Afternoon tea is a tradition dating back nearly 200 years, and Brits have it down to a fine art. The meal bridges the gap between lunch and dinner with a spectacular spread of sandwiches, sweet treats and cups of tea. Nowhere does them quite like London. Whether you prefer a traditional afternoon tea with white linen tablecloths, cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches, champagne and freshly baked scones, or tea rooms with an arty twist, there’s one to suit in the capital.
1. The Cadogan, Chelsea
Best for storytelling
Travelling around the world can be exhausting — a much more leisurely way to explore is by getting comfortable in the regal surroundings of this Chelsea stalwart. Here, you’ll journey around the globe with delicate bites that reflect the sounds and flavours featured in the novel Around the World in 80 Daystucking into everything from New York inspired smoked salmon and cream cheese on mini bagels to soft petit beurre Natais biscuits; a nod to esteemed Head Pastry Chef Pierre Morvan’s who calls Nantes home. There’s plenty of theatre to look forward to — though the smoking forest looks almost too good to eat.
Price from £65
Family friendly Y
Find hotel near on http://www.hotels-of-london.com/en/
2. Afternoon Tea, The Savoy
Best for a special occasion
Afternoon tea has been served in The Savoy’s pretty Thames Foyer since 1889. A pianist plays Adele and Fred Astaire numbers on a grand piano set under a stained glass dome and gazebo. Sandwiches elevate the classics and include English cucumber with green pea hummus and Scottish smoked salmon with chive and lemon cream. Warm scones are followed by chocolate fudge cake and seasonal fruit tartlets and paired with a choice of 30 teas, a glass of champagne, Nyetimber English sparkling wine, or JING Jasmine Pearls, a tea-based non-alcoholic fizz.
Price from £65
Family-friendly Y
thesavoylondon.com
3. High Chai Afternoon Tea, Lalit London
Best for something different
Go back to school — but not as you know it — with afternoon tea in the Assembly Hall of this former Victorian grammar that’s a stone’s throw from London Bridge station. Royal blue walls, high vaulted ceilings and sapphire chandeliers inject grandeur, while Keralan chef Jomon Kuriakose serves up a tower of treats inspired by the cities of India and their street food. The typical afternoon tea staples of scones and sandwiches are swapped out for the likes of tandoori chicken burgers and bhel puri from Mumbai — puffed rice tossed with fresh tomatoes, onions and homemade chutneys. Wash it down with endless cups of chai tea and a glass of gulabi lassi, a yoghurt drink sweetened with rose syrup.
Price from £49
Family-friendly Y
thelalit.com/the-lalit-london/eat-and-drink/baluchi
4. The Platinum Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Fortnum & Mason
Best for high tea
Serving over 500 pots a day, this salon sits on the fourth floor of the St James’s department store. Expect white linen tablecloths laid with camellia china, a tinkling Steinway and a classic spread. Finger sandwiches include Suffolk cured ham with English mustard and Cotswold Legbar egg mayonnaise; followed by strawberry jam-topped scones and pâtisseries including rose eclairs. Sip Fortnum’s blanc de blancs fizz or bespoke tea blends as you dine. Upgrade to high tea for an additional savoury course such as lobster and truffle omelette.
Price from £70
Family-friendly Y
fortnumandmason.com
5. Meadow Afternoon Tea, The Lanesborough
Best for a touch of spring
To celebrate the arrival of spring bringing a burst of colour and life across the city’s parks, this London stalwart pays homage to those first buds with its meadow-inspired afternoon tea. The setting is ornate as things get in the duck egg-blue Lanesborough Grill which sparkles under ornate chandeliers and a glass-domed roof with a pianist who adds a calming soundtrack to your afternoon. Each bite delivers a taste of the season from the white chocolate honey bee to the chamomile daisy sharing cake that’s filled with a smooth chamomile bavarois. Wash it all down with a refreshing elderflower and jasmine cocktail, given a kick with a stir of Bombay Sapphire gin.
