Today I want to share my list of the best afternoon teas in London. From themed teas to traditional ones, there are a lot to choose from in the UK capital. I hope this list helps you find the right afternoon tea for you.
Best Afternoon Teas in London
Whether you’re looking for a special occasion afternoon tea or a good value afternoon tea, London has something for every taste, budget, and style.
1. Afternoon Tea at The Goring
The Goring has always been one of my favorite places for afternoon tea. The sunny yellow tearoom is bright no matter the weather, and the sandwiches, scones, and pastries are always delicious (as is the champagne!).
In the warmer months, I love having a summer afternoon tea at The Goring. The atmosphere is cheerful and the colorful pastries are the perfect compliments to the season.
In the cooler months, I like having afternoon tea at The Goring hotel in the lounge area. Its oversized chairs and dark wood are perfect for feeling cozy when the weather turns.
2. Afternoon Tea at The Corinthia
The Corinthia has the prettiest afternoon tea in London. The light, airy ambiance beneath the stunning lobby dome and famous chandelier makes it a great place for afternoon tea. On top of that, every pastry is a delicate work of art.
Afternoon tea at The Corinthia is great for photography, too. The bright daylight makes it easy to take pictures of the exquisite treats. They look great in photos.
3. Afternoon Tea at The Berkeley
When it comes to themed teas, Pret-a-Portea at The Berkeley is the best afternoon tea in London.
Its fashionista angle means that every cake and pastry is designed after the current season’s runway shows. It’s a great excuse for girly indulgence.
Afternoon tea at The Berkeley is a haute couture cakewalk through the fashion world and is a must for anyone who loves all things sartorial.
4. Afternoon Tea at Teanamu
Tucked away in an unassuming part of Shepherd’s Bush, Teanamu is a haven of tranquility and the perfect place to escape the crowds in central London.
The emphasis here is on the tea itself, which is a nice contrast to many afternoon teas, where the namesake takes a back seat to the food. Afternoon tea at Teanamu also offers one of the best value afternoon teas in the UK capital.
5. Afternoon Tea at The Dorchester
The Dorchester has one of the best traditional afternoon teas in London. The Promenade offers the perfect classic ambiance, and the food and service are everything they should be at one of London’s most famous luxury hotels.
Afternoon tea at The Dorchester is a great way to experience this most British of pastimes at a landmark address in London.
Top Afternoon Teas in London
I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide to the best afternoon teas in London. If you want to learn more, I’ve written about the best summer afternoon teas in London and compiled a London tea itinerary for tea lovers.
My guides to afternoon tea etiquette and the British tea culture can help you brush up on the rules before you go, too. And wherever you go, I hope you enjoy this tradition as much as I do.
How about you? What is your favorite afternoon tea in London?
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.
Pin it!
43 Comments on Lady’s 5 Best Afternoon Teas in London
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
There is probably a whole book on places to take quality afternoon teas in London.
My favourite is just a few hundred metres from Greenwich High Road, where the prices are very reasonable and there’s lots of promotion of local events and businesses.
One day I’ll splash out on an afternoon tea at the Dorchester 🙂
That’s great! I have yet to do an afternoon tea in Greenwich, but I will have to check it out sometime. Do you know what the place is called?
Afternoon tea is one of my favorite indulgences! While I’ve had fabulous tea services in NYC, DC, Shanghai and Hong Kong, I have yet to partake of the true London experience. Hopefully that will change on my next trip to the city!
Wow, you’ve done afternoon teas all over the world! I will be interested to know how you think London’s compare when you get a chance to try one here.
Have you checked out the Sanderson Hotel’s Mad Hatter Tea? It’s another fun one if you’re going for a theme. I also really like the Brown Hotel in Mayfair, but the Goring is one of my favourites too!
I haven’t done the one at The Sanderson, but I’ve heard good things. I will have to check it out. Same with Brown’s. Thanks for the recommendations!
These places seem great! I will have to go! I went to BRGR.Co in Soho on Satuday, was really great. You should try it.
Great, thanks for the tip!
I’m not an afternoon tea expert, but I loved the vintage inspired afternoon tea at The Mandeville, in Marylebone.
xx,
E.
Thanks E! I will have to go to that one.
