For the food alone, afternoon tea isn't a steal. With prices starting in the 20s and running up to the 50s, taking tea is more of a special treat where you pay for the atmosphere as much as the food. And, of course, the luxury to lounge around for hours with no bother—an experience that is well worth it. Today we give you our eight favorite places for afternoon tea in New York, from luxurious hotels to casual tea shops. More

The pastry chefs at Cha-An love using puff pastry; that one component plays an important part in a good number of their desserts. More

Sweet Potato Apple Cake ($9) is a new dessert on Cha-An's winter menu. It's sort of a pie-meets-tarte tatin, elegant and quiet. More

At Cha-An, the Earl Grey Flan ($7.50) occasionally appears on the specials menu—but even if you don't see it there, ask the waitress and she just might have a few extra hiding in the kitchen. More

Who doesn't like cream? Freshly whipped, thick and barely sweetened is how I prefer it, whether it's topping off a lush banana cream pie at Blue Smoke Bake Shop or served atop the chocolate mousse from Buvette. But it's excellent in all forms, including at Otto, where you get straight-up cream in the form of the Huckleberry-Mascarpone Cream Gelato. Break out the spoons! More

The Red Bean Butter Toast ($9) at Cha-An is substantial enough to count as a meal, so keep that in mind when you order. A three inch-tall cut of a remarkably pillowy soft bread is housemade and slightly sweet; it's given a light toast in the oven and topped with mashed and then whipped tsubushian, otherwise known as sweetened red bean paste. More

Matcha is an incredibly versatile ingredient, and New York restaurants and cafes have made good use of its potential. From warm matcha and buckwheat drinks to chocolate miso cakes topped with a matcha shiro-an, the possibilities are endless. Here are five matcha sweets we love. Let us know if we've missed your favorites! More

Ice cream, sorbets, and gelati. They're hardly the main focus of restaurant desserts, but often play an important supporting role, without which the dessert would not be nearly as good. From a quenelle of bold sake ice cream to pair with tempura rice pudding at 15 East, to ginger-lime ice cream and sticky toffee pudding (finished with fresh grated lime zest!) at Veritas, click through to find the five restaurant desserts we love where the ice cream is just as good as the star of the plate. More

We've mentioned Cha-An frequently in the past, most often for the lunch deal and sweet takes on classic Japanese desserts. A little-known offering at Cha-An is the Afternoon Tea, perhaps the cheapest in the city at $18 per person. More

There are times when it seems like you just can't do a decent sit down Japanese restaurant for $10 or less. And then you meet Cha-An and its $10 lunch menu and swear that this must be the best Japanese lunch deal in the city. More