The best afternoon teas in London

Afternoon tea has long been a treasured British ritual. There’s something sophisticated about sipping Earl Grey from a china cup, while nibbling a cucumber sandwich in a plush hotel dining room. Whether you’re looking for a dinosaur-themed tea for a family day out or tea with a glass of fizz for the grown-ups, these are the best afternoon teas in London.

Refuel at The Soho Hotel

Soho Hotel, 4 Richmond Mews, London W1D 3DH

For an afternoon tea fit for a queen, check out the “SIX The Musical”-themed offering at Refuel at The Soho Hotel. Created in collaboration with the West End hit show, the menu celebrates the six wives of Henry VIII with pastries inspired by each of the long-suffering spouses, including Boleyn’s strawberry biscuit, Black Forest cake of Cleves and Parr’s Tudor rose and lemon curd macaron. Food-loving Henry might also have lost his head over the line-up of savouries, which range from a crayfish manchet roll and duck egg mayonnaise sandwich to a hearty cheddar tart and flavour-packed pork pie. The scones are up to royal standards, too, as are the imaginative selection of speciality teas. And for the crowning touch, there’s a choice of two cocktails to knock back along with your cuppa: The Ex-Wives, a crisp blend of white wine, grapefruit and rosemary, or the non-alcoholic Lady in Waiting, with elderflower, peach and jasmine.

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Kari Wilkin was a guest of Refuel at The Soho Hotel

From £45 per person; firmdalehotels.com

The Promenade at The Dorchester

53 Park Lane, London W1K 1QA

For a seriously swanky afternoon tea in a suitably grand setting, you’ll be hard pressed to find better than The Promenade at The Dorchester. The dining room is spectacular: expect plush velvet sofas, gold accents and lush green plants springing from every corner.

Award-winning pastry chef Michael Kwan has crafted an elegant afternoon tea, injecting classic light bites with his signature flair. Highlights from the menu include smoked salmon, brown shrimp and rock samphire on rye bread; cep mushroom and chestnut panna cotta; and a show-stopping chocolate and raspberry choux. There’s also an entirely vegan menu available, and an excellent selection of champagnes and English sparkling wines.

£110 per person; thedorchestercollection.com

London by Lily Vanilli at Four Seasons Tower Bridge

10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ

If you’re looking for a trendier take on the traditional afternoon tea, this special menu curated by Lily Vanilli bakery is the perfect choice. Hosted in the elegant Rotunda Bar & Cafe inside the Four Seasons London near Tower Bridge, the ambience allows for a luxurious yet playful experience. The offer runs from 2pm to 7pm Thursday to Sunday when, just as the clock strikes four, out come the giant cake decorations and the live musicians.

The famed east London bakery does a fabulous job of maintaining its fun, colourful character while honouring the classic components. The savoury section of the menu shines even though most people are there for the desserts. The most memorable dishes were the three-cheese scone with pickled cucumber and dill as well as the confit potatoes with smoked salmon and caviar. As for the desserts, they did not disappoint, with the Basque cheesecake and pecan tarts standing out.

If you opt for a cocktail pairing, you get to try five mini cocktails, which do a good job of amplifying the decadence and richness of the dishes. The Lily Royal, a white chocolate and raspberry champagne cocktail, will alone make your visit worth it.

From £48 per person; fourseasons.com

The Prince Akatoki

50 Great Cumberland Place, London W1H 7FD

The Japanese-inspired experience at The Prince Akatoki hotel in Marylebone is perhaps the most memorable on our list. Guests are transported to Japan with live music from Keiko Kitamura and a menu filled with tasty bite-sized morsels from brioche of seared tuna, and chicken katsu sando to matcha and pistachio cake. Of course, an afternoon tea wouldn’t be complete without scones; the offering at The Prince Akatoki includes fluffy matcha and cranberry scones heaped with Cornish clotted cream and strawberry jam.

As you would expect, there is also an extensive array of teas available including top-grade organic matcha and heavily roasted hojicha. Or, opt for the sake pairing for a glass of sparkling Akashi-tai Junmai Ginjo Sparkling Sake on arrival.

£60 per person, £70 with sake; theprinceakatokilondon.com

Oblix East at The Shard

31 St Thomas Street, London SE1 9RY

Oblix East must win the award for serving the highest-altitude afternoon tea in the country – and perhaps with the best views as well. Situated on the 32nd floor of The Shard, you will sip cocktails and eat finger sandwiches while gazing for miles over London and beyond.