We enjoyed afternoon tea at The Orangery at Kensington Palace and at Harrods last October during our too-brief stop in London. Can’t wait to go back and try others. Claridge’s, the Goring, Brown’s, and the Dorchester are on my “wish” lists for afternoon tea. Outside London, I have heard Betty’s is great for tea, too.
That’s great! I’ve heard good things about the ones at Kensington Palace and Harrods. The ones at Betty’s are great!
The Langham is where afternoon tea originated in the 19th Century. Still a major occasion each time.
Yeah, I did their afternoon tea a few years ago and really enjoyed it.
What a lovely selection. I particularly want to try the Teanamu afternoon tea. I actually went for afternoon tea yesterday at the Hilton Green Park, unawares that this is afternoon tea week. It was lovely and traditional, and the service was brilliant (I arrived an hour late due to coach delays but they were really accommodating which I didn’t expect at all). At it only cost £38 for two!
Sounds like you had a great experience! Teanamu is also a really good one, so I hope you can go sometime.
Definitely bookmarking this post for a future reference. I did the Mad Hatter Tea at the Sanderson a few months ago and it was so much fun, but I’d love to try all of these too!
Glad you found it helpful! I will have to try the one at the Sanderson.
They all look great! I will definitely have to check them out next time I’m in London.
Yeah! I hope you like them.
I’ve only done a handful of high teas in London (favorite so far is OXO Tower) but I’m looking forward to trying out the now famous afternoon tea at The Shard this September!
I bet that one will be great!
Still so many places to try out! Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy trying them!
I’ve only ever had tea at The Ritz – my mum took me and my sisters as a treat the weekend before my wedding – but it set the bar pretty high!
These all look delicious – think I might have to pay a visit to one or two! Or three…
Nice! I liked the tea at the Ritz. I hope you enjoy the others!
I’ve done a couple of these but have never actually heard of Teanamu – that’s for that tip – sounds intriguing! They all look so pretty!
You’re welcome! Teanamu is a great one!
Glad to see you left off Browns, had birthday tea there a few months ago and was kicking myself for not going to The Dorchester 🙁 Enjoyed afternoon tea at Great Fosters in Surrey today, fantastic and a total bargain compared to London prices (should have my blog post up in a few days if you’re interested.)
I haven’t done an afternoon tea in Surrey before, but it sounds like it would be worth it!
I love Fortun&Maison afternoon tea!
That’s great! I’ve heard they do a really good afternoon tea.
That high heel “shoe” is a cookie?? That is crazy awesome! Send me Cinderella and I would all over it! 🙂 Ya know, I’m not much of a tea drinker…except…I love Chamomile tea. Now, if you introduce sandwiches, scones, and pastries into the mix then sign me up for some cups of delight! The photos of the treats are truly incredible, Lady in London 🙂
Thanks Mike! I love all the food with afternoon tea, too!
The cakes look yummy and I put Corinthia and Teanamu on my soon to visit list 🙂
That’s great! I hope you enjoy their afternoon teas!
I LOVE afternoon tea! I’ve only tried The Corinthia from your list which was magical but I can also recommend Fortnum & Mason who have a refurbished tea room on their top floor and The Sanderson for something quirky. I’m staying closer to home for my next try, there’s a lovely hotel in Chislehurst called The Bull’s Head which apparently do a great afternoon tea so it must be tried. Thanks for sharing your picks.
That’s great! Thanks for the recommendation!
My sister and I are visiting in October and I’d like to take her for afternoon tea. We will be traveling light and dressing casually – would any of these places be appropriate for jeans?
I would go with somewhere casual like Teanamu if you’re going to be in jeans. Have a great time!
Thanks!!
Lady, the last comment here before mine raises a good question: what is appropriate afternoon tea attire? Anything BUT casual athletic attire or jeans?
Another question: Since afternoon tea is not a common practice in my world, and have only had afternoon tea once before at the Ritz Carlton in SF, and that was 15 years ago, are there any other “rules” or traditions that I should know beforehand? I will be traveling solo in January – are there any issues with afternoon tea for one?
You should be fine going solo, although there might be a lot of food! As for attire, it depends where you go, but most people dress up a bit for it if they’re going somewhere more formal. Have fun!