Best Afternoon Tea in London (2026)
Where to book in London, from grand hotel rooms and pastry counters to family teas and full spreads under £50.
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Afternoon tea should feel like an occasion, not a chore on a London sightseeing list. That might mean dressing up for a grand hotel, settling into a small tea room or watching a kid dig a chocolate fossil out of edible soil. Pick the afternoon you actually want, not just the most famous name.
Claridge's is our pick for a classic splurge, and The Ritz is the one for full ceremony. For a grand room without the grand-hotel bill, start with The Wolseley or The Delaunay. Below you'll find pastry-led teas, river views, teas kids will actually enjoy and small spots where the point is a pot of tea and no hurry.
London afternoon teas at a glance
Prices are per adult. Most hotels add a discretionary service charge, usually 12.5–15%. Festive menus can change what's available on your date, so check both columns before you book. A dash means no festive tea has been announced.
| Afternoon tea | Area | Best for | Regular price | Festive 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claridge's | Mayfair | A classic special occasion | From £95 | £120–£130, Nov 3–Jan 3 |
| The Ritz | St James's | Dressing up for full ceremony | From £95 | £125, Nov 14–Jan 6; £140 Dec 25 |
| Palm Court at The Langham | Marylebone | A grand room with no jacket and tie | £85 | £95, Nov 9–Jan 3 |
| Fortnum & Mason | St James's | Making the tea itself the point | From £84 | £88 Christmas menu |
| Gallery at The Savoy | Strand | A famous address before a show | From £90 | Festive tea this season |
| The Drawing Room at Brown's | Mayfair | A quieter traditional tea | £80 | Festive tea through December |
| The Promenade at The Dorchester | Mayfair | Flowers, piano and glamour | From £95 | £130–£140, Nov 14–Jan 3 |
| The Goring | Belgravia | A garden view over a busy lobby | £85 | £105 from Nov 12 |
| Winter Garden at The Landmark | Marylebone | A dramatic glass-roofed atrium | £79 | £110, Nov 25–Jan 3 |
| Mirror Room at Rosewood London | Holborn | Art-inspired pastries | £80 | £85 from Nov 9 |
| Cedric Grolet at The Berkeley | Knightsbridge | A pastry-first splurge | From £85; The Counter £130 | – |
| The Gallery at sketch | Mayfair | Contemporary art and a playful room | From £85 | £120–£130, Nov 12–Jan 6 |
| Science Afternoon Tea at The Ampersand | South Kensington | Kids and museum days | £64.50 | – |
| Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea at Sanderson | Fitzrovia | An Alice in Wonderland celebration | From £75 | – |
| The Lanesborough | Hyde Park Corner | A lavish Bridgerton theme | £92 | £110, Nov 5–Jan 6 |
| Aqua Shard | London Bridge | Skyline views and Peter Pan | From £70 | – |
| The Wolseley Piccadilly | St James's | A grand room at a lower price | £48 | – |
| The Delaunay | Aldwych | A polished cafe tea at a good price | £36.50 | – |
| Swan at Shakespeare's Globe | Bankside | River views and a savory tea | From £42.50 | – |
| Candella Tea Room | Kensington | A small tea room and the lowest bill | £28.95 | – |
| Cutter & Squidge | Soho | An informal bakery tea | £37.50 | – |
Classic Afternoon Teas in London
These are the traditional teas: sandwiches, scones, pastries and a room that does some of the work for you.
Claridge's
Brook St, London W1K 4HR, UK
This is the one to book for an anniversary, a milestone birthday or a first London tea with room in the budget. The Foyer & Reading Room plays it straight, with jade-and-white striped china, sandwiches, scones and seasonal pastries, and no theme to get in the way. Leave the rest of the afternoon open, because this isn't a tea to rush. Details: Brook Street, Mayfair. From £95, or £110 with Champagne. Festive tea is the only option Nov 3–Jan 3, except Christmas Day, from £120 weekdays and £130 weekends.
The Ritz
150 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR, UK
The Ritz is for anyone who's pictured this tea for years and would happily wear a jacket and tie to get it. You'll get finger sandwiches, scones, pastries and a long tea list, and they'll bring more sandwiches and tea if you ask. It's too formal for a quick stop between museums, and that's the appeal. Details: 150 Piccadilly, St James's. From £95, children £73. Men need a jacket and tie, and jeans and sportswear aren't allowed.
Palm Court at The Langham
1C Portland Pl, London W1B 1JA, UK
Palm Court sits neatly between the full Ritz ceremony and a casual cafe tea. It's still a proper grand-hotel room, but the dress code is smart casual, so it's easier to fit into a day of sightseeing. Vegetarian, vegan and no-gluten menus make it an easy pick for a mixed group. Details: 1C Portland Place, Marylebone. Classic tea £85, children £50. Smart casual.
