Always up for a part-tea, and the first ones to move oolong if we see there’s no afternoon tea on offer, we’re more than chuffed to round-up some of London’s latest on the afternoon tea front.
Whether you’re a jam on top of cream contester, or a fruity tea fanatic- or even if a sushi spider roll makes all your afternoon tea dreams come true – there’s something for everyone on this whacky, wonderful list of tea’s to treasure.
We promise good quali-tea…and maybe a few more puns if you’re lucky. For now though, move oolong, there’s nothing to tea here.
The Ampersand Hotel
Science and Cocktails
The Ampersand have just launched a grown-up version of their famous science afternoon tea. How? By adding alcohol to it (of course) in the form of a cocktail flight. Drinks include Darwin’s Draught made from Lalani & Co Early Grey infused Chase vodka, Kamm & Sons, cucumber, apple and ginger and the Marie Cure-All made from Lalani & Co Premium Genmaicha infused rum with Aperol, Antica Formula & Amer Picon. To eat you ‘ll find mini dinosaur biscuit fossils hidden beneath chocolate soil; milk chocolate spacemen and caramel, passion fruit planets.
Where: The Ampersand Hotel, 10 Harrington Road, London, SW7 3ER, United Kingdom
Nearest station: South Kensington (0.1 miles)
Website: www.ampersandhotel.com
45 Park Lane
CUTcakes & Tea’
45 Park Lane have recently launched their first ever American afternoon tea ‘CUTcakes & Tea’ which comes with an American craft beers menu. This is anything but dainty cucumber sandwiches and petit fours, instead its bold, brash American food served in style. The menu includes Cola cake with caramel corn; S’mores and black truffle grilled cheese. Rather than Earl Grey and Champagne, you’ll find house-made iced teas, special tea cocktails and an American craft beer menu.
Where: 45 Park Lane, Mayfair, W1K 1PN
Website: www.dorchestercollection.com
The Savoy
Keeping it Traditional
If you just want to keep things traditional, then you need to head to The Savoy. Already known as one of the places to go for afternoon tea, the latest incarnation is a classic afternoon tea. Served in the Thames Foyer, the tea includes the likes of: a Cornish strawberry tartlets, dark chocolate cake, peach macaroon and a choux pastry creation. They haven’t said what it is yet, but any creation made from pastry sounds like our sort of thing.
Where: The Savoy, Strand, London, United Kingdom
Nearest station: Holborn (0.3 miles)
Website: www.fairmont.com
Hide
Candy Floss and Wild Herbs at Hide
You can run, but you can’t hide from this extraordinarily obscure afternoon tea at Hide. The brainchild of Ollie Dabbous and Ground head chef Josh Angus the afternoon tea features white asparagus and truffle cream, smoked egg yolk, Lancashire bomber with russet apple and mead chutney sandwiches and candy floss with wild herbs. Suffice to say, if scones with jam and cream just aren’t cutting it anymore, here’s a sparky afternoon tea with a bit of edge.
Where: 85 Piccadilly, W1J 7NB
Website: www.hide.co.uk
Home House
Sugar Free
You might think the sound of a sugar-free afternoon defeats the purpose of the post 12 o’clock scone scoff, but we can affirm that taking away the sugar doesn’t take away from the flavour. Home House has launched this sugar-free afternoon tea to coincide with the publication of Baking Without Sugar by the club’s Executive Chef, Sophie Michell.
The limited edition treat features gluten-free finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, homemade raspberry sugar-free chia jam and sugar-free lemon curd.
Where: 20 Portman Square, W1H 6LW
Website: www.homehouse.co.uk
Ginza Onodera
Sushi Spider Rolls
Again, this afternoon tea from Japanese restaurant Ginza Onodera is proving that tradition is hanging by a thread on the current afternoon tea front. In a partnership with Tsujiri Matcha House, Ginza Onodera’s afternoon tea works on the traditions of a Japanese tea-party, feat. sweet and savoury petit fours, sushi (of course), and a series of Japanese small plates.
Why not indulge in a sushi spider roll to start with live tarantula’s and… OK, we’re joking they’re actually filled with deep fried soft shell crab, wasabi sauce and mini sliders of Wagyu beef, but that caught your attention right?
Where: 15 Bury Street, St. James's, SW1Y 6AL
Website: www.onodera-group.com
The Wolseley
Beloved Britain
We’re back to tradition now, and The Wolseley certainly know how to deliver a British afternoon tea. Does anything shout Union Jack much like Victoria sponge, Sherry trifles, strawberry tarts and fruitcakes? The answer is yes, scones do. There will be scones galore with homemade jam and clotted cream – try to avoid the ‘what goes first, jam or cream?’ debate and indulge in finger sandwiches too.
Where: 160 Piccadilly, St. James's, London W1J 9EB
InterContinental London Park Lane
High Coffee
We all love a first – first birthday, first love, first kiss, first car, first house. How about your first High Coffee though? InterContinental London Park Lane have introduced this unique taste sensation in addition to their lusted over afternoon tea.
Instead of wine pairings, this experience will see different blends of coffee – all high-grade, handcrafted, hand roasted, wood fired – hand selected to match each chapter of the tea. What’s more, you can get your caffeine fix amongst the serene settings of Wellington Lounge.
Where: One Hamilton Place, Park Lane, London, W1J 7QY, United Kingdom
Nearest station: Hyde Park Corner (0.2 miles)
Website: www.parklane.intercontinental.com
The Chesterfield Mayfair
The Original Sweet Shop
We’re assuming if you’re indulging in an afternoon tea that you already have a bit of a sweet tooth in the first place? How about then, an Original Sweet Shop Afternoon Tea at The Chesterfield, Mayfair?