Price £68pp, £82pp with a cocktail
Family-friendly Y (afternoon tea priced from £35pp for children under 12)
More: Top Rated Hotels in London at tophotels.com
6. Grand Saloon Afternoon Tea, Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Best for theatregoers
All pale pink walls, green marble, crystal chandeliers and gilded ceilings, the Grand Saloon lives up to its name. This showy space, in the heart of Covent Garden’s theatreland, is the setting for a Regency-inspired afternoon tea created by baker Lily Vanilli. It’s a playful affair — think madeleines topped with lapsang souchong glazed salmon, puff pastry sausage rolls, pink lemonade tarts and sticky toffee pud alongside warm scones. Rare Company Teas, Taittinger champagne and a roaming trolley proffering scoops of absinthe mint choc chip ice cream add another layer of lighthearted deliciousness.
Price from £49
Family-friendly Y
7. Peggy Porschen, Chelsea or Belgravia
Possibly the prettiest place to come for afternoon tea in the capital is marshmallow-pink Peggy Porschen. Snap a photo under its flower-framed entrance before heading inside to tuck into even prettier freshly baked cakes, pastries, sandwiches and scones — each linked to themes that change every few months. Endless pots of tea are inspired by flowers and you can fill your cup with everything from earl grey and orange blossom to Chelsea floral rose or upgrade to a petal-topped mimosa. There are also special menus for those who require a gluten-free, vegetarian or child-friendly option.
Price from £50
Family-friendly Y
8. The Classic Afternoon Tea, The Beaumont
Best for an American take
Served in the art deco-feel, bookshelf-lined Gatsby’s Room, this afternoon tea provides a dose of Stateside flavour. Bespoke artisan JING teas, including high altitude Red Dragon from Yunnan and organic Darjeeling, can be enjoyed with finger sandwiches filled with the likes of smoked chicken caesar and devilled egg and Reuben salt beef. Desserts include peanut butter and jelly chocolate macaroons and key lime and matcha religieuse. It’s a good vegan pick too, with pulled jackfruit sandwiches and cashew clotted cream available.
Price from £62
Family-friendly Y
9. Bulgari Hotel London, Knightsbridge
Best for an arty experience
British-Nigerian artist Yinka Ilori and his obsession with colour is what makes afternoon tea at this landmark Knightsbridge hotel really pop. Striking cake stands based on stacked and interlocking spheres — inspired by Ilori’s designs — are topped with sweet treats created by pastry chef and chocolatier Gianluca Fusto, who puts an Italian twist on his creations. You’ll tuck into the likes of buns stuffed with burrata and fig chutney and delicate orange biscuits served with a tangy compote and can take afternoon tea in the Italian-style living room, warmed by an open fire.
Price from £95
Family friendly Y
10. Afternoon Tea, The Goring
Best for regal glamour
The Goring is fit for royalty and, indeed, Kate Middleton stayed the night before her wedding. Afternoon tea is served in The Veranda, a fig-tree-filled and birdcage-adorned space which has an opulent indoor-outdoor feel. A seasonally shifting menu includes the likes of roast sirloin beef and horseradish and Coronation chicken sandwiches, warm scones, lemon posset and pear and caramel choux buns. Add in a glass of Bollinger Special Cuvée for extra sparkle, and watch out for themed teas — previous ones have included a Shetland pony motif.
Price from £60
Family-friendly Y
11. Prêt-à-Portea, The Berkeley
Best for fashion fans
A seat on the front row has never looked tastier with this on-trend afternoon tea at The Berkeley. Your chance to get close to the catwalk comes in the light-filled Collins Room, where pastry chef Mourad Khiat creates a selection of couture cakes to reflect the latest looks each season. The spring/summer collection has been inspired by the likes of Moschino, Hermès and Kenzo with a touching — and delicious — tribute to Vivienne Westwood.