Fortnum & Mason's Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon
4th Floor, Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, London W1A 1ER, UK
Go to Fortnum's when the tea list matters as much as the cake stand. Ask for advice and try something beyond your usual breakfast blend. It's also a smart pick for a group with different tastes, with savory, vegetarian, vegan and made-without-gluten menus to choose from before you arrive. Details: Fourth floor, 181 Piccadilly, St James's. Regular teas start at £84. The made-without-gluten menu isn't suitable for celiacs.
Gallery at The Savoy
Strand, London WC2R 0EZ, UK
The Savoy works best as the centerpiece of a bigger London day, with tea in Gallery and a West End show after. You get the famous address, more than 30 teas and the usual run of savories, scones and pastries, without The Ritz's jacket and tie. Running late? Twilight Tea takes over at 6pm with elegant bites and a Berry Royale cocktail, and it's the latest tea in this guide. Details: The Strand. From £90, served 12–6:45pm; Twilight Tea runs 6–9:30pm. There's no formal dress code, but dress elegantly.
The Drawing Room at Brown's Hotel
Ground Floor, 33 Albemarle St, London W1S 4BP, UK
Brown's suits a catch-up with a parent, an anniversary for two or a long conversation that happens to involve a very good tea stand. The Drawing Room is a cozier kind of grand hotel, and the menu stays traditional, with seasonal changes instead of a big concept. If one person wants classic and another wants plant-based, both are on offer at the same price. Details: Albemarle Street, Mayfair. Traditional or plant-based tea £80, children £45. Choose your menu when you reserve.
The Promenade at The Dorchester
53 Park Ln, London W1K 1QA, UK
The room is the draw here, with big floral displays, pale-pink Dorchester roses and Liberace's piano. The resident pianist starts at 2pm, so book after that if music matters to you. There's also a children's tea with Atelier Choux, which makes it a good choice for a family celebration. Details: Park Lane, Mayfair. From £95, children £65 for ages 3–12. Served daily 12–5:30pm.
The Goring
15 Beeston Pl, London SW1W 0JW, UK
The Goring's big selling point is the view from The Veranda toward the hotel's garden. Pick it if you'd rather look at greenery than a busy lobby. It's a nice fit for a reunion or a parent's birthday, when the company matters more than a dramatic dessert. Details: 15 Beeston Place, Belgravia. Traditional tea £85. Book The Veranda for the garden view, since Saturday tea is also served in The Dining Room.
Winter Garden at The Landmark London
The Landmark, 222 Marylebone Rd, London NW1 6JQ, UK
The Winter Garden swaps a skyline for palms under a soaring glass roof, and it's a great answer to a rainy day. High Palms High Tea keeps the familiar format, so the room can be the surprise without anyone committing to an unusual menu. It suits a mixed-age family celebration or a date where the setting should feel special right away. Details: 222 Marylebone Road, Marylebone. £79, or £89 with Champagne. Weekdays 2:30–5pm, weekends 1–5pm.
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Creative and Themed Afternoon Teas in London
These are for people who want more than the traditional stand, from art-inspired pastries to storybook themes. Bringing kids? Start with The Ampersand and Sanderson.
Mirror Room at Rosewood London
252 Rosewood, High Holborn, London WC1V 7EN, UK
Rosewood's Art Afternoon Tea turns a painter's work into pastry, which makes it a natural pick for a date or anyone whose London trip runs through the galleries. The current menu is built around Claude Monet, drawing on The Water Lily Pond and Impression, Sunrise. Sandwiches and scones are still on the table, so it feels like tea, not an exhibit. Details: 252 High Holborn, Holborn. Art Afternoon Tea £80. The artist changes, so check the current menu.
Cedric Grolet at The Berkeley
Wilton Pl, London SW1X 7RL, UK
Goûtea is for people who get more excited about dessert than a tiered stand. Grolet's fruit- and flower-shaped pastries sit alongside finger sandwiches and warm scones, served in The Berkeley Café or at The Counter. The Café is the easier booking. The Counter is the splurge, and it's a good fit for a food-focused birthday or someone who's already done the classic circuit. Details: Wilton Place, Knightsbridge. Goûtea from £85. The Counter is £130, Friday to Sunday, and can't accommodate dietary requirements.
