Welcome to the land of finger sandwiches and scones
Scones with clotted cream and jam, crustless finger sandwiches, tea served in bone china… there are few things more quintessentially British than afternoon tea. London is full of places to tuck into tea and cakes, from the traditional teas at the city’s famous hotels to quirkier takes on the occasion. There’s even a whole week in August dedicated to afternoon tea.
If you need to fill the gap between lunch and dinner, you’ve got guests in town and you want to show off, or you’re looking to indulge in something a bit more unusual during Afternoon Tea Week, then these are the best afternoon teas in London to get stuck into.
David Bowie Afternoon Tea at Hotel Café Royal
Hotel Café Royal’s David Bowie Afternoon Tea is one of the most theatrical teas in town, and not just because there’s a Starman waiting on the scone – the plain and raisin scones come stamped with Bowie’s face. Served in the glorious Café Royal Grill, where a pianist plays Bowie songs as you work your way through a menu inspired by his many eras, it feels like a proper tribute rather than a gimmick. The savouries riff on his career with sandwiches like The Thin White Duke and The Berlin Years, while the sweets lean into the iconography too, from a lemon madeleine topped with Bowie’s signature lightning bolt to cakes nodding to his Tin Machine suit and Aladdin Sane jumpsuit. There’s even a Bowie Gin & Olive cocktail inspired by his favourite martini order, plus a tea selection that includes Japanese green tea in a nod to his tastes. And then there’s the room itself: all gilded grandeur, marble and old-school glamour dating back to 1865, Café Royal Grill is easily a contender for the most beautiful afternoon tea room in London – a fitting setting for a tea that celebrates one of Britain’s greatest ever stars.
10 Air St, London W1B 5AB
hotelcaferoyal.com
Four Seasons Hotel at Tower Bridge
The Four Seasons Hotel at Tower Bridge has introduced a new afternoon tea menu in collaboration with Lily Vanilli, a renowned baker celebrated for her vibrant and vintage cake designs. Lily is arguably the pioneer of the ruffle icing revolution, the hottest cake decoration style today. Lily’s menu offers a twist on the traditional afternoon tea, replacing boring mini sarnies with some of London’s trendiest bites. Diners can sample Spanish gildas (best paired with their Saltburn margarita), Parmesan gougères, crispy confit potatoes, and cheesy scones. No afternoon tea is complete without sweets and Lily’s serving up crème brûlée Basque cheesecake, a tiramisu tart, and traditional scones, alongside a miniature version of one of her vintage cakes. Adorable. A selection of herbal teas is available, but the highlight of the menu is the mini cocktail flight, crafted to complement each of sweets and savouries.
10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ
fourseasons.com
Rosewood London’s Mirror Room
The Rosewood has launched a brand new afternoon tea menu that’s almost too pretty to eat. Located within the hotel’s Mirror Room, the afternoon tea is inspired by the iconic work of Claude Monet. Executive Pastry Chef Mark Perkins has worked his magic to create a menu that nods to this throughout, going beyond the classic sandwiches and scones offering. Additions include savoury snacks such as lobster and prawn profiteroles, and warm lemon and vanilla madeleines with a jasmine tea cream for dipping. It’s the pastries, however, that are the real stars of the show. Each themed around Monet’s most famous works, ‘The Water Lily Pond’, ‘Impression Sunrise’ and ‘Woman with a Parasol’, the three cakes are picture-perfect. We’d recommend pairing this with the Rosewood Signature tea blend, referred to as the ‘Champagne of teas’, for the ultimate experience.
252 High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN
rosewoodhotels.com
The Lanesborough
The latest season of Bridgerton is here and so is the Bridgerton afternoon tea at The Lanesborough. Taking inspiration from this season’s storylines, Head Pastry Chef Pierre Morvan-Benezet has created special sweets for the tea, including The Lady in Silver and Benedict’s Masquerade, to go with scones, finger sandwiches and a Forbidden Love gin and basil cocktail.
Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA
oetkercollection.com
Ginza St James
With sushi omakase, teppanyaki and robata counters; a range of tasting menus; and a bar featuring a 70-strong collection of premium sake, Ginza St James has high-end Japanese food down. And this summer, Head Chef Alex Furusawa-Cadoni has added another dining experience to the restaurant’s offering by launching an afternoon tea. Forget the finger sandwiches and scones you’d find on a traditional afternoon tea, here it’s all about Japanese savouries and sweets, like mini okonomiyaki, sirloin tataki with ponzu, black cod croquette with yuzu mayo, wagyu menchi katsu, miso financier cake, strawberry sando, truffle chocolate, and matcha castella cake. A range of Japanese teas are included but you can upgrade your afternoon tea by adding on bubbles, sake and cocktails.
15 Bury St, London SW1Y 6AL
ginza-stjames.com
The Clink
Afternoon tea is back at The Clink, the restaurant inside HMP Brixton, where the food is prepared and served by the students training at the restaurant and at The Clink Bakery. The menu is pretty classic – scones, finger sandwiches and patisserie like blackcurrant & coconut bavarois, raspberry & ruby chocolate eclair and citrus meringue tart – but what sets this tea apart is the fact that by enjoying it, you’re helping someone working to rebuild their life.
Jebb Avenue, London SW2 5XF
theclinkcharity.org
NoMad
New to the luxury hotel in the heart of Covert Garden is this traditional afternoon tea with a NoMad twist. Head to the Grade II-listed building to enjoy the likes of egg salad with black truffle and chive; smoked salmon on an everything bagel; cucumber and herbed cream cheese; and a pastrami, daikon and mustard sandwich. On the sweeter ends of things, expect sacher-torte; scones; tropical cheesecake; lemon, vanilla & olive oil choux; and cassis & shisho tart. For drinks, there’ll of course be a selection of tea but you can also opt for a tea-inspired cocktail if you’re in the mood for something a bit stronger.
28 Bow Street, London WC2E 7AW
thenomadhotel.com
The Ritz
Afternoon tea doesn’t come more traditional than at The Ritz. Served in the opulent Palm Court, the tea features classic finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and pastries, with a trolley featuring larger cakes being wheeled through for you to sample slices of too. Get the Ritz Royal Blend Tea in your cups and your pinkies in the air.
150 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London W1J 9BR
theritzlondon.com
Palm Court at The Langham
The Palm Court was the first place to serve afternoon tea way back in 1865 so you can’t get much more classic than this. Chefs Michel Roux Jr and Andrew Gravett have kept things super traditional with smoked salmon, coronation chicken and cucumber & cream cheese finger sarnies, scones with seasonal preserves and pastries inspired by classic British biscuits like Digestives and Custard Creams.
1c Portland Place, Regent Street, London W1B 1JA
palm-court.co.uk
Sketch
Afternoon tea at Sketch is held in the Gallery where the pink decor and David Shrigley art has been replaced by a yellow colour scheme and works by Yinka Shonibare. The menu remains the same though so you can expect the likes of croque monsieur and coronation chicken finger sarnies, scones and sweet treats like apricot & lavender battenbergs, raspberry macarons and chocolate banoffee tarts. Don’t leave without snapping at least one selfie in the famous egg pod loos.
9 Conduit St, London W1S 2XG
sketch.london