Price from £75
Family-friendly Y
12. Jurassic Afternoon Tea, The Ampersand Hotel
Best for kids
You’ll find this dinosaur-themed affair just five minutes from the Natural History Museum, where Dippy the Diplodocus is back in residence. After descending into The Ampersand’s Victorian cellar arches, kids can play archaeologist, uncovering an edible fossil from a chocolate soil box and watch a raspberry and lemon crémeux “erupt” volcano-style. Scones become canvases thanks to squeezy tubes of passionfruit curd and unfussy kids’ savouries include mini hot dogs and T-Rex cheese straws. Adults are well catered for too, with quiches, mini brioches and cocktails such as the gin-based Dino Sour.
Price from £49.50
Family-friendly Y
13. Afternoon Tea at Rosewood London, High Holborn
Best for surrealism
The Mirror Room in Rosewood London serves afternoon tea with a side of surrealism. You’ll want to have your phone out — incredible cakes and pastries based on Salvador Dali’s pieces including Queen of Hearts and Butterfly Windmills are so striking they’ll be the star of your Instagram feed. There’s also a chance to win anything from a glass of champagne to an overnight stay at Rosewood London if you catch a virtual butterfly through your camera app. Diners also receive a limited-edition NFT.
Price from £72
Family-friendly Y
rosewoodhotels.com
14. Afternoon Tea, Ting at Shangri-La The Shard
Best for spectacular views
Unrivalled views of the city are served on the 35th floor of The Shard at the Asian-inspired Ting restaurant where floor-to-ceiling windows frame views of Tower Bridge and beyond. Themes change with the season and its summer offering is Over The Rainbow: a burst of florals that delight through from the savoury courses – think a classic Reuben with truffle egg and cress – to the sweets: a flower power choux filled with yoghurt Creméux and peach mousse. It’s hard not to gasp at the showstopper: a miniature white chocolate shard, served over a bed of smoke that cascades over the table. The afternoon tea will be served until September and is part of ‘Find your Shangri La’ — a campaign set that aims to surprise and delight guests with unexpected flavours.
Price from £71
Family-friendly Y
ting-shangri-la.com
15. Afternoon Tea, The Rosebery at Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park
Best for elegance
Founded as a tea room in the 1920s, The Rosebery is a vision in pistachio ice cream shades and calming Jenny Smith prints. Suspended cake stands come laden with finger sandwiches, pastries and freshly baked scones with seasonal jams such as lemon curd or wild plum. Delicate desserts such as jasmine and clementine crème brûlée, and plum and tonka tart shift with the seasons. Tea Master Isabela Castro helps diners choose their tea — options include Darjeeling First Flush from India and Apricot White from China. Wine, sake and beer pairings are also available.
Price from £68
Family-friendly Y
mandarinoriental.com
16. Afternoon Tea, The Ritz
Best for grande dame glitz
Just the ticket for traditionalists, the Ritz’s tea is served in the hotel’s former ballroom complete with chandelier and murals glinting with gold. The strains of Puttin’ on the Ritz on the harp or piano fill the air and a formal dress code sees everyone done up to the nines (tie and jacket required for men). Expect warm scones, pastries, cakes such as wild strawberry fingers with lemon verbena, and service as exacting as the precision-cut sandwiches on offer. As for drinks, sip champagne or raise a cup of loose leaf tea — Tea Sommelier Giandomenico Scanu curates a bespoke list, while decaf options keep kids involved.
Price from £67
Family-friendly Y
theritzlondon.com
17. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Afternoon Tea, One Aldwych
Best for chocoholics
Good news — this cocoa-tastic afternoon tea, dreamt up in partnership with the Roald Dahl Story Company, doesn’t require a golden ticket. Feast on not-quite-as-it-seems salmon and beetroot macarons and spinach roly-poly, whilst sipping swudge chocolate milkshake or lemon sherbet tea. Other highlights include scones with snozzberry jam, candy floss pops, marshmallow treats, “fizzy lifting” champagne and a range of quirky cocktails served from teapots.
