Next up are wedges of flaky, buttery sausage rolls and a creamy truffled-egg and watercress brioche bun not for the faint hearted, but worth every bite. Served in The Game Bird, a room that marries duck-egg walls with shiny, plush velvet sofas and where gilded columns complement the grand bouquets of yellow flowers. Around you are thirtysomething couples sharing bottles of ros, media types getting creative over cappuccinos, and groups of friends pondering another round of G&Ts. When: Mondays Sundays.
Price:90. Dive head-first into your own mini-mystery as you enjoy freshly made savoury delights and sweet treats in this Sherlock Holmes-inspired hideaway in West London! There is something deliciously opulent about going to The Wolseley in the middle of the day. The desserts are just as decadent with the star of the show (the cassis and hibiscus macaroon) replenished many times before we were ready to move on. Price:Starts at 52 per person. Since its major revamp in the 1990s, the entire quadrangle has been covered with an undulating glass roof and the round space inside now contains the museum shop. Reservations: Book here. But you wont find its breakfast blend on the menu here; instead, opt for the Royal Exchange, a light Sri Lankan and Kenyan loose-leaf tea that represents this cool new base, or better yet Champagne. Where: 51 Buckingham Gate, Westminster, SW1E 6AF. Emma Russell, Address: Sexy Fish, Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London W1J 6BRWebsite: sexyfish.comPrice: 58 per person; from 70 with a glass of Champagne. Reservations:Book here. The six-month revolving menu inevitably ends up as a greatest hits of the latest fashion trends, featuring accessories or motifs from all the top designers Gucci, Balenciaga, Chanel and Schiaparelli served in delicious and dainty edible treats. The food itself is an unusual offering, but delicious nonetheless. And what makes the place extra special is its private garden out back almost unheard of in central London where you can enjoy your tea in good weather before working it off with a game of croquet. The cake carriage is a feast for the eyes, with mini chocolate-mousse tarts and melt-in-your-mouth salted-caramel choux pastries. Where: One Aldwych, Covent Garden, WC2B 4BZ. The staff are dressed to impress in their suited uniform, which makes it feel as if youve stepped into a Fifties, diner-style coffee bar.
Theyre decadent without leaving you feeling like youve overdone it on the sugar. Finger sandwiches make a welcome savoury intervention from the sweet treats. Reservations: Book here. Take a trip to the enchanting world of Neverland and enjoy panoramic views of the London skyline while you nibble on sweet and savoury treats served on a tea-stand resembling Captain Hooks infamous ship. In the first act, sandwiches with fillings such as chicken with ginger, lime, garlic, mayonnaise and shallots or poached wild salmon with heritage tomatoes tread the boards on meticulously cut rectangles of white, multigrain and wholemeal bread. Address: Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, London W1Website: fortnumandmason.comPrice: Fortnum's Afternoon Tea 52.50 (56.50 with Rare Tea). Katharina Hahn, Address: Roast, The Floral Hall, Borough Market, Stoney Street, London SE1 1TLWebsite: roast-restaurant.comPrice: 25 per person; 30 with a glass of Champagne, Best for: affordable treats inside a breathtaking British institution. Beautifully decorated and delicate sweets, that you are advised to eat in a certain order, sit pretty at the top of the tea stand: first the saffron custard tart with Campari poached rhubarb, followed by the lighter carrot cake with tarragon and cream cheese mousse; on to the scene-stealing bunnies: white chocolate, lemon and thyme cream cakes perched on pistachio (or nibbling grass), concluded by the intensely rich, dark chocolate, cherry and sage chocolate brownie. Our top 15 destinations, FREE delivery+FREE digitaleditionswith INSTANT ACCESS to the current issueORDER NOW >>, Afternoon tea at Dalloway Terrace, The Bloomsbury Hotel, Afternoon tea at St James's Hotel & Club 1840, Afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason at the Royal Exchange, Afternoon tea at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Afternoon tea at Petersham Nurseries, Richmond, Afternoon tea at Brasserie of Light, Selfridges, Afternoon tea at The Petersham, Covent Garden, Afternoon tea at Great Court Restaurant, British Museum, Afternoon tea at Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard. When: Saturdays and Sundays. There are also plenty of herbal infusions for those looking for an option without caffeine. Pre-book your afternoon tea to guarantee seating in the hushed, old-school gilded dining room, decked out with thick gold curtains, whimsical tree-like Swarovski chandeliers and a roaring fire in the winter. The Berekleys afternoon tea offering gets the award for the most fashionable in London. But onto the good stuff: the highlight was the freshly-baked scones, plain, and raisin, with stick-to-your-spoon clotted cream and Marco Polo jam. Its a dramatic affair that suits this swanky institution, where over-the-top chinoiserie is combined with ocean-inspired art by Damien Hirst and Frank Gehry. From scones and cups of tea to egg and cress sarnies and bubbly, we like to think weve got the whole afternoon tea thing down in our beloved capital city. The menu has been