My Honest Marco Polo Afternoon Tea Review (2026): Is It Worth It?

Published on August 8, 2026 · Last Updated on August 17, 2026

My mom had been wanting a proper afternoon tea for months, the kind with tiered stands and little sandwiches you eat with your pinky up if you’re feeling fancy.

When I saw Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s Tea Fusion Indulgence online, the Connect Lounge photos sealed it. Floor to ceiling windows. A view that stretches across the Ortigas skyline. A menu that looked like it took itself seriously. We booked a table for the whole family.

We paid for this ourselves. I’m mentioning that upfront because I want you to trust what’s coming next. And if Marco Polo happens to be reading this, we’d love the chance to explore more of what the hotel offers down the line.

Quick answer: Yes, Marco Polo Ortigas’s Afternoon Tea Fusion Indulgence (P1,800 per set, serves 2) is worth it for a proper sit down afternoon tea in Metro Manila, especially for families or friend groups who want a skyline view over the usual lobby lounge setting. Standouts were the Green Apple Mousse and the smoked salmon canapés. My rating: 4.4/5.

Why We Chose Marco Polo Ortigas Afternoon Tea Sets

1. The view. Connect Lounge sits high enough on the 24th floor that the Ortigas skyline fills the whole window, clouds and all, real enough that we kept glancing up between bites instead of just snapping one photo and moving on.
2. Two sets, more variety. With The Skyline Steep and The Traditional Taste both on the menu, we ordered one of each kasi we didn’t want anyone in the family compromising on the savory they wanted or the dessert they wanted.
3. The full ritual. Loose leaf Dilmah steeping table side, proper tiered stands, two unhurried hours built into the reservation itself.

Getting to Marco Polo Ortigas

Marco Polo Ortigas Manila sits along Meralco Avenue in Ortigas Center, an easy drive if you’re coming from Quezon City, Mandaluyong, or Makati on a light traffic day.

If you’re commuting, it’s a short ride from Ortigas Avenue and walkable from the nearby malls once you’re in the area.

Connect Lounge sits on the 24th floor, and the elevator climbs long enough that you feel your ears adjust. When the doors finally opened, the whole lounge was already lit up gold from the afternoon sun coming through the glass, rooftops and treetops laid out below like a map.

The lobby downstairs sets the tone before you even reach the lounge. Polished marble underfoot, cool enough that you notice it through your shoes, a pair of mid-century blue velvet chairs angled toward the window on slim wooden legs, a swirl of white sculpture perched on its own plinth near the entrance.

It reads more contemporary art gallery than traditional five star lobby, and that same quiet, considered feeling carries through once you’re seated at Connect Lounge itself.

Marco Polo Afternoon Tea Set: Tea Fusion Indulgence

Hours: 2:30 to 5:30 PM daily

Price: P1,800 ($32) per set, serves 2

Where: Connect Lounge, 24th floor

Tea Fusion Indulgence gives you a choice of three sets. We ordered The Skyline Steep and The Traditional Taste, one of each.

The sets fall under the hotel’s newer culinary direction since Executive Chef Alex Ensor took over the kitchens in January 2026, and it shows in the presentation, fruit fanned just so on the mousse cakes, a clean glaze on every tart.

The stands arrive in the classic three tier format: savories on the bottom, tarts and mousse cakes in the middle, showpiece desserts up top. Here’s everything on both sets.

Marco Polo Afternoon Tea Set: The Skyline Steep

The savories on this set are where the kitchen really flexed.

The Smoked Salmon Dukka Spice on Rainbow Bread was the dish everyone reached for twice: silky cured salmon over bread striped in actual rainbow colors, finished with dill and a few pearls of caviar. It photographed beautifully. It tasted even better, the smoke, spice, and bread balanced in a way that told me someone in the kitchen cared about more than the visuals.

Beside it, the Chicken Pie had a buttery, flaky top that made me wish it came in a full size version.

On the sweet side, the Mango Cheesecake and Strawberry Mousse were the family favorites, tangy mango against a smooth cheesecake base, and a strawberry mousse light enough that you could still make room for the tart sitting next to it.

The Caramelized Banana Tart followed, a short tart shell holding banana cooked down until it turned a deep caramel color, the kind of dessert that tastes like it needed patience to make.

Rounding out the tier was the Earl Grey Craqueline, a choux pastry with a crackled, cookie-like top, where the tea came through more as perfume than as a heavy flavor note.

Marco Polo Afternoon Tea Set: The Traditional Taste

This set leaned into familiar Filipino flavors dressed up for the occasion.

The Adobo Atsara Empanada arrived as tiny golden hand pies with a glossy crimped edge, next to Smoked Chicken Profiteroles, choux puffs with a crackled cookie top more at home on a French pastry counter than tucked into a savory tier.

The Green Apple Mousse was the dessert we kept coming back to. It sits on a soft, creamy base with just enough tartness from real green apple to cut the sweetness, so it never tips into cloying the way a lot of mousse cakes do. I love apple, and this one earned every bit of that.

Beside it, the Chocolate Opera Slice held its own, dense and rich the way an opera cake should be, with clean layers that didn’t collapse the moment a fork touched them.