Price from £52
Family-friendly Y
onealdwych.com
18. Garden Afternoon Tea, Petersham Nurseries
Best for something casual
For a more relaxed afternoon tea in London, make for this next-level garden centre in leafy Richmond. During summer the wild-at-heart Garden Afternoon Tea takes place in an outdoor courtyard, and a jasmine-filled greenhouse when the temperature drops. Seasonal tidbits bring out the flavour of top-notch, organic produce and are presented atop Florentine-style hand-blown glass cake stands. Nibble on red pepper tartlets with mascarpone, focaccia topped with fior di latte and nasturtiums, buttermilk scones and lemon polenta cake. While there’s a small selection of loose-leaf tea available, adding in a rose petal bellini feels in keeping with the bloom-packed surroundings.
Price from £45
Family-friendly Y
petershamnurseries.com
19. Afternoon Tea, Nobu London Portman Square
Best for a Japanese twist
Once you’re settled into curved green velvet sofas in the David Collins-designed lounge, salmon, yellowtail, jalapeño and vegetable yuzu truffle canapes arrive to start this Japanese-infused afternoon tea. Next is shrimp salad roll and wasabi beef tataki on shokupan sando. Scones layered with raspberry mint jam nod to English traditions, but predominantly, the likes of yuzu macaroons and miso caramel éclairs champion Japanese ingredients. Teas include kabuse sencha and phoenix honey orchid oolong, and an innovative vegetarian menu is packed with avocado-tomato ceviche and mushroom-sesame tostadas.
Price from £55
Family-friendly Y
london-portman.nobuhotels.com
20. Spirited Tea, Lyaness at Sea Containers London
Best for riverside flair
As you’d expect from an award-winning bar masterminded by mixology maestro Mr Lyan, the afternoon tea at Lyaness puts as much care into its cocktails as its tea list. Superior sips range from rum, rose and galangal fizz to cups of Earl Grey blend with Calabrian bergamot oil or earthy Hojicha from Kyoto. The combination of riverside location, electric blue banquettes and golden tables add up to a sultry space to enjoy plates of pickled cucumber, cream cheese and chive sandwiches, coconut panna cotta with honeycomb and freshly baked scones with blueberry lemon thyme jam, as boats glide by.
Price from £35
Family-friendly N
lyaness.com
21. Afternoon Tea, The Carlton Tower Jumeirah
Best for pâtisserie perfection
Pastry chef Jessica Prealpato’s afternoon tea menu is inspired by Kew Gardens. Expect everything from nettle scones to lobster and caviar tartelle topped with a bisque cream. Wash it all down with your pick from a selection of teas from Mariage Frères, France’s oldest tea house, or upgrade to a glass of champagne for £10. An extra sweetener is the complementary ticket to Kew Gardens.
Price from £75
Family-friendly N
jumeirah.com
22. Covent Garden Afternoon Tea, Mariage Frères
Best for tea lovers
You’ll need to be decisive at this Parisian-inspired tea house that’s taken over a listed Georgian townhouse in Covent Garden: there are close to 1,000 options on its tea menu to choose between. Head Chef Felix Richard is behind the afternoon tea menu and you can choose between a Covent Garden or Parisian option with exciting twists such as purple brisket-stuffed bao burgers and scones elevated with tea-infused jelly.
Price £33 for Parisian Tea, £39 for Covent Garden Tea
Family friendly Y
mariagefreres.com
23. Koto Afternoon Tea, Prince Akatoki
Best for A taste of Japan
The calming notes of Keiko Kitamura who plays the strings of Koto, Japan’s national instrument, fill the room at the Prince Akatoki in Marylebone. Your chance to get another taste of the country comes in the form of sweet and savoury treats including Yuzu crème brûlée and brioche topped with seared tuna, avocado and wasabi dressing. Wash it all down with matcha-infused tea or upgrade your afternoon tea with a Sake pairing.
Price £55pp or £77.50 including the Akashi Tai Sake pairing