The Best Afternoon Teas In London For Popping Those Pinkies (2026 Edition)
You can't hit London town without savouring one of the city's endless slew of afternoon high teas. This beloved British culinary institution ranges from the quirky and quaint to the outrageously fancy. You can opt for the cheap and cheerful or the dangerously expensive, but one thing always remains true: you’re never alone with a scone.
Here are 10 of the best afternoon teas in London to experience in 2024.
Palm Court at The Ritz
150 Piccadilly, St. James's, London
Image credit: The Ritz | Website
London’s most famous hotel is probably the right place to start. Its ultra luxe Palm Court serves up finely cut sandwiches, freshly baked scones, and a selection of afternoon teacakes and pastries. You can also choose between 20 different types of loose-leaf tea. Beware: The Ritz (being The Ritz) has a firm dress code, with jeans and sportswear not permitted for afternoon tea in Palm Court.
Bookings from £95 ($185) for adults and £73 ($142) for children. Book here.
The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at Fortnum & Mason
4th Floor, 181 Piccadilly, St. James's, London
Image credit: Fortnum & Mason | Instagram
The self-declared undisputed home of afternoon tea, Fortnum & Mason has been putting on an arvo spread for more than a century. Its Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon renamed after a visit from the Queen in 2012 has neighboured Piccadilly Circus for over 300 years, originally as an apartment for the Fortnum family. The room, fitted out with refined Georgian-style décor, even includes a resident pianist to accompany the scone scoffing.
Afternoon tea is £84 ($163) per person. Book here.
The Foyer and Reading Room at Claridge’s
Claridge's, Brook St, London
Image credit: Claridge's | Instagram
Another of London’s most famous culinary institutions, Claridge’s is well known for afternoon tea in its spectacular Foyer. At the centre of the room which is walled by original art deco mirrors hangs a gigantic Dale Chihuly chandelier made from over 800 pieces of glass. Epitomising old style charm, Claridge’s brings a few creative twists to the traditional dishes.
Afternoon tea is £95 ($185) per person, with Champagne afternoon tea available at £110 ($214) per person. Book here.
Thames Foyer at the Savoy
Strand, London
Image credit: The Savoy | Instagram
Another giant of London’s afternoon tea game, the five-star Savoy has been doing this since it opened back in 1889. Served in the hotel’s Thames Foyer, under a stunning glass-domed atrium, a gazebo takes centre stage with a pianist providing the backing track. The Savoy’s afternoon tea offers over 30 teas with twists on classic sandwiches, homemade scones, and a selection of tempting pastries. They’ve stepped things up in recent years too, introducing vegetarian and vegan afternoon teas.
Afternoon tea goes from £90 ($175) for adults and £45 ($87) for children. Book here.
Gatsby's Room, The Beaumont
8 Balderton St, Brown Hart Gardens, London
Image credit: The Beaumont | Instagram
Inspired by the 1926 origins of the building, the Gatsby Room in The Beaumont is an ode to the hotel’s transatlantic heritage—its afternoon tea sprinkled with what it describes as a light American accent. Its finger sandwiches, scones and pastries are served alongside a wide choice of exquisite loose-leaf teas courtesy of high-end purveyor JING.
Afternoon tea is from £70 ($136) per person. Book here.
NoMad
28 Bow St, London
Image credit: NoMad | Instagram
Covent Garden’s five-star hotel NoMad does a “tradition meets whimsy” afternoon tea within their spectacular glass conservatory. You can choose between sweet (rum currant and orange zest) and savoury (blue cheese with sage) scones, while teas range from rare to "rare-st”, sourced from New Zealand to Nepal and everywhere in between.
Afternoon tea is £75 ($146) per person. Book here.
The Mirror Room at Rosewood
252 Rosewood, High Holborn, London
Image credit: Rosewood | Instagram
Holborn’s luxury hotel Rosewood is home to one of the most creative afternoon teas in the city. Their Masterful Art afternoon tea features a curation of pastries that form mini replicas of famous artworks. You can tuck into cake-form recreations of Yayoi Kusama, Vincent Van Gogh, Andy Warhol, Banksy and David Hockney, while relaxing into the elegant surrounds of Rosewood’s dining lounge The Mirror Room.
Afternoon tea costs £80 ($156) per person. Book here.
Harrods Tea Rooms
87-135 Brompton Rd, London
Image credit: Harrods | Instagram
It doesn’t get more British than this. London’s renowned luxury department store hosts its own afternoon tea with a revolving menu to meet each season, set under a grandiose art deco skylist on the building’s fourth floor. There’s an optional pairing of Harrods-brand champagne, while a vegan afternoon tea menu is available too.
Afternoon tea is £82 ($160) per person. Book here.
Sketch
9 Conduit St, London
Image credit: Sketch | Instagram
Instagram-famous Sketch is one of the most iconic afternoon tea venues in London. Known for its pink scalloped seating and whimsical wall art, the 18th century townhouse has a few twists up its sleeve, including French-inspired additions such as a sumptuous Croque Monsieur—plus wildcards like a pineapple and chilli cheesecake.
Afternoon tea is from £79 ($154) per person. Book here.
The Lanesborough
Park Corner, Hyde, London
Image credit: The Lanesborough | Website
Dust off your Regency best—The Lanesborough is serving a Bridgerton-inspired afternoon tea that’s every bit as decadent as you’d hope. Created as a limited-edition, seasonal moment to celebrate Bridgerton Season 4, this is a polished nod to high society with a playful twist. Expect beautifully executed finger sandwiches, warm house-baked scones with cream and jam, and four signature sweets inspired by