Food

An Honest Guide to the Best Afternoon Teas in London

December 26, 2025

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Photo: Courtesy of Rosewood London

Let’s be real: most afternoon teas in London are a bit of a scam. I should know—for the last four years, I’ve been reviewing them for Vogue and, more often than you’d think, this involves arriving at a swanky venue only to be served stale, wafer-thin finger sandwiches that taste like they should be part of a supermarket meal deal, flavourless English Breakfast, dry scones, and dense, overly refrigerated pastries that make you feel a bit sick. After all that, you’re usually presented with a staggering bill.

It’s outrageous when you think about it—the cost of ingredients for the likes of coronation chicken sandwiches and lemon cakes is low, the mark-up eye-wateringly high, and the emphasis nearly always on Instagrammable interiors, panoramic views or gimmicky live performances (orchestras, ballerinas, I’ve seen it all) over the basic quality of food and service. But, with so much money to be made, and with an endless stream of tourists flocking to the capital for this quintessentially British experience, it also makes perfect sense that every hotel, restaurant, café, museum, and theatre within the M25 would now be clamouring to launch their very own afternoon tea menu.

Thankfully, though, amidst this vast swathe of mediocre-to-downright-bad offerings, there are still a handful of places—some historic and some new, some supremely fancy and some wonderfully casual—which are reliably excellent and will go some way towards restoring your faith in this whole ritual. Read on for an honest guide to the 10 best afternoon teas in London.

Photo: Courtesy of Bread Ahead
1/10
For incredible value: The Tea House at Bread Ahead
Want to linger over a pot of Earl Grey and plates of delicate pastries without shelling out close to £200? Head straight to this serene, fairly-priced tea room, set just above the bustling Bread Ahead café on Chelsea’s Pavilion Road—all warm lighting, teal banquettes, golden accents and William Morris-print pillows—which feels like a closely-guarded secret. Order a pot of rose pouchong and then work your way through the simple but masterfully executed menu: mini rolls filled with smoked salmon and lemon butter, coronation chicken, and Burford brown egg mayonnaise with truffle and mustard cress; warm fruit scones with homemade strawberry jam and clotted cream; an Eton Mess Swiss roll; apricot and almond tarts; and rich slices of chocolate cake. From the bread to the air-light sponge, everything is baked to perfection.
From £35
Photo: Steven Joyce
2/10
For those who don’t like scones: Maison François
This sun-dappled, honey-colored brasserie in St James’s is a picturesque hideaway at any time of day, but never more so than in the mid-afternoon, when you can sink into one of its high-backed cushioned booths and tuck into a generous but delicate French-inspired afternoon tea. Begin with a glass of fizz and the excellent sandwiches from chef Matthew Ryle—jambon beurre, vadouvan chicken, and oeufs mimosa, which will transport you to the cobblestoned boulevards of Paris. Executive pastry chef Jérémy Prakhin’s sublime patisserie follows—strawberry roulé, an orange blossom and pistachio gâteau, a hazelnut choux—but even better are the warm vanilla and chocolate babkas in place of scones, slathered with jam, clotted cream, and a rich hazelnut spread. Divine.
From £35

Photo: Courtesy of The Dorchester
3/10
For moreish sandwiches: The Dorchester
On most afternoon tea menus, the focus is firmly on the patisserie, meaning the sandwiches are frequently cold, under-stuffed, unimaginative afterthoughts—just a thin slice of cucumber on unbuttered bread, say, or egg and two sprigs of cress. Not so, though, at The Dorchester’s luxurious Promenade: an expansive salon bathed in golden light, where verdant palms flank curved cushioned seating nooks and side tables overflow with fresh roses, as you’re served a truly knockout afternoon tea. The raisin scones are delightful, as are the dessert trays teeming with pistachio and apricot Swiss rolls, citrus possets, raspberry Bakewell tarts, and chocolate profiteroles, but it’s the generous sandwiches that are something to write home about, particularly the Dorrington ham with truffle and parmesan, and the Burford brown egg with mayonnaise, mustard, and cress. I always order seconds—and always leave with zero regrets.
From £125
Photo: Courtesy of Rosewood London
4/10
For the most fragrant teas: Rosewood London
Everything about this grand Holborn hotel’s beloved Art Afternoon Tea is sensational: its setting, in the glamorous Mirror Room; the perfectly baked scones; and the jaw-dropping, artwork- (and now literature-) inspired creations the menu is centered on. The latest offering is a magical tribute to Charles Dickens, with executive pastry chef Mark Perkins dreaming up three exquisite cakes: “The Old Curiosity Shop”, a spiced gingerbread sponge with salted caramel mousse and pear and vanilla jelly; “Oliver Twist”, a lemon sponge with thyme crème, raspberry jelly and lemon mousse; and “A Christmas Carol”, a take on Ebenezer Scrooge’s top hat in the form of rich chocolate sponge and sour cherry jelly, topped with a (totally edible) lit candle. Better yet, they come with miniature mince pies and a hearty, savory first course (a prawn tart with baby gem lettuce and caviar; egg, mayo, chives and smoked eel in a brioche bun; turkey with pork stuffing and cranberry sauce), plus the tea selection is just unparalleled. You can’t go wrong with the subtle Vanilla Supreme, the sweet Truffle and Pistachio, or the divine Jasmine Oolong, but the star of the show is the Emperor’s Seven Treasures, a royal favorite once served in Beijing’s Forbidden Palace, whose recipe was a closely guarded secret for generations before being lost for centuries. A delicate blend of green and black teas, which tastes slightly different with every sip, it’s simply sublime.
From £90
5/10
For a special occasion: The Ritz
Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, or any major milestone, if you choose to celebrate with an afternoon tea, it simply has to be at The Ritz’s show-stopping Palm Court. On my last visit, on a cold, mid-week evening no less, there was a moment when the resident pianist began tinkling “Happy Birthday” and more than a dozen waiters seemed to appear out of thin air carrying miniature cakes for delighted guests. In truth, the charming staff here always go the extra mile, and the ornate interiors—gold walls, twinkling chandeliers, ivory accents—are as impressive as the classic menu: remarkable sandwiches (try the ham with grain mustard mayonnaise on brioche, the smoked salmon with lemon butter on sourdough, and the egg mayonnaise roll with chopped shallots and watercress), fabulous fruit scones and elaborate desserts. There’s nothing else quite like it.
From £81