AFTERNOON TEA
Some of London’s finest hotels have been perfecting the art of afternoon tea for well over a century, while the city’s modern establishments have learnt from the best. So whether you want a classic experience, or a contemporary take on tradition, these destinations should fit the bill.
BEA’S OF BLOOMSBURY
The original Bea’s (in, yes, Bloomsbury) describes its afternoon tea as ‘no frills’, though ‘laid-back’ might be a better label. It’s a description that could extend to the space itself, which is informal at the Bloomsbury branch, and only marginally more refined in the Farringdon and St Paul’s offshoots. But Bea’s is all about the very modestly priced cake stand, which comes stacked with scones, cupcakes, brownies, meringues and rustic sandwiches. Book ahead, as the place gets busy at weekends, and if you can, ask to sit near the front of the café to avoid the bustle of the open kitchen at the back. Without a booking, you can pop in for freshly baked sweets, from a morsel of marshmallow to a wedding-worthy layer cake.
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44 Theobald’s Road, WC1X 8NW.
020 7242 8330
Chancery Lane or Holborn tube.
BRANCHES: Farringdon EC1M 6BY; St Paul’s EC4M 9BX.
SAVOY
The stunning experience (and rather hefty bill) means afternoon tea at the Savoy is for most a once-in-a-lifetime treat. But it’s the Savoy, the most famous hotel in the world, a self-contained belle epoque world of limitless luxury: of course it’s going to be breathtaking. Tea is served in the Thames Foyer, which following the hotel’s £220 million refurb (really) is a pillared and chandeliered fantasy of gold and contentment. In a central birdcage-like structure, a pianist provides lustrous American jazz (with the odd cheeky pop cover woven in); the menu is fairly traditional, with finger sandwiches (cucumber and mint, Scottish salmon, Wiltshire ham), bijou cakes, pastries and fluffy scones. It probably doesn’t need to be pointed out that champagne is a speciality here, and practically compulsory.
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100 Strand, WC2R 0EW.
020 7420 2111
Charing Cross or Covent Garden tube.
CORINTHIA HOTEL
The Corinthia may not have the decades of tradition that many other London five-stars flaunt so proudly, but it’s no less indulgent, flawlessly serving tradition in a contemporary environment. With what must be one of the capital’s most grand and sparkly chandeliers at its centre, the bustling lobby lounge is where it all happens – or if the sun’s shining you can sit in the peaceful courtyard. The list of refreshments is extensive and includes Ceylon Orange Pekoe and 1885 Afternoon Blend, all served in gilt-edged china; helpfully, a ‘tea sommelier’ is on hand to help pick your tea, so to speak. Cakes are ‘seasonally inspired’, which means that as well as flawless scones, you might see plum amaretto tart, or orange blossom choux with macerated kumquat. Spoilt for choice? Leftovers can be discreetly packaged to take away.
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Whitehall Place, SW1A 2BD.
020 7321 3150
Embankment tube.
BROWN’S
This ultra-luxurious hotel situated in the swankiest location on the Monopoly board offers unfettered indulgence from the moment you step past the be-hatted doormen and marble pillars of the entrance. Despite dating to 1837, Brown’s is not suspended in time: in The English Tea Room, antique furniture is stylishly counterpointed by modern art, while the menu runs the gamut from traditional to playful. Its changing themed afternoon teas have ranged from a murder mystery special (in honour of Agatha Christie, once a regular guest) to one with a Christmas twist (complete with a carol-playing pianist). Whether classic or unusual, the cake stand delivers a sophisticated assortment of sandwiches, golden lacquered scones and intricate pâtisserie, plus slices of cake served from a trolley, complemented by 17 teas from the Brown’s leaf library.
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33 Albermarle Street, W1S 4BP.
020 7518 4155
Green Park tube.
FORTNUM & MASON
Official grocer to the royal household, and with a history of flogging fancy foodstuffs stretching all the way back to 1707, Fortnum & Mason knows how to lay on a decent spread. Take the wood-panelled elevator up to the department store’s fourth floor where the doors open out on to the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon with its crisp white linen tablecloths, eau de nil china and tinky-tonky piano music. Immaculately turned-out staff go to and fro with cake stands full of cucumber sandwiches, scones and exquisitely executed pâtisserie. They also visit each table with the ‘cake carriage’ – a heavenly tray packed with tarts, cakes, éclairs and fancies – while specialist ‘tearistas’ will talk you through some 150 single-estate teas and blends from across the globe. Unsurprisingly, booking ahead is advised.
