Afternoon Tea Week is swinging back around. Here are some of the finest options in London.
It’s afternoon tea week! If you didn’t know that the 9th-15th August is dedicated to this British pastime, now you do. You’re welcome. As if you need an excuse to down tea (or champagne) and scoff cake.
As the home of English tea and scones, it’s no surprise that afternoon tea in London is top tier. Here are the best spots that you shouldn’t miss this week.
The Best Spots for Afternoon Tea Week
A Parisian Affair at Mariage Frères
Covent Garden
For a classic experience with a French twist, indulging in afternoon tea at luxury tea company Mariage Frères is a must.
What’s most impressive about this afternoon tea is the sheer amount of choice. Decide between Parisian afternoon tea, featuring smoked salmon sandwiches infused with Paris Marais tea, or the black olive souffle that comes with Covent Garden tea.
With over 1000 different types of tea to accompany your sarnies and cakes, there’s something to suit everyone’s taste.
Price: Parisian Tea is £50 per person
Drake & Morgan x Sipsmith’s Gin-Based Tea
Various Locations
The pretty Drake & Morgan cocktail bars are putting the tea in a G&T in their afternoon tea experience with Sipsmith Gin.
Start off your high tea with a gin-infused hot chocolate, followed by a mini fish & chips and Brick Lane salt beef bagels. End your afternoon with a hot chocolate brownie and strawberries and cream. Delicious.
Gin-lovers, this one’s for you.
Price: £49.95 for two people
High Chai at Cinnamon Bazaar
Covent Garden
Bored of the usual afternoon tea fare? Head Chef Vivek Singh has created an exciting Indian take on afternoon tea at Cinnamon Bazaar.
Expect classics with an exotic twist – think spiced paneer rolls in place of finger sandwiches, chaat bites, and shrikhand cheesecake to finish the experience with something a little bit sweet.
Price: £27.50 per person
Sip Champagne at Searcys’ St Pancras Bar
St Pancras
Conveniently located in St Pancras, Searcys are bringing a decadent afternoon tea experience to the capital.
Perched at Europe’s longest champagne bar, you’ll be able to enjoy their Staycation Afternoon Tea: an array of savoury bakes, scones, and sweet treats, all washed down with a glass or two of Veuve Clicquot bubbly. Pure luxury.
Price: From £45 per person
Afternoon Tea with 360 Views at The Gherkin
City of London
Another Searcys offering can be found stories high at The Gherkin.
Enjoy a delicious selection of pastries as you overlook the stunning London skyline. Oh, and you’ll get to quaff unlimited Moët & Chandon as you marvel at the view.
Price: From £55 per person
Indulge in Ultra-Cool Afternoon Tea at SKETCH
Mayfair
For a completely surreal experience inside a pastel pink dream, head to SKETCH and try their totally wacky afternoon tea in London.
The menu manages to be totally unconventional and quintessentially British at the same time – foie gras tartelette, truffled eggs, and a rose and lychee macaroon all feature in the afternoon tea.
Top tip: make sure you head to the famous egg toilets while you’re there to snap a pic… yes, really.
Price: From £80 per person
Art-Inspired Afternoon Tea at Rosewood Hotel
Holborn
Inspired by David Hockney’s giant immersive exhibition at the Light Room, Executive Pastry Chef Mark Perkins has crafted a delicate Art Afternoon Tea experience at the Rosewood Hotel.
This is a pretty expensive afternoon tea at £125 per person, although the offerings are incredible. As you would expect with an art-inspired high tea, the treats are both a feast for the eyes and the belly, resembling flowers and featuring flavours like yuzu, raspberry, and coconut.
Price: £75 per person
The Orchid Lounge at the Pan Pacific
The City of London
Afternoon tea takes a twist for the Asian at the Pan Pacific’s ever-so-luxury Orchid Lounge. Singaporean dim sum bites like sui mai dumplings are served up alongside other goodies like lotus and sweet potato buns.
This can be washed down with some house cocktails including a very delicious sounding lemon and peach Lemon Drop, or if you fancy being a little more traditional a range of Rare Tea Company teas and a selection of English sparkling wine.
Price: £62 per person
The Intercontinental
If you really want to live Afternoon Tea Week up to the max you can’t do much better than to book yourself in for what they’ve got going on at The Intercontinental on ritzy Park Lane. It’s a location that really needs no introduction and they’ve got an afternoon tea as luxury as their reputation.
It features a tower of decadent hand-made cakes and scones. These come alongside savoury bites and a selection of over 20 teas to choose from.
As an added bonus, because the summer’s afternoon tea set is being done in partnership with Yardley, you’ll be leaving with a goodie bag of some very high-quality toiletries, soaps and the like.
Price: £62 per person
Flemings Mayfair
Mayfair
Another swanky London location that comes with oodles of class and bucket loads of charm is Flemings Mayfair. They’ll be celebrating Afternoon Tea Week in their elegant, Indian-inspired drawing room.
What they’re serving up is just as elegant as the surroundings you’ll find yourself in. Delicately prepared cakes of all varieties and macaroons that are so light they could almost float off the plate.
The place is something of a London institution. If you’re after a good bit of tradition with your afternoon tea, you’ll find it here.
Price £54 per person.
Afternoon Tea Week: Practical Information
- Many of the afternoon tea slots at these places will fill up quickly, so make sure to book ASAP. If you have any allergies or food preferences it’s worth mentioning these to the restaurant in advance too.
- Check exactly what your afternoon tea includes and whether it’s bottomless or not – nobody wants a nasty shock and extra charges on your bill.
