Afternoon Tea spots in London

It is said that the 7th Duchess of Bedford, Anna Russell invented Afternoon Tea in 1840. This was to keep her full between lunch and dinner. Since then, Afternoon Tea has become a quintessentially British tradition and I have been quite fortunate to visit some of the best Afternoon Tea spots in London.

There are A LOT of spots to have Afternoon Tea in London from hotels to cafés to tearooms. It is also quite difficult to curate a list of the best ones in the city as each offers something a little different from the other. From themes, to ambiance to variety of pastries and sandwich choices, there are so many to choose from. For this post, I am highlighting the most memorable afternoon tea dates I have been to. As I visit more, I will keep updating the list.

The typical Afternoon Tea consists of tea, sandwiches, patisserie and my favourite thing, scones. Warm scones. It is always accompanied by clotted cream and jam. Feeling a little fancier? Then you have to have Champagne with your afternoon tea!

Dalloway Terrace

If you follow my Instagram or twitter, you would know that I constantly rave about Dalloway Terrace. It is one of my most favourite brunch spots in London so when we went there for tea, I knew it would be lovely.

Dalloway Terrace is also one of the cheaper fancy Afternoon Tea spots in London. Usually when there is a glass of champagne involved, you could be looking at £60 pp. However, with £45pp*, you can have champagne afternoon tea at Dalloway Terrace. It is £35pp* for plain Afternoon Tea so as you can see, quite affordable. I love the al fresco ambiance as it changes with seasons and I’m obsessed with its tucked away location.

Address: 16-22 Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury WC1B 3NN

Bulgari Hotel

It was my sister in law’s wedding month and we wanted to do something special so of course, we decided on Afternoon Tea. With this bridal event, we had a specific date and time we had to book. Bulgari hotel was a random find and they had a fantastic deal for Champagne Afternoon Tea so we booked it! Who would have thought Bulgari Hotel was one of the Afternoon Tea spots in London?

This was very different from the other afternoon teas I had been to. It was served in the lounge, which is an extension of the lobby so there is no privacy. It was ok for us because it was a girl’s group but I can imagine it would be quite annoying if it were a date. This is one I most likely won’t recommend, as the entire setting was just bizarre to me. It is £40 pp* and Champagne Afternoon Tea in £49 pp*

Address: 71 Knightsbridge, SW7 1DW

Corinthia Hotel

When Mr E and I booked a spa experience here, imagine our excitement when we found out Afternoon Tea was part of one of the packages. As we were in our bathrobes, we ended up having our champagne tea date in one of the spa rooms. However I noticed that they had a salon-lounge area for afternoon tea for guests who were there solely for that.

It is served in the Crystal Moon Lounge where the most beautiful chandelier hangs. The ambiance just feels so luxurious and fancy and you can understand why it is pricey AF! Our sandwiches were yummy, staff was fantastic and champagne was Perrier-Jouet.

Classic Afternoon Tea is £60 pp* and Champagne Afternoon Tea is £70 pp*

Address: 10 Whitehall Place, Westminster SW1A 2BD

Waldorf Hilton

Fun fact: This was my first Afternoon Tea after I moved to London in 2014. I had started to use the Book-a-table website to find restaurants in London and saw an Afternoon Tea deal at the Waldorf. So I booked it knowing it would be a fun experience.

Mr E and I went on a Sunday afternoon and it was such a sweet afternoon date. There was a pianist playing, ambiance was grown up and the food was really good. We both had a glass of prosecco each and I remember that we had a free top up which was a nice gesture. Afternoon Tea is £33.50 pp* from Monday to Thursday and £39.50 pp* from Friday to Sunday. Champagne Afternoon Tea is £56.50 pp* from Monday to Thursday and £62.50 pp* from Friday to Sunday.

Address: Aldwych, West End WC2B 4DD

Fortnum & Mason

I always say that if there is one place to have Afternoon Tea in London, it is none other than Fortnum and Mason. Fortnums is famous for being Her Majesty the Queen’s grocers so you can imagine they would have the best scones ever. It is such a grand experience filled with luxury and great vibes. Afternoon Tea is served in the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon on the 4th floor of the Fortnum and Mason building.

Classic Afternoon Tea is £60 pp*, High Tea is £62 pp* and Champagne Afternoon Tea is £74.95 pp*. Yes, yes, yes, it is uber pricey but did you read where I mentioned Queen’s grocers? Did you? Ok.

Address: 181 Piccadilly, St. James’s W1A 1ER

The Wolseley

Oh I loved this one so much. My sister was visiting London to shop for her wedding dress so guess what I did? You guessed right! I booked us Afternoon Tea at the Wolseley! The Wolseley is very popular for Afternoon Tea and is often fully booked. I remember I had to book well in advance for a weekend slot. It was such a lovely sister date and I always said I’d go back with Mr E. Now I’m not sure why I have not been back since.

Hmmmm this is a reminder to definitely book a tea date there once things open up again.

Classic Afternoon Tea is £29.75 pp* but if you are going a little fancy, Champagne Afternoon Tea is £40 pp*. Therefore, I would say it is quite reasonably priced.

Address: 160 Piccadilly, St. James’s W1J 9EB

Claridge’s

Claridge’s is one of those iconic London hotels that everyone wants to visit. If one is not thinking of staying over in one of the luxurious rooms, then Afternoon Tea might be a great choice. It comes with the same air of luxury and je ne sais quoi. Their Afternoon Tea is served in the stunning Foyer & Reading Room.

Claridge’s reception area is one of my favourites in London. It is so majestic and boujee. Once you step into the hotel, you already feel like you are in a very grand space. I highly recommend for the ambiance and the tastiest patisserie.

Traditional Afternoon Tea will cost you £61.25 pp* and £70 pp* for Champagne Afternoon Tea.

Address: Brook Street, Mayfair W1K 4HR

Related: Christmas at Claridge’s

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at Sanderson Hotel

Who does not like a themed tea date? Or even a themed anything? Mad Hatter’s Tea party was one that I always wanted to experience. I’m not sure where I had seen a photo but I knew that one day, I was going to have that quirky experience. It did not disappoint at all when we finally went. What I loved about it was how much effort they seemed to have put into all the Alice in Wonderland details. The tea flavours are Alice-inspired and the ambiance felt like an all round summer garden.

Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea is £48 pp* and for special packages, £58 pp*

Address: 50 Berners Street, Fitzrovia W1T 3NG

There you have it! The Afternoon Tea spots in London, which have remained in my memory. Pre-lockdown, I had a booking at the Ritz from Christmas afternoon tea with my girls and it was cancelled. I also had one booked at 100s Queen’s Gate with Mr E but again, it was cancelled. I have a feeling I would have enjoyed both and when I eventually go, I will be sure to let you know.

Therefore, until my next fancy afternoon tea or perhaps just a morning cuppa at home…

Bisous, ‘Bugo x

*prices as at February 2020.