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Looking for an indulgent staycation? Check out London's best hotels serving afternoon tea
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Looking for an indulgent staycation? Check out London's best hotels serving afternoon tea
Afternoon tea is a British tradition that, in our opinion, is best experienced at a hotel. There's nothing better than putting on a fancy dress and having a relaxing afternoon of dainty sandwiches, manners and linen.
That's exactly why we've rounded up the very best hotel afternoon teas in London for you to soak up the decadence of the quintessential British institution during a staycation at the capital's most desirable hotels.
Of course, afternoon tea wasn't always the luxurious affair it is today: the Victorian ritual started as a modest 'at home' or 'simple tea' menu. It was introduced in the 1800s by the Duchess of Bedford, who described a "sinking feeling" between lunch and dinner, and requested tea, bread and butter and cake be brought to her room. It was then that the afternoon ritual was born.
These days, hotels are pulling out all the stops to impress guests with creative and themed menus - many that could easily be mistaken for art.
At The Kensington, for example, you can tuck into a London landmark-themed afternoon tea featuring The Shard made of carrot cake and milk chocolate and an iconic London telephone box imagined in rhubarb mousse.
Meanwhile, one of our all-time favourite hotel afternoon teas has to be at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, where the sandwiches are beautifully presented like sushi on a mandarin tree, the scones come freshly baked with a selection of jams (you must try the rose petal jelly) and you can sit back as you soak up the elegant backdrop of the Rosebery dining space.
Then there are the hotels that stick to classic finger sandwich fillings, warm scones with clotted cream and home-baked-style cakes.
Have a browse of the best hotel afternoon teas in London for 2021...
The Kensington - 2/10
1) Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Knightsbridge
Arguably London's best hotel afternoon tea, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park's marvellous experience takes place in the impossibly-chic Rosebery, a backdrop that oozes elegance and glamour, which dates to the 1920s when the stylish tea room was frequented by the prime minister. The afternoon tea reflects the hotel group's oriental heritage too, with delectable sandwiches that resemble sushi. There's smoked and nori poached salmon, braised black leg chicken and Cotswold egg and black truffle among the impressive fillings.
The sandwiches are served alongside warm scones on a metal mandarin tree, again as a reminder of the hotel group's origins. Devonshire clotted cream and three different jam flavours, including rose petal jelly, accompany the scones, while the pastries are almost too pretty to eat. There's the white chocolate and coconut biscuit, a mocha and tonka mille-feuille, with dark chocolate too, and a jaffa orange Batttnegery cake.
The tea list is as extensive as you'd imagine and the tea is brought to you brewed to perfection. Earl Grey, genmaicha, White Peony – you name it, the Rosebery's tea menu has it. The highlight of afternoon tea at the Mandarin Oriental is the impeccable service for which it is renowned. The staff here will go above and beyond, bringing out plates of sandwiches until you ask them to stop, and recommending the variety of teas you should taste throughout. It's one hotel afternoon tea worth returning for.
During the summer, you can also make the most of the sunshine and the hotel's incredible location next to Hyde Park by enjoying an afternoon tea picnic. You'll receive your afternoon tea in a hamper with a picnic blanket to make it an alfresco affair.
Price: From £75 per person
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park - 3/10
2)
Pan Pacific London - 4/10
3) Melia London Kensington, Kensington
The Natural History Museum-inspired afternoon tea at Melia London Kensington’s SW7 Brasserie is a celebration of one of the capital's best-loved historical institutions. Here, you can tuck into elaborately crafted treats, including a blue whale’s Tail constructed from brownie, apricot and black sesame, as well as a yuzu and bergamot tart resembling a dinosaur egg and a matcha and raspberry butterfly.
There's also a choux-style black forest owl and passion fruit and Thai basil-flavoured ammonite, along with afternoon tea classics such as mini sandwiches filled with salmon and cream cheese, and plain and raisin scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Tea and a glass of Chapel Down English sparkling wine are also served with the tea.
Price: £29 per person
Melia London Kensington a Melia Collection Hotel - 5/10
4) Four Seasons Hotel London at Trinity Square, City of London
Looking for a royal-inspired hotel afternoon tea? The Crown Jewel Afternoon Tea at Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square takes inspiration from the treasures stored in the nearby Tower of London. Its selection of pastries are named Ruby, Coin, Pearl and Crown, which is made with peach, verbena and yuzu, inspired by St Edward's Crown.
