Fancy trying afternoon tea in the British capital? There's no better place to get acquainted with this quintessentially English tradition than London, home to some of the most revered tea services in the world.
As the story goes, the custom began in the mid-1800s, when an English duchess made a simple request for a slice of cake and some tea before dinner. Afternoon tea has grown into a far more lavish affair ever since.
Warm freshly baked scones, an assortment of dainty sandwiches and desserts, and a generous pot of tea are now the modern standard. And while London's traditional grand offerings could easily dominate this list, we've included quirky, inventive options for anyone after tea with a twist, including a service aboard a vintage double-decker bus and a whimsical spread inspired by Alice in Wonderland.
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Fortnum & Mason
Nobody knows tea quite like Fortnum & Mason, London's flagship tea and provisions store since 1707. Visitors can sample its famous teas and much more in the spacious, elegant Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, often filled with the sound of a live pianist.
"Walking into the tearoom, I felt like I'd stepped onto the set of a 19th-century BBC drama," says blogger Hannah Kacary.
Tea sommeliers learn each guest's flavour preferences and recommend the perfect brew from an extensive menu. Traditional sommeliers are also on hand to help with the champagne pairings.
Just be sure to save room for dessert. Fortnum's signature cake trolley lets guests pick a slice from a wide range of options.
Best for: True tea lovers
Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, London; +44 207 734 8040
Sketch
Sketch's Gallery room, swathed in pink and brimming with artistic flair, is arguably the city's most striking setting for afternoon tea.
"You feel like you're in a candy store, with bubblegum-coloured armchairs and cheeky little messages at the bottom of the cups and plates," says Fresh and Fearless blogger Aftab Pathan.
Tea comes with small sandwiches, such as the delightful Comté cheese panini, warm scones, and sweets like blackcurrant cheesecake and citrus meringue. For the full eccentric experience, there's the Sketch Exotic Tea, where staff strain Sketch's own brand of champagne through tea leaves of iced tea, vanilla, or Earl Grey.
Best for: Avant-garde tea
Sketch, 9 Conduit St, Mayfair, London; +44 20 7659 4500
The Goring
It's no surprise that afternoon tea at The Goring is a classic, regal affair, given that the hotel was a favourite of the Queen for decades (it sits just two blocks from Buckingham Palace).
Tea is served in a sitting room with gilded ceilings, plush red walls, and a crackling fireplace, and the selection of cut sandwiches and sweets (salmon and crème fraîche sandwiches, strawberry-pistachio macarons, and mini banana cakes) changes regularly.
Those after a premium experience should opt for the afternoon tea with Bollinger Rosé champagne, served with a plate of freshly sliced strawberries and cream on top of all the other treats.
Best for: Royal service
The Goring Hotel, 15 Beeston Place, London; +44 20 7396 9000
Mad Hatter's Tea, Sanderson
The legacy of Alice in Wonderland lives on at the stylish Sanderson hotel, home to one of the city's most beloved themed afternoon teas.
Apart from the hearty savouries, no element of this tea escapes a dash of whimsy, from the five tea blends inspired by the characters of "Alice" to macarons disguised as animated pocket watches.
"The menu is tucked inside an old vintage book, the teapots come with crowns... we tumbled down the rabbit hole and didn't want to come back to reality," says Crummbs blogger Stacey Smith.
Anyone who'd like their fantastical tea to be a touch more grown-up can choose the Mad Hatter's Tipsy Evening Tea, which includes four cocktail sets and alcohol-spiked pastries.
Best for: A whimsical treat
Sanderson Hotel, 50 Berners St., Fitzrovia, London; +44 207 300 5588
B Afternoon Tea Bus Tour, BB Bakery
For afternoon tea on the move, look no further than the BB Bakery bus tour.
Take in London's major landmarks (including Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and Piccadilly Circus) while enjoying afternoon tea aboard a 1960s double-decker Routemaster.
"[It's] a lovely idea for tourists and Londoners alike who want to see their city in a different way, and I'd definitely recommend spending a sunny afternoon on board," says Mini Adventures blogger Milly Youngman.
The 90-minute tea tour departs from Victoria or Trafalgar Square and offers scones, sandwiches, cupcakes, and French sweets, along with a live or recorded commentary throughout.
It's best to book ahead to reserve a table on the upper deck for a better view.
Best for: First-timers in London
BB Afternoon Tea, 24 Raymouth Rd, London; +44 020 3026 1188
Bea's of Bloomsbury
The Bea's tea brand hosts the most laid-back and affordable afternoon teas on this list, costing roughly half as much as other top-rated services in the capital.
The tea menu is short and sweet, with seven varieties of loose-leaf tea, and the sandwiches are swapped out for an assortment of mini brioches, such as Parma ham with mascarpone and avocado with spicy yoghurt.
Naturally, the bakery's greatest strength is its dessert selection, which includes delicate meringues and marshmallows, brownies, and cupcakes. Bea's has expanded to several locations across the capital, but afternoon tea is available only at St Paul's, Marylebone, and the original Bloomsbury café.
Best for: A relaxed setting
Bea's of Bloomsbury, 44 Theobalds Rd, London; +44 20 7242 8330
Pret a Portea, The Berkeley
Do you know someone who's as passionate about Lanvin heels as they are about dessert? Pret-a-Portea is for them. The Berkeley brings fashion straight from the runway to the cake stand, with sweets inspired by the current Fashion Week season.
A recent 10th-anniversary collection featured the famous McDonald's-inspired Moschino bag (the edible Pret-a-Portea version is a biscuit wrapped in red chocolate) and stiletto-shaped cookies inspired by the creations of Nicholas Kirkwood.
