Saying the British quite like tea is like saying The Ritz is quite a nice hotel. Because us Brits don’t just like tea. We’ve created an entire lavish ceremony around finger sandwiches, scones, cakes, and – yes – tea, as well as some of the most opulent rooms to enjoy it in. So, here’s the Quintessentially-approved list of London’s best afternoon teas.
Palm Court at The Langham
Victorian aristocrats invented afternoon tea as we know it, so it’s only fitting that you receive the royal treatment in the very salon where it all began 160 years ago. The Langham’s white-glove service, glasses of Champagne, featherlight scones, and thinly sliced finger sandwiches make it fit for a king. And chef royalty Michel Roux Jr. and Executive Pastry Chef Andrew Gravett are unveiling their winter collection of pastries this October. But the crown jewel? The mulled cider and apple crème fraîche tart (it’s Michel Roux’s cup of tea).
1C Portland Pl, W1B 1JA
150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BR
The Ritz
Afternoon tea at The Ritz quite literally sets the gold standard for the rest of London. It’s served amongst the golden statues and glittering chandeliers of Palm Court; a glitzy setting for a traditional tea accompanied by live piano sonatas. All the classics like cucumber sandwiches and crumbly scones are present and correct, as well as 20 types of loose-leaf tea, and it’s all rounded off with a couple of slices of cake served tableside from the guérdion trolley.
JOIA Bar at art’otel
Seen from the rooftop of London’s new art’otel, landmarks like the London Eye are shrunk to the size of a doll’s house. Or perhaps a cinnamon custard tart, which joins smoked salmon sandwiches and almondy choux buns on JOIA’s new afternoon tea menu, served two floors below. To hydrate, keep things classic with a selection of loose-leaf teas, or else toast the neighbouring, red-bricked towers with a classic glass of Champagne.
1 Electric Blvd, Nine Elms, SW11 8BJ
53 Park Ln, W1K 1QA
The Dorchester
There’s no denying The Dorchester’s pedigree – after all, it’s been a favourite amongst film stars and royalty since it opened in 1931. And its afternoon tea is, as you’d expect, a masterclass in British innovation, with award-winning pastry chef Michael Kwan turning out creations like strawberry roulades and pistachio choux. The surroundings are also a real treat: you’ll be cosying down in pastel banquette sofas and marvelling at floral artworks.
Fortnum & Mason
There’s a reason afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason is high on the hit lists of London tourists: it is, quite simply, iconic. It’s been serving traditional sandwiches, scones, and sweet treats for over a century – but since 2012, tea has been taken in the glitzy Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon (so named when the late Queen opened the room in 2012). Don’t have a sweet tooth? There’s also a savoury-only menu, which includes minted pea scones, smoked trout éclairs, and duck mousse melba.
4th Floor, Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, W1A 1ER
193–197 High Holborn, WC1V 7BD
Colonel Saab
Afternoon tea has been given an Indian makeover at olde worlde Colonel Saab – starting with the sandwiches, which have largely been swapped for the likes of tikona samosas and crispy chakli. Some traditional elements are still on the menu (like, raisin scones and English breakfast tea), but you can also try a selection of Indian-inspired desserts, such as coconut and rose laddu and lentil and jaggery payasam.
Claridge’s
If you want to know how seriously Claridge’s takes afternoon tea, just look at the length of its afternoon tea menu. Each element of the painstakingly traditional tea has been carefully outlined for diners – from the angle and thickness of the sandwich bread to suggested tea pairings for each course. The food itself is served from a specially designed stand and eaten from specially designed plates, and you’ll be serenaded by tinkling piano music: if you want a traditional experience, this is it.
1 Brook St, W1K 4HR
9 Conduit St, W1S 2XG
sketch
Sketch is a restaurant that thrives on eccentricity – from its egg-shaped bathrooms to the Yinka Shonibare art plastering its sunny yellow walls. The same goes for its afternoon tea menu, which joyfully puts a French twist on the English classics with inventions like salmon lollipops and apricot and lavender Battenburg. Seasonal clafoutis served tableside from a sparkling trolley further proves that it’s possible to have both style and substance.
Pavllyon London
If there’s a Frenchman we’d trust to take on afternoon tea, it’s Yannick Alléno. The 16-Michelin-starred chef is the culinary talent behind Pavyllon (itself the recipient of a Michelin star earlier this year) – so, it’s safe to say his afternoon tea is set to be a corker. The team has stuck to tradition with the ‘so British’ scones, but there’s still a lot of French flair – like, the Fuji apple tartlet and mini religieuse chocolat.
Four Seasons Hotel at Park Lane, Hamilton Pl, W1J 7DR
National Gallery, Trafalgar Sq, WC2N 5DN
Ochre at the National Gallery
Afternoon tea is an art form at Ochre – not least because it’s situated inside the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square. But an ordinary museum café this is not: this is a sophisticated fine dining establishment with a genuinely great afternoon tea. It's been designed to celebrate the gallery’s 200th birthday, meaning that yes, there is birthday cake on the menu, as well as other suitably artsy sweets like a chocolate and raspberry mousse (or ‘paintbrush’, as listed on the menu) and lemon choux with candied peel.
One Aldwych
Fizzy lifting drinks, snozberry jam, and chocolate milkshakes mixed by waterfall: One Aldwych’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tea is little short of magical. So, it’s a good one to take the kids (and yourself) to as you have fun discovering the likes of not-quite-as-it-seems macarons (spoiler: they’re savoury), scones with snozberry jam and ‘all the creams’, and a cloud of candyfloss. Oh, and that fizzy lifting drink? Shorthand for Champagne.
1 Aldwych, WC2B 4BZ
Catherine St, WC2B 5JF
The Lane
To cream, or not to cream? That is the question at The Lane, which is the only restaurant in London serving afternoon tea inside a real-life theatre – Theatre Royal Drury Lane, to be precise, which was recently restored to its former 1812 glory. The theatrical theme continues across the plates, patterned with performers, and the cakes have more than a little pizzazz, thanks to the artful touch of artisan baker Lily Vanilli.
