If you want afternoon tea in the city, you may have to take it with your pinky finger up, as most establishments and hotels offer British-style afternoon tea with scones and clotted cream (as well as other cream-filled bites). V’lacha, a tea parlor in Ari, is one of the exceptions, rolling out an afternoon tea that focuses on traditional Thai desserts.
V’lacha (a play on the Thai phrase pertaining to tea time) provides a sanctuary within the narrow alley of Soi Ari 1, which is notorious for its endless line of parked vehicles and busy street food kiosks. The café is set in an old wooden Thai house that has been given a modern touch, and now features navy walls, exposed concrete murals and cute illustrations depicting teapots and cups from different cultural references (we even spotted Mrs. Potts and Chip from Beauty and the Beast).
The social media-obsessed usually order the Thai afternoon tea set (B290), a photographic selection that features an assortments of Thai sweets. Instead of black tea blends that are served in Western-style afternoon tea, most of the selections at V’lacha are white tea or green tea blends that can better balance out the sweetness of traditional Thai desserts. Also worth a try are the Thai sweet treats served over ice—the perfect remedy for a scorching hot day—like tub tim krob, the popular soupy dessert that combines crunchy water chestnut with coconut and jackfruit (B89).