The Pecan Tart followed with a short, snappy shell and a toasted crunch that hadn’t gone soft sitting out on the stand, which is more than I can say for pecan tarts I’ve had elsewhere.

Last was the Caramel Log, a tight spiral of sponge and caramel cream with a shine on top like it had just been glazed, the sweetest thing on either stand and unapologetic about it.

Both sets came with a choice of coffee, tea, or wine. We went the tea route and were brought two glass teapots of loose leaf Dilmah, one Mango Strawberry and one Chamomile, steeping right at the table.

Watching the color deepen in the pot while we picked at the stand was its own kind of relaxing.

If you asked us to rank the entire spread, dessert beat savory across the board, though the Chocolate Opera Slice and the Caramel Log came closest to catching up to the mousse cakes.

The Afternoon Tea Service That Made Our Day

Our server, Elizabeth, made the whole afternoon feel unhurried and cared for. She kept our water glasses full before we noticed they were empty, checked on the tea’s steeping time without hovering, and had our reservation honored the moment we walked in, table ready and set.

A tiered stand full of pretty pastries only gets you halfway there. Someone has to make the two hours feel unhurried, and Elizabeth did exactly that.

Turn Your Marco Polo Afternoon Tea Visit Into a Staycation

If you want to make a full day of it, Marco Polo Ortigas also works as an overnight stay.

Current rates for a standard or deluxe room typically run from around $100 to $120 a night, roughly P5,600 to P6,700. We didn’t book a room ourselves this time since we came purely for the tea, but if you’re already planning a stay in the area, it’s worth checking current rates on Agoda since prices shift depending on your dates.

Honest Verdict on Marco Polo Ortigas Afternoon Tea

Tea Fusion Indulgence is a good pick if you want a real sit down afternoon tea in Metro Manila without driving far from home.

It’s especially strong for families like mine who want variety, since ordering both sets meant nobody had to skip the savory they wanted in favor of the dessert they wanted more.

What sets this apart from EDSA Shangri-La’s afternoon tea, the other Metro Manila set I’ve tried, is the setting. Shangri-La leans into old world lobby lounge elegance, while Connect Lounge trades that for the skyline view and a slightly more modern, minimalist room.

Neither is better across the board, but if you want your tea time to come with a view instead of chandeliers, Marco Polo Ortigas wins that comparison outright.

To push this closer to a perfect score, I’d want the Adobo Atsara Empanada’s pastry to match the quality of everything around it, and a little more room between tables since Connect Lounge does get snug once it fills up.

If you’re planning a mom and daughter date, a girls’ afternoon, or a small family celebration, this is worth booking. Reserve ahead since Connect Lounge fills up on weekends, and go hungry enough to work through two full tiers.

My rating: 4.4/5 ⭐

Book Marco Polo Here

If Tea Fusion Indulgence has you thinking about extending the visit into an overnight stay, check current rates and availability for Marco Polo Ortigas Manila here. Rates move around depending on the season, so it’s worth a quick look before you lock in your date.

Frequently Asked Questions on Marco Polo Afternoon Tea

Is Marco Polo Ortigas’s afternoon tea worth it?

Yes, if you want a proper sit down tea experience with a skyline view and generous portions. At P1,800 per set serving two, it’s priced in line with other five star Metro Manila afternoon teas, and the desserts in particular are worth the trip.

How much does Marco Polo Ortigas’s Tea Fusion Indulgence cost?

Each set is P1,800 (around $32), and each one serves two people. There are three sets to choose from, including The Skyline Steep and The Traditional Taste, both of which come with a choice of coffee, tea, or wine.

What’s included in the Marco Polo Ortigas afternoon tea sets?

The Skyline Steep has Chicken Pie and Smoked Salmon Dukka Spice on Rainbow Bread for savories, then Mango Cheesecake, Strawberry Mousse, Caramelized Banana Tart, and Earl Grey Craqueline for dessert. The Traditional Taste has Adobo Atsara Empanada and Smoked Chicken Profiteroles for savories, then Green Apple Mousse, Chocolate Opera Slice, Pecan Tart, and Caramel Log for dessert.

Where is Connect Lounge and how do I get there?

Connect Lounge is inside Marco Polo Ortigas Manila along Meralco Avenue in Ortigas Center, an easy drive from Quezon City, Mandaluyong, or Makati. Tea Fusion Indulgence is served daily from 2:30 to 5:30 PM, so it’s worth reserving ahead, especially on weekends.

Is Marco Polo Ortigas good for a family afternoon tea?

Yes, we brought the whole family and ordering two different sets meant everyone got a mix of savories and sweets without compromise. The relaxed two hour pace and attentive service made it comfortable for a multi generation group.

Also Worth Reading

If afternoon tea is your thing, I also wrote up my honest take on EDSA Shangri-La’s afternoon tea, another solid option if you’re comparing Metro Manila’s tea scene.

And if you’re planning a full hotel stay after your tea date, here’s my Solaire Resort Quezon City review for a look at a different luxury property on the north side of Manila.

Follow me on Instagram and TikTok @livefreewithlianne for more travel tips!

Have questions about Marco Polo Ortigas’s afternoon tea? Drop them in the comments. I read every single one.