It's not all about the edible treats here as the setting is just as memorable. Guests take afternoon tea in an elegant space underneath a beautiful domed ceiling. As you tuck into mini savoury and sweet delights, you can sip on one ofnine different champagnes.
Price: From £40 per person
Four Seasons Hotel London at Trinity Square - 6/10
5) Rosewood London,
Inspired by Yayoi Kusama's sold out exhibition at the Tate Modern - Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirror Rooms - Rosewood London’s very own Mirror Room is offering a range of pastry delights reflecting Kusama's artworks in its Kusama Art Afternoon Tea.
Executive Pastry Chef Mark Perkins, who is known for his portfolio of show-stopping Art Afternoon Teas (you might remember the one featuring a dessert inspired by Banksy), welcomes you to experience this new menu comprising three courses: traditional sandwiches, classic pastries, followed by Kusama-inspired cakes. Expect sandwiched filled with chicken teriyaki and spring onion, and smoked salmon with wasabi cream, as well as pastries including All My Love For Tulips.
Price: From £65 per person
Patricia Niven - 7/10
6) Brown's Hotel, Mayfair
For the daintiest of pastries, neatly crimped sandwiches and pillowy scones stuffed with fresh cream and jam, look no further than Mayfair institution Brown's Hotel. With its original wood panelling, striking contemporary artworks and genteel ambience, the luxury hotel's Drawing Room is a place to soak up quintessentially English sensibilities and modern sophistication as you tuck into its delicate hotel afternoon tea offering.
There are various afternoon tea menus, including traditional afternoon tea, rose champagne afternoon tea, plant-based afternoon tea and Wimbledon afternoon tea for summer.
Price: From £55 per person
Brown's Hotel - 8/10
7) The Dilly, Piccadilly
Perfect if you're travelling as a family, The Dilly's Official Peter Rabbit Afternoon Tea takes place in the hotel's light-filled Terrace and delights guests, both big and small, with its themed treats including the Flower-Pot Hideout, an edible chocolate pot with chamomile mousse, blackberry, chocolate ‘mud’ and sponge cake and the Magnificent Mushroom, a strawberry ganache in the shape of a toadstool with a crunchy meringue stem.
The themed afternoon tea brings to life the classic story by London author Beatrix Potter. It's a wonderful way to experience the quaint British tradition with a twist as you take in the views across Piccadilly. A vegetarian and fully vegan afternoon tea are also available on request.
Price: £39 per person
Jonathan Stewart - 9/10
8) The Kensington, South Kensington
Celebrating the best of the capital, The Kensington's London Landmarks Afternoon Tea takes in inspiration from London’s most recognisable and historic sites. For this hotel afternoon tea, you'll go on a gourmet tour of London's architectural feats from the opulent surroundings of the Drawing Room, complete with open log fires and sumptuous seating.
The afternoon tea is presented on a London Eye-inspired tea stand, served with a map of London illustrated by Eleni Sofroniou. Starting with a skyline of scones and sandwiches, you can then enjoy cockney staple Steak & London Ale Pie and a Colston Bassett Stilton & Broccoli Quiche. For dessert, 'The Gherkin' is crafted from white chocolate and dark chocolate ganache and 'The Shard' is made of carrot cake and milk chocolate.
Price: From £42 per person
The Kensington - 10/10
9) The Goring, Belgravia
As the holder of The British Tea Guild Council’s Top London Afternoon Tea Award and The Award of Excellence, The Goring has an afternoon tea you simply must experience. At the grand five-star hotel, you can expect impeccable manners and a subtle streak of wit and wonder as you take a seat in the luxurious Veranda.
The ever-changing menu includes delicious pastries, fruity homemade jams, melt-in-the-mouth sandwiches and high quality tea blends that showcase seasonal ingredients. This summer, The Goring is serving an exclusive pony-themed afternoon tea to celebrate the arrival of their pony is residence, Teddy the Shetland, with the cakes resembling the shapes of ponies and horseshoes, Teddy’s favourite carrot cake and Polo mint-infused scones.
Price: From £50
David Cotsworth
