of the Palace Hotel, the Peninsula and the Mandarin Oriental are announced in December and gone by the first week of the year.
Japan grows strawberries for winter. The greenhouse varieties, Amaou, Tochiotome, Benihoppe, Skyberry, arrive in December at their sweetest and largest, and the hotel pastry kitchens of Tokyo build their afternoon teas around them from the first week of January until the end of March. It is the most sought-after tea season in the city.
Where the strawberries go
The Palace Lounge at the Palace Hotel Tokyo turns its tier into a study of the fruit: a strawberry shortcake, a tart, a mousse, a macaron, a strawberry milk. The Lobby of the Peninsula Tokyo pairs the strawberries with a pianist and the Peninsula scones; the Oriental Lounge serves them on the 38th floor with the Skytree in the window. The Sweets & Deli counter sells the shortcake by the slice for those without a booking.
How to get a table
The seasonal teas are announced on the hotels’ Japanese sites in early December and can be booked online. Weekend sittings go within days; weekday afternoons at two are the ones to try for in the second week of January. A booking for two in February made in the first days of the new year is realistic; one made in February is not.
What else is red
The depachika, the department-store food halls, run strawberry fairs through February, and the boutiques of Jiyugaoka sell strawberry tarts and parfaits until the last fruit in April. If the hotel teas are full, a parfait at Asako Iwayanagi is the consolation.
Try it
Afternoon Tea DuelPick two afternoon teas from the thirty-seven in the guide and compare them on price, champagne, setting, pastry, savoury, service and value.Sweet RouteChoose a city, one to three days and a pace.Frequently asked questions
When is the strawberry season in Tokyo?
December to April in the shops, with the hotel afternoon teas running from January to the end of March.
How far ahead do the strawberry teas book?
A month for weekends; weekday afternoons can be found two weeks out early in the season.
