London’s top tearooms are stepping into spring with afternoon teas inspired by fashion, spice, and the Crown Jewels.
After a morning of museum hopping in South Kensington, you can refuel in style with tea at The Pelham. Their new fashion-themed tea is inspired by the Mary Quant exhibition at the V&A, so expect bold colours, edible lipsticks and floral details.
Afternoon tea is priced at £40 per person or £55 including entry to the V&A exhibition.
Situated on the edge of Hyde Park, the Royal Lancaster London is a stylish but unpretentious place to enjoy traditional afternoon tea. Their spring tea features lighter dishes and fresh flavours – asparagus parfait and lemon and raspberry pavlova, for example.
Spring afternoon tea is £39 per person or £45 with a glass of Champagne.
At the Belmond Cadogan Hotel in Chelsea, executive chef Adam Handling has created an afternoon tea inspired by childhood memories of dining at his grandmother’s home. Sweet treats include passion fruit tart and salted caramel Sachertorte, alongside familiar favourites like Battenberg and lemon drizzle cake. There are savoury delights on offer, too – salt cod croquettes, cheese and truffle gougéres, and traditional sandwiches.
Afternoon tea is priced at £70 per person.
To mark the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria, the Hotel Café Royal has created a menu featuring dishes and ingredients from the time of her reign. After curried chicken and roast beef sandwiches, diners will enjoy chocolate profiteroles with salted caramel cream, rose and lychee mousse, and Victoria sponge with raspberry compote.
Afternoon tea is priced at £55 per person or £65 with a glass of Veuve Clicquot Champagne.
Soho Wala are spicing things up with an Indian-inspired twist on traditional afternoon tea. Swap your English breakfast for a warming masala chai and tuck into beetroot kebab wraps, tandoori chicken and green chutney buns, and apple and cinnamon samosas.
Indian afternoon tea is priced at £25 per person.
This season’s Prêt-à-Portea is inspired by the iconic designs of Christian Dior. Fashionistas will love Dior’s famous bar jacket reimagined in biscuit form and the lychee-raspberry cake shaped like a bottle of Miss Dior eau de parfum. The sweet treats are accompanied by finger sandwiches, taster spoons and savoury skewers, plus a tea of your choice from their extensive collection.
Prêt-à-Portea is priced at £60 per person or £70 with a glass of Laurent Perrier Champagne.
Are you a saint or a sinner? With L’oscar London’s new afternoon tea, the choice is yours! Following the saints and sinners theme of the hotel’s Baptiste Bar, it includes devilled chicken sandwiches, religieuse buns, devil’s food cake, and strawberry angel sponge. Choose from a selection of teas or embrace your inner sinner with the option of three paired cocktails.
Enjoy the Saint’s tea for £38 per person or the Sinner’s tea for £60 per person.
The Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square has unveiled a new tea inspired by the Crown Jewels, which are housed a short walk away in the Tower of London. Pastry chef Sylvain Nicolas has created a stunning selection of jewel-inspired sweets, including a lemon meringue choux, a Madagascan Manjari chocolate tart, and a cherry and liquorice macaron topped with an edible gem.
The Crown Jewels afternoon tea is priced at £35 per person or £38 with Champagne.
The Stafford has launched a unique afternoon tea which takes guests on a culinary tour of the boutiques, shops and delis that surround the hotel. There are almond shortbread tuxedo biscuits, white chocolate and lime jelly top hats, and Westcombe Cheddar scones made with cheese from Paxton & Whitfield. Save room for the pièce de résistance: a hollow chocolate cigar filled with a creamy chocolate and hazelnut mousse, inspired by the Cuban cigars on sale at James J. Fox.
The St James’s afternoon tea is priced at £45 per person or £58 with a glass of Champagne.
Looking for something different? Visit our Afternoon Tea page to discover London’s top spots for tea.