In true stripy red and white sweet shop style, the afternoon tea will feature homemade sandwiches, freshly baked home-made chocolate chip and fruit scones, and (the icing on the cake) pastries and cupcakes in the form of coca-cola slices and liquorice allsorts lemon cheesecake. To wash down the sweet taste of, well, all things sweet, will be a brimming selection of loose teas, flowering teas, coffee or hot choc.
So, if you’re main-dessert, not starter-main type of person, this one is certainly for you.
Where: The Chesterfield, Charles Street, London, UK
Nearest station: Green Park (0.3 miles)
Website: www.chesterfieldmayfair.com
Club Gascon
Ooo La La
The French are renowned for their expertise on the pastry front, so it’s only fair that the quintessentially British afternoon tea is given a French twist, just to test the waters…
Michelin-starred Club Gascon are the ideal candidates to put on such a display, with their new afternoon tea that pays homage to its Grade II listed location and historic Smithfield location. The afternoon tea, created by Executive Head Chef Pascal Aussignac includes dishes crunchy grapes, truffled foie gras soldiers and truffled slow cooked egg, while sweet treats include Gascon mess, Bordeaux canelé, white sugar cane and cheese pebble and matcha tea crunch.
Where: 57 West Smithfield, London EC1A 9DS
Website: www.clubgascon.com
Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square
Heritage at the Helm
One for those who like to travel outside the lines a little when it comes to teas. Rotunda at Four Seasons Hotel welcomes guests to go back to their roots for a Heritage Afternoon Tea that embraces the building’s past and connections between east and west.
The afternoon tea will be brimming with brews from Darjeeling from Makaibari to Earl Greys from Satemwa Estate in the Highlands of Malawi. Or if you like your tea with a kick, champagne on offer will include Delamotte Brut, Charles Heidsieck and AR Lenoble Rosé.
The aim is to reflect the neoclassical through the tea, with handcrafted bone china.
Where: Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square, Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ, United Kingdom
Nearest station: Tower Hill (0.1 miles)
Website: www.fourseasons.com
Haymarket Hotel
Fancy Going on a Bear Hunt?
A grizzly afternoon tea with a touch of bear – this afternoon tea sure is defying the norm! In celebration of of the hit production We’re Going on a Bear Hunt at the Lyric Theatre, Haymarket Hotel are giving us the gift of paw print cookies, Bear Hunt vanilla cupcakes, ham and cheese ‘bear’ sandwiches, marshmallow lollipops, and more in their Bear Hunt Afternoon tea.
The show the tea centres around follows a family and their dog as their wade through swishy swashy grass on an adventure – but fear not, you don’t have to do this at the afternoon tea, but there will be catchy songs, interactive scenes and adventure (so a little bit of work to earn the treats)!
This tea is far from unBEARable…
Where: 1 Suffolk Place, London, SW1Y 4BP, United Kingdom
Nearest station: Piccadilly Circus (0.2 miles)
Website: www.firmdalehotels.com
Aqua Shard
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
If you don’t love Mary Poppins then you must never have seen the Julie Andrews classic, because it really is oh so supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (still not really sure what that word means, but we know it’s something good!). Aqua Shard’s Mary Poppins themed afternoon tea is something we’re terribly excited for, after all, a spoonful of medicine does help the medicine go down, the medicine go do-wn, the medicine go down – you get the gist.
The menu coincides with the re-release of the classic books from Harper Collins, and will feature British favourites including homemade scones, an array of sweet treats such as ‘Strike Me Pink Sponge’, raspberry flavoured, popping candy fairground candy floss and much, much more.
Where: Level 31, The Shard, 31 St Thomas Street, London, SE1 9RY, United Kingdom
Nearest station: London Bridge (0.1 miles)
Website: www.aquashard.co.uk
Bluebird Café White City
A Paw-fect Afternoon
It’s White City’s new hot-spot and, it seems, not only people are wanting to grab a bite to eat at Bluebird Café. That’s right, pooches listen up! A special afternoon tea is running every Sunday from 22nd of July, with the mantra that a ‘pup’ of tea is just what Londoners need at the helm.
Guests and their dogs are invited to the cafe’s collab with PetsPyjamas to enjoy a variety of dog (and human) treats. Vegan dog cookies will be on offer, made with banana and vegan peanut butter and Lily’s Kitchen will provide vegan treats that will be served in luxe dog bowls. As the sis of the renowned Bluebird, Chelsea, there’s no doubt human food will also be top notch. On offer? A three tiered selection of jam and cream fruit scones, chocolate Swiss roll, carrot and citrus cupcakes, cucumber and smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches.
The cutest part of all, that has made our cheeks hurt from smiling? Your furry pals will receive a complimentary goodie bag (or doggy bag in this case!). Even if you’re a cat person, the image of a pup with a goodie bag is sure to be a bit of a heart melter.
Where: 101 Wood Lane, London, UK
Nearest station: White City (0.1 miles)
Website: www.bluebirdcafe.co.uk
The Wellesley
Did Someone Say Unlimited Pimms?
When someone says unlimited Pimms, you don’t shirk away, you embrace it. After all, it’s Pimms o’clock somewhere, right?
The Wellesley in Knightsbridge have launched their Pa-tea-sserie afternoon tea (we see what they did there) centring around all things tea and pastries. Some of the offerings include a tartlet filled with diced apple and passionfruit jam, topped with a chocolate disk and covered in a ganache dome which is infused with the Churchill Blend adding a subtle aftertaste of amaretto. As well as macarons that use notes from the Wellesley Blend to create that Oh so lovely rose scent.
Now, to rustle things up, they’ve also added unlimited Pimm’s to the mix. I mean, Wimbledon may have finished, but the free pouring of Pimms most certainly hasn’t.
Where: 11 Knightsbridge, London, England, SW1X 7LY
Website: www.thewellesley.co.uk