re-imagined by Bloomsbury Hotel head pastry chef and Afternoon Tea of the Year Finalist Chris Dodd to include local, foraged and handmade produce, resulting in a special new herbal afternoon tea. Its fed A-listers (Rita Ora, George Clooney), fashion icons (Erin OConnor, Jourdan Dunn) and royalty (Meghan Markles known to be a fan). Price: The tea costs 42 per person or 54.50 with a glass of champagne. Every couple of months, the terrace at The Bloomsbury Hotel gets a revamp to fit in with the changing seasons, switching from a cosy space in autumn and winter to a light and elegant spot in the warmer months. Four types of bladed sandwiches arrived (our favourites were samphire and smoked salmon, and cucumber, chamomile and buttermilk); once we'd polished those off, more appeared. A champagne afternoon tea at The Wolseley is exactly what we need to celebrate making it through this past year. Add a glass of Champagne or one of the bespoke and rather decadent-for-daytime spring-fresh cocktails such as the Islay Martini, a mix of The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, citrus Oleo-Saccharum and rosemary oil, and you might just convince yourself your next stop is a tea party in a dreamy, butterfly-bedecked English country garden somewhere. Its an institution about as British as it gets. A trip to London often includes browsing Selfridges, which is why its Brasserie of Light restaurant is such a popular weekend afternoon destination. Chinese restaurant Ting Lounge is part of the Shangri-La hotel, which occupies floors 34-52 of The Shard - now Europe's tallest building. Afternoon teas dont get much better than this.
Not only is the Royal Albert Hall one of the worlds most famous performance venues; its also one of the UKs most treasured buildings and a thoroughly British institution. Green Park is just a scone's throw away - but if you have time, seek out the statue of Beau Brummel on Jermyn Street and spare a thought for the great Georgian dandy, who passed away in 1840 and was therefore unlikely to have eaten many Victorian sponges.
Sign up to our newsletter for the latest and greatest from your city. Address: The Goring Hotel, 15 Beeston Place, London, SW1W 0JWWebsite: thegoring.comPrice: From 50 per person; from 62 with a glass of Bollinger. With this experience which is fit for a Royal we might add youll get to enjoy bottomless champagne and tea while overlooking the Royal Mews of Buckingham Palace.
As the matre d' explained with a smile and a sweep of his arm, There is a theatre to it! Olivia Holborow, Address: Oblix West, The Shard, 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9RYWebsite: the-shard.comPrice: 42 per person, The best afternoon tea in London: Our favourites to book now, Looking for the best afternoon tea in London? Cut each one in half and lather on the clotted cream before always before the fresh raspberry jam. Sandwiches are classic picnic favourites (coronation chicken, cucumber) and the patisserie stand displays the handiwork of pastry chef Nicolas Rouzaud, highlights of which include an irresistible chocolate fondue with seasonal fruit and a bite-sized pavlova. And noise. Cranberry-stuffed scones are served with clotted cream and bay-leaf-seasoned jam, as well as a sticky cube of fresh honeycomb from Harrow bees. So, whether youre after a quirky afternoon tea, a casual affair, or a flamboyantly fancy day out, theres something here for everyone. The finale is a trio of patisserie cakes: a tangy red-velvet cube with cream-cheese layers, topped with a cherry-powder crumb and transparent droplets that could be mistaken for pomegranate seeds; a vanilla-cheesecake sphere in smooth white-chocolate casing that sits atop a delicate, buttery biscuit; and a choux bun filled with vanilla cream and adorned with pastel-pink icing and a rose petal. Afternoon tea is held in the theatres spectacular newly-refurbished Grand Saloon which boasts sparkling chandeliers, ornate ceilings and neoclassical columns surrounded by pastel panelled walls. Where:The Shard, 31 St Thomas Street, London, SE1 9RY
Address: The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TAPrice: 65 per personWebsite: oetkercollection.com. It remains a traditional affair and, located on the fourth floor of the iconic Fortnum & Mason shop (where London afternoon teas have been served for almost 100 years), it's a delightful place to while away an afternoon. Reservations: Book here. Choose from a traditional menu, as well as a vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and childrens version. An obligatory cucumber sandwich is livened up with dill and zingy whipped goats curd, but the real savoury highlights are a buttery croissant stuffed with smoked salmon and creamy horseradish and a wafer-thin crostini piled high with beef tartare and pickled beetroot. Scones served with clotted cream and homemade jams are delivered straight from the oven, soft and warm. Reservations: Book here. The freshly baked scones, plain and raisin, are fluffy with just a slight crunch on the outside. Each season, Head Pastry Chef Mourad Khia, has the dream job of taking inspiration from the latest runway shows and recreating them in sweet form. Queen Victoria had the red-and-gold domed auditorium built as an extravagant tribute to her husband Prince Albert, and in its almost 150-year history it has hosted some of the countrys most important cultural events, and both rock and real royalty.