Here is our selection of the best festive afternoon teas in London:
Best traditional festive afternoon tea
The Ritz, Palm Court, London W1
The Ritz will be serving its traditional afternoon tea in The Palm Court with a fun festive twist from 24 November-30 December. Listen to the Ritz Choir singing carols while you feast on classic cheddar and chutney, ham and mustard mayonnaise, and traditional smoked salmon sandwiches; Christmas-inspired British pastries and freshly baked mince pies; and a bespoke Ritz Christmas spiced tea.
Price: £80 pp; £50 per child, and kids will receive a teddy bear.
Address: 150 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9BR
Click here to read our full review of traditional afternoon tea at The Ritz
The Rosebery Lounge at Mandarin Oriental, London SW1
From 4 December, The Rosebery at Mandarin Oriental will be offering “A Very ’bery Christmas” afternoon tea. Expect festive sandwiches including roast turkey with dried cranberries and orange compote, roasted butternut squash with stilton cream, and roast smoked salmon with fennel and kohlrabi. Indulge in a reindeer yule log, chestnut Christmas tree and honey tree madeleines. These come alongside traditional scones as well as cranberry flavoured-scones with a festive mincemeat jam.
Price: £56 pp with champagne, beer or sake; £36 per child with a Harrods Oliver Bear.
Address: 66 Knightsbridge Green, London, SW1X 7LA
The Bulgari Hotel, London SW7
Festive afternoon tea will be served daily in the Bulgari Hotel lounge from 30 November-6 January. With a glass of R de Ruinart champagne you can indulge in bespoke pastries – mini chestnut and blackcurrant bûche, blood orange verrine, pistachio macaroon, and raspberry and vanilla tart.
Price: £45 pp; or £54 pp with a glass of champagne.
Address: 171 Knightsbridge, London SW7 1DW
Click here to read our full review of traditional afternoon tea at The Bulgari Hotel
Thames Foyer at The Savoy, London W1
Festive afternoon tea at The Thames Foyer is available from 26 November-24 December. You can expect classic sandwiches with a Christmas twist, such as roast turkey with cranberry chutney served on walnut bread. Traditional freshly baked scones come with winter jams followed by a salted caramel crémeux Christmas bauble, miniature fruit cakes and a hazelnut macaron with clementine and vanilla ganache.
Price: High tea £73 pp; £90 pp with a glass of Louis Roederer Brut; £100 pp with a glass of Deutz Rose
Address: 7-12 Half Moon Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 7BH
Click here to read our full review of traditional afternoon tea at The Savoy
Claridge’s, London W1
Claridge’s will be offering a selection of pastries, classic scones and traditional sandwiches with a festive twist for its Christmas afternoon tea. English cucumber with pine cream, Cambridge turkey with chestnut and sage stuffing, and Dorrington ham with madeira and clove butter. This is followed by a selection of homemade pastries: roasted plum tart with cinnamon cream, orange muscovado crème brûlée and a golden bauble macaroon, plus a festive fruit cake. Plus, on weekends, the afternoon tea is accompanied by a children’s choir singing carols.
Price: £90 pp with a glass of Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut.
Address: Brook Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 4HR
Best contemporary festive afternoon tea
Sketch, London W1
Sketch has created bespoke installations in each room to get diners in the festive spirit. Alongside the impressive artwork you can expect an indulgent Christmas afternoon tea: foie gras tartelette, eggs truffle gougère and salmon and ‘Jacob’s cream’; sultana or classic scones with organic seasonal jam are also on offer, as well as the impressive petits gateaux; blackcurrant marshmallow, ‘Pim’s cake’, four spices and orange cakes, and a pear and ginger yule log.
Price: £90 pp with a glass of champagne.
Address: 9 Conduit Street, London, W1S 2XG
Dominique Ansel Bakery, London SW1
From 23 November-30 December Dominique Ansel will be launching its festive afternoon tea with impressive smoked salmon and pistachio dill crumble Christmas trees, turkey ballotine with roasted potatoes and rosemary and sage stuffing crumble, and chocolate reindeer filled with spiced chocolate mousse. Plus, warm buttery scones with white chocolate stars filled with homemade strawberry jam and clotted cream.
Price: Starting from £42 pp without champagne.
Address: 17-21 Elizabeth St, Belgravia, London SW1W 9RP
Click here to read our full review of traditional afternoon tea at Dominique Ansel Bakery
Check out our expert guide to the best afternoon teas in London here…
Plus we’ve compiled the best afternoon teas outside of London, too…
