Grapes are said to be at their best between August and early October, so people are invited to make a "grape escape" to the Le Jardin lobby lounge at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo this September for an afternoon tea experience (¥4,000 per person plus charges, noon to 6 p.m. daily, reservations not taken for weekends or public holidays) that celebrates this divine vine fruit.
Fresh, dried and pressed grapes — that is, wine — are all on offer as part of the autumnal campaign. Menu items run the gamut from the sweet to the savory, with different grape varieties allowed to shine. Native to Japan, the sweet and aromatic Shine Muscat grape appears in a dish of Shine Muscat jelly and yogurt cream as well as in a bite-sized cream cheese tart topped with the juicy fruit.
Smoked salmon and dried fruit bruschetta and beef croquettes simmered in red wine are starters to the feast. But no afternoon tea is complete without scones, jam and clotted cream; walnut and raisin, plain and caramel apple scones are best accompanied by one of the event's 20 available loose-leaf teas.