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181 Piccadilly, W1A 1ER.
020 7734 8040
Piccadilly Circus or Green Park tube.
THE LANESBOROUGH
Having undergone an elaborate, two-and-a-half-year refurbishment – which didn’t overlook a single gilded cushion, marble pillar or filigreed panel – this London institution stands proud beside the tourist nexus of Hyde Park Corner and Knightsbridge. There are few hotel entrances as grand as that of The Lanesborough, from the top-hatted doormen to the Regency stylings of the lobby leading to the Céleste, the glass-roofed restaurant, which is bedecked in sky blue and gold with cornicing and chandeliers the size of tractor tyres. The afternoon tea menu features gluten- and dairy-free options (these need to be booked in advance), as well as the ‘prestige’, which for a little extra money gets you truffle on your egg sandwich, caviar on your salmon and a glass of champagne alongside your tea.
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Hyde Park Corner, SW1X 7TA.
020 7259 5599
Hyde Park Corner tube.
CLARIDGE’S
This grande dame of London’s luxury hotel scene is well practised in the finer details. Afternoon tea takes place in the serene, art deco surrounds of the bloom-filled Foyer, whose thick-pile carpets and high ceiling absorb any noise (apart from the pleasant piano). The goodies arrive beautifully presented on a silver stand (exquisite sandwiches, fresh scones, and, of course, fanciful pastries such as a picture-perfect éclair filled with strawberry-and-peach crème pâtissière), while discreet staff are always one step ahead of your needs. There’s even a kids’ afternoon tea, with dainty fairy cakes and a menu which doubles up as a colouring book. The seamless set-up has been honed during Claridge’s 150-year reign, which is just as well given the eye-watering (though justified) price.
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49 Brook Street, W1K 4HR.
020 7629 8860
Bond Street tube.
THE GORING
It’s no wonder this historic hotel, a rock-cake’s-throw from Buck Palace, has the royal seal of approval: the whole place makes you feel like a monarch even if you’ve just stepped off the 73 bus from Stoke Newington. The Goring is less flashy than some of its five-star cousins across the city, making afternoon tea here a calming and pleasantly old-fashioned experience. It is taken either in the sunshine-yellow conservatory, with its grand oil paintings and sky-high windows overlooking the veranda, or the cosy adjoining lounge. There’s nothing on the menu to offend the conservative – cucumber sandwiches, scones, pastries – but it’s all impeccably done, and the tea list offers everything from lapsang souchong to a fragrant rosebud infusion. Bubbles come in the form of Bollinger: if it’s good enough for the Windsors, it’s good enough for us.
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Beeston Place, SW1W 0JW.
020 7396 9000
Victoria tube.
SKETCH
It’s rare to find a restaurant where the toilets are more famous than the food, but this Mayfair venue has plenty to offer besides its futuristic all-white, egg-shaped cubicles in which an ambient nature soundtrack plays. The tea itself is thoroughly good fun. All the classic elements have been given a Sketch twist: the bone china is decorated with playful illustrations by David Shrigley; a finger sandwich comes topped with caviar and a perfect disc of quail egg; and Converse-sporting staff are dressed in utilitarian ensembles designed by Richard Nicoll. It’s all terribly cool. The icing on the cake? It’s the Gallery dining space with its plush pink booths and a domed ceiling which will make you feel like you’re dining inside a giant fondant fancy.
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9 Conduit Street, W1S 2XG.
020 7659 4500
Oxford Circus tube.
BAKE-A-BOO
This unashamedly pink and chintzy tea room is a place of pilgrimage for those who love cakes but can’t stomach gluten, dairy, eggs or sugar. It has an extensive selection of bakes so good you won’t notice they’re lacking a few traditional (apparently non-essential) ingredients. Highlights of the afternoon tea include vegan scones with coconut cream and perfectly crumbly shortbread. There may be more luxurious afternoon teas in London for the non-allergic (see The Lanesborough), but at under £20 per person this is not cynical pricing. Mismatched vintage china and an abundance of bunting make it a popular destination for hen parties and baby showers, though be warned it’s only open from Friday to Sunday, and advance bookings are required for afternoon tea, for which there are two sittings at 1pm and 4pm.
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86 Mill Lane, NW6 1NL.
020 7435 1666
West Hampstead tube.