The Gallery at sketch
9 Conduit St, London W1S 2XG, UK
sketch is the answer if a traditional hotel tea sounds a little predictable. The Gallery pairs India Mahdavi's yellow room with Jonathan Baldock's The Gathering, a staggered display of 84 mask works, so the room does a lot of the entertaining. It's great for a stylish birthday or a creative date, and less so if you're chasing the lowest bill. Details: 9 Conduit Street, Mayfair. From £85. Book Gallery Afternoon Tea, since The Glade serves a separate tea.
Science Afternoon Tea at The Ampersand Hotel
10 Harrington Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 3ER, UK
The Ampersand gives kids something to do besides sit nicely. There's a jelly Petri dish, a chocolate spaceman and a dinosaur biscuit with a chocolate fossil hidden in edible soil, while adults still get savories, scones and pastries. It's an easy add-on to a South Kensington museum day, and it's our first choice for families. Details: 10 Harrington Road, South Kensington. £64.50, children £39.50. Each guest must order a tea or pay a £15 cover charge.
Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea at Sanderson
50 Berners St, London W1T 3NG, UK
Alice in Wonderland runs through the whole of this tea, from the presentation to the storybook touches. It's built for a birthday or a mixed-age outing with a little silliness. If the adults want the fantasy as much as the kids do, pick this over The Ampersand. Details: 50 Berners Street, Fitzrovia. From £75, Little Hatters from £45. Served daily 12:30–7pm.
The Lanesborough
Hyde, Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA, UK
The Lanesborough's Bridgerton tea is a natural match for such a richly decorated hotel. This isn't the low-key catch-up option. Book it for a celebration where dressing up is half the fun, or for a fan who'll love the theme as much as the food. The festive version adds a resident pianist in The Lanesborough Grill. Details: Hyde Park Corner. Bridgerton tea £92. Smart casual.
Aqua Shard
Level 31, The Shard, 31 St Thomas St, London SE1 9RY, UK
The skyline is the reason to book here. The Peter Pan theme adds some fun, with tea on a Jolly Roger stand and £2 from each tea going to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. If the view is the whole point, book Window to Neverland, since a standard table doesn't come with a window seat. Details: Level 31, The Shard, 31 St Thomas Street, London Bridge. From £70, under-12s £55; Window to Neverland from £95. There's no gluten-free afternoon tea.
Best Value Afternoon Teas in London
All five start under £50, and they're full afternoon teas, not just tea and scones.
The Wolseley Piccadilly
160 Piccadilly, London W1J 9EB, UK
The Wolseley delivers a real sense of occasion without getting close to £100 before service. It's a grand cafe, not a hushed hotel drawing room, and that bustle is a big part of the appeal. It's our first stop for a date, a first London tea on a tighter budget or a catch-up that deserves more than a coffee. Details: 160 Piccadilly, St James's. Full tea £48. Monday to Friday 2:30–6:30pm, weekends 3–6:30pm.
The Delaunay
55 Aldwych, London WC2B 4BB, UK
This is the best answer to "can we do a proper afternoon tea without spending hotel money?" The European cafe feel sets it apart, while the menu keeps the essentials: finger sandwiches, fruit scones with jam and clotted cream, handmade cakes and tea. Try it for a relaxed date or an afternoon around Covent Garden. Details: 55 Aldwych, Aldwych. Classic tea £36.50, or £52 with Champagne. Served daily in the main dining room.
Swan at Shakespeare's Globe
21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, London SE1 9DT, UK
Swan is the pick for someone who likes the idea of afternoon tea but would rather skip the hotel lobby. The river setting has views toward St Paul's, and pairing tea with a Globe visit makes for an easy afternoon. The big draw is Sir Falstaff's savoury tea, which works when one person wants tea and the other would much rather have lunch. Details: 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside. Teas from £42.50, served daily 12–5pm. Children's tea runs on weekends and during school holidays.
Candella Tea Room
34 Kensington Church St, London W8 4HA, UK
Candella is a small tea room, not a hotel occasion, and that's why it's here. £28.95 gets you a pot of loose-leaf tea, finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and French-style patisserie, the lowest price for a full tea in this guide. It's a nice stop for a casual date or a Kensington afternoon. Details: 34 Kensington Church Street, Kensington. £28.95. Reserve through the website form, not by phone or email.
Cutter & Squidge
20 Brewer St, London W1F 0SJ, UK
Cutter & Squidge is for someone who likes the sound of cakes, scones and tea but has no interest in hotel ceremony. The bakery setting keeps it informal, and the price makes it easy to treat tea as a nice part of the day, not the main event. It works for a catch-up with friends or a sit-down break in Soho. Details: 20 Brewer Street, Soho. Standard tea £37.50. Booked Wednesday to Friday and Sunday noon–4pm, and Saturday 11:30am–2pm.
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