Lady’s Review of The Goring Hotel in London’s Afternoon Tea

Today I want to share my review of The Goring hotel in London’s afternoon tea with you. Afternoon tea is one of my favorite British traditions. Hotels across London vie for prestigious Top London Afternoon Tea awards, and residents and visitors alike benefit from their constant efforts to outdo one another.

The Goring Hotel in London’s Afternoon Tea

I’ve written about many of my afternoon tea experiences, from the fashionista Pret-a-Portea at The Berkeley to the seasonal afternoon teas at London hotels and restaurants.

But recently it was time to get back to the traditional afternoon tea experience for which London is so famous.

And what better place to do it than at the only family-run, five-star luxury hotel in London? Yes, it was time for afternoon tea at The Goring hotel in Belgravia.

The Goring hotel in London’s afternoon tea was part of a business meeting, so I was lucky enough to be treated. When I arrived for the meeting, I was delighted to find myself in a happy yellow room overlooking a beautiful garden.

It was the perfect way to lift my spirits on a gray day, not least because the yellow chairs and dishes made it so resolutely cheerful.

Add to that the fact that The Goring has received the Tea Guild’s Award of Excellence numerous times, and I was looking forward to an enjoyable experience.

Champagne Afternoon Tea

The Goring hotel in London’s afternoon tea started off with a refreshing glass of Ayala champagne.

The bottle even had a special label with silhouettes of the four generations of Gorings that have presided over the hotel since its grand opening over 100 years ago.

Tea and Eggs Drumbiko

After the champagne came the tea. I ordered the special Goring Blend tea, which was perfect with the Eggs Drumbiko, the late Queen Mother’s favorite amuse bouche at the hotel.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the sherry-flavored jelly on top, but it wasn’t hard to see why the Queen Mum was such a fan of the chopped eggs, lobster, tomatoes, and mayonnaise underneath.

Sandwiches, Scones, and Pastries

From there a beautiful three-tiered tray arrived with finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries from the afternoon tea menu.

We started with the savories, which consisted of smoked salmon, coronation chicken, guinea-fowl-and-wild-mushroom, and traditional egg-and-cress sandwiches. They were all very good, but the guinea fowl was my favorite.

Moving up the tray from there, we each tried a delicious homemade scone with clotted cream and raspberry jam. I wanted a second one, but I used the little culinary willpower I had to save room for the cakes.

These were on the top tier of the tray, and took the form of a peanut-and-chocolate caramel slice, a gourmet Jaffa cake, a hazelnut-and-jam sandwich, a bubblegum meringue, a plum-and-almond tart, and a mulled-wine-and-pear jelly with cinnamon cream.

My favorite was the last of these, which was not only delicious but also delectably festive.

Afternoon Tea at The Goring Hotel in London

By the time we finished The Goring hotel in London’s afternoon tea I was abuzz with sugar and caffeine, and ready to start my evening.

As I left the sunny yellow room and re-entered the dark winter day outside, I reminded myself to return to the hotel again in the summer to sit outside on the terrace and enjoy afternoon tea in the garden.

That thought is enough to keep the sugary smile on my face until I can revisit the cheerful place when there’s weather to match.

Find this post helpful? Buy me a coffee!

New here? Join thousands of others and subscribe to the A Lady in London blog via email.