There are no scones in this themed tea, but that hardly matters given the abundance of upscale treats and hearty savouries. It's afternoon tea in Britain's fashion capital, always right on trend.
Best for: Fashionistas
The Berkeley, Wilton Pl, Belgravia, London; +44 20 7235 6000
The Ritz
The Ritz is, without a doubt, the grande dame of London's afternoon teas, having hosted its world-famous tea ceremonies since the early 20th century.
The strictly traditional and luxurious offering features harpists, pianists, and classical quintets to suit every taste. Tea is served in silver pots, and the waiters are dressed in immaculate formal attire. Guests choose from 18 varieties of loose-leaf tea and enjoy a classic three-tier spread of scones, small sandwiches, and desserts in the magnificent, gilded Palm Court.
Reservations must be made in advance, and guests should note that this is a strictly formal affair: gentlemen are required to wear a jacket and tie for entry.
Best for: Unrivalled luxury
The Ritz,150 Piccadilly, St. James's, London; +44 20 7493 8181
Fancy Tea, Lyaness
Ever since the South Bank's Dandelyan (crowned the world's best bar in 2018) was reborn as Lyaness in 2019, its alternative cocktail tea has had a makeover too.
Fancy Tea is Lyaness's cheeky take on the society parties of the '80s, offering four cocktail pairings (with tea, if you choose) alongside snacks in a room brought to life by synth-pop retro hits. Bites like deviled eggs and sausage rolls are paired with the Carter Cobbler, a banana/green tea/Grey Goose cocktail; the scone concept is turned on its head (literally) in the form of upside-down pineapple cakes with cream and cherry jam, washed down with a citrus gimlet infused with jasmine and pineapple.
While the menu has changed, and the famous bubblegum-coloured leather armchairs have been swapped for baby blue, those spectacular city views along the Thames remain untouched.
Best for: A boozy tea
Lyaness, Sea Containers London, 20 Upper Ground, London; +44 203 747 1063
The Savoy
The Thames Foyer at The Savoy, with its fairytale winter-garden gazebo beneath a glass dome at its centre, is one of the most elegant settings for afternoon tea in London.
Scones, small sandwiches, and exquisite desserts are accompanied by the playing of a classical pianist.
Beyond afternoon tea, guests can also try The Savoy's lavish take on high tea, which was traditionally an affordable evening tradition, not at all reserved for high society. The extensive tea menu features The Savoy's own special blends.
Best for: Traditional luxury
The Savoy, Strand, London; +44 20 7836 4343
Ting
Ting, the flagship restaurant of the Shangri-La inside the Shard skyscraper, doesn't have to try too hard to impress afternoon tea guests, since its stunning skyline views from the 35th floor are the main attraction.
Diners can choose between an English afternoon tea and an Asian-inspired afternoon tea, with a menu of gyoza and dumplings and sweets in Asian flavours. This five-star hotel tea in Western Europe's tallest building doesn't come cheap, but it offers one of the most breathtaking views in the city.
Best for: High tea (in the most literal sense)
Ting, Shangri-La at the Shard London, Shangri-La Hotel, 31 St Thomas St, London; +44 20 7234 8108
Cahoots Squiffy Picnic
An immersive underground "bunker bar" that hosts the inventive Squiffy Picnic on Saturday afternoons, Cahoots transports guests back to the postwar era.
"We enjoyed our sandwiches, scones, treats, and vintage nibbles, all served in wicker picnic baskets... we felt like we'd stepped into a vintage wonderland," says Binny Shah of Binny's Kitchen.
The Squiffy Picnic stretches the concept of afternoon tea to its limits, since the cups are filled with alcohol rather than Earl Grey, and the entertainment comes courtesy of flirtatious songstress Lois "Legs" Laurelle.
Anyone in a particularly high-spirited mood can opt for the Hollow Legs, which offers unlimited alcohol, or a bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne.
Worth noting at the door: guests must ask for the "captain" before gaining access to this speakeasy, which is strictly for those aged 21 and over.
Best for: A brilliant time
Cahoots, 13 Kingly Court, London; +44 20 7352 6200
Claridge's
The five-star Claridge's has been serving lavish afternoon tea for over 150 years, and its legacy shows no signs of fading.
This prestigious offering takes place in the hotel's Art Deco foyer, designed by Thierry Despont, with a pianist and harpist whisking guests back to the heyday of a glamorous, bygone era.
Among the selection of high-quality teas, menu items include scones with Marco Polo jelly and Cornish clotted cream, while the small sandwiches feature corn-fed chicken, parmesan, and lemon on malt bread.
Desserts, such as a sour cherry pastry, are served on Claridge's signature green-striped bone china. Reservations must be made in advance for one of the city's most iconic teas.
Best for: Pure elegance
Claridge's, Brook St, Mayfair, London; +44 20 7629 8860
Brown's Hotel: Tea-Tox
Afternoon teas aren't exactly known for their nutritional value, but Brown's (London's very first hotel) offers a remedy in the form of the Tea-Tox, a lower-calorie alternative that doesn't sacrifice quality.
Tea in its cosy, classic English Tea Room begins with a detox juice of beetroot, ginger, and kale. The starchy scones and small sandwiches are swapped for seasonal fruit with sauces and miso-glazed salmon with radish on spinach bread.
Those with a sweet tooth are catered for too, with desserts like a gluten-free raspberry-pistachio brownie and coconut panna cotta with lemon curd.
Brown's Tea-Tox is the best place to cut back on the carbs of tea without sacrificing the fun.
Best for: A health-conscious tea
Brown's Hotel, 33 Albemarle St, Mayfair, London; +44 020 7493 6020
