At first, you might be confused by the name of Peacock Alley, a tea room and evening lounge found on the ground floor of The Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeriah. However, the name actually has something to do with the luxury hotel brand’s colourful history – Peacock Alley was the term coined to describe the daily catwalk of high-society figures and famous faces that made their way through the original colonnade connecting The Waldorf and The Astoria hotels in New York City.
The Dubai outpost of the hotel is indeed a place to see and be seen, with Peacock Alley featuring floor to ceiling windows that overlook the hotel’s well-groomed central gardens, as well as entirely crisp white colour palette, ranging from the cream cushions to the milky marble floors.
In the daytime, Peacock Alley serves a delectable afternoon tea from midday to 4pm. The classic tea begins with a selection of savoury bites such as a puff pastry with a beef and mushroom filling, truffle egg salad on turmeric rolls, and smoked duck capsicum served in a tortilla. Once you have finished nibbling on the sandwiches and buns, you will move on to scoffing freshly baked raisin studded or plain scones, which can be slathered with clotted cream, strawberry jam or lemon curd.
Rounding off your afternoon tea will be the sweets selection, which includes an assortment of pastries and miniature cakes. Tuck into the likes of red velvet cheesecake, apple tart topped with Chantilly cream or a salted caramel chocolate tart. Your afternoon tea includes a glass of Prosecco for each person, but you can also choose to sip on a Prosecco or a Bellini.
If you’re visiting for a snack and don’t want to commit to afternoon tea, you can pick a dish from Peacock Alley’s menu of light bites, which features a Portobello croque monsieur or flat pizza topped with smoked duck.