This is a modern twist on a traditional English classic. The humble egg mayo sandwich has been elevated into a truffle-infused, buttery brioche creation, and the prawn roll with avocado and celery is absolutely stuffed with delicious seafood. Diners are encouraged to ask for seconds but, of course, there is more to come.

You are given two types of scone, the classic and a cranberry version, both arriving warm under a towel. They are, of course, paired with raspberry preserve and clotted cream. Oblix's sweet course is the perfect full stop to the meal. Its own super-sized version of a Ferrero Rocher is stuffed with chocolate and nut flavours, which are perfectly contrasted with the sharp apricot cheesecake. The orange carrot cake is a delight on a plate.

There are varying types of drinks to choose from, including soft drinks, teas, coffees, wines, cocktails and champagne. The tea menu has a classic black tea that has been exclusively blended for Oblix with leaves from Malawi. But those wishing to indulge in something more alcoholic can enjoy bottomless glasses of deliciously dry Duval Leroy champagne, spicy Bloody Marys or bitter Aperol spritzes.

Jaymi McCann was a guest of Oblix at The Shard

From £59 per person; oblixrestaurant.com

L’oscar London

2-6 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4AA

This boutique hotel is in Bloomsbury, London’s spiritual home of literature and academia, an area that’s seen plenty of intellectual conversations over the years. Presumably many of them have taken place over a cup of tea, but whatever your subject matter, have a gossip with L’oscar’s delectable assortment of treats and tipples in the sumptuous surroundings of its baroque home.

Choose between the classic or champagne afternoon tea, both of which proudly showcase London’s acclaimed Newby teas. You won’t just get a list of the 10 blends they’ve curated, but a book containing vials of them for you to waft in their complex aromas. Finger sandwiches are luxurious twists on the classics, so a humble egg and cress is a rich and moreish egg mimosa on brioche, and croque monsieur is enriched with black truffle. Even so, the cucumber and chive with mascarpone is a reminder that the finest sandwiches are sometimes the simplest.

Crumbly mini scones, both fruited and plain, come with strawberry jam, clotted cream and a crowd-pleasing lemon curd. Those with a sweeter tooth will be in paradise with L’oscar’s patisserie, whose colour, gloss and exquisite decoration will leave you reaching for your camera before making a dent with your cake fork. The raspberry and lychee gem is the sort of treat that will satisfy both your sweetest desires and your Instagram needs.

Dominic Kocur was a guest of L’oscar London.

From £59 per person; loscarlondon.com

Jurassic afternoon tea at The Ampersand Hotel

10 Harrington Road, London SW7 3ER

Located just round the corner from the Natural History Museum, The Ampersand Hotel is taking a culinary trip millions of years back in time with a dino-tastic afternoon tea.

Served in the hotel’s Apero restaurant, the prehistoric blowout includes a “volcano eruption” of mango and lime crémeux, with dry-ice rocks adding extra drama. Guests can test their excavation skills by finding chocolate “fossils” hidden under edible “soil”, as well as digging into dinosaur egg nests and Jurassic mountain mousse.

Savouries include T-Rex cheese straws and mini hot dogs for the kids, and roast beef brioche for the grown-up carnivores, with vegetarian and gluten-free menus also available. Scone lovers of all ages should get their teeth into the white chocolate and cranberry versions being served with optional toppings of freeze-dried fruit and crunchy chocolate pearls. Cocktails on offer include a gin-based Dino Sour that is liquid dynamite.

£64.50 per adult, £39.50 per child; ampersandhotel.com

The Landmark London

222 Marylebone Road, London NW1 6JQ

Once one of London’s grand railway hotels – it opened in 1899 as the Hotel Great Central – The Landmark London serves a “high palms high tea” in its Winter Garden, a high glass-roofed atrium at the heart of the hotel, in which tables are interspersed with improbably tall palm trees. A harpist provides serene musical accompaniment.

The sandwiches, sometimes a neglected part of the meal, are excellent – especially the poached chicken with herb mayonnaise, and soft white bread filled with lapsang souchong smoked salmon. Scones come with an adventurous choice of jams. The pastries, too, are a winning combination of the classic (a crisply perfect black fig and honey tart) and the modern (a salted pistachio choux with sour cherry compote). Innovation extends to the tea selection too, where a blend enriched with chocolate chips and coconut sits alongside the bright, fresh infusions of Assam and Darjeeling.

From £75 per person; landmarklondon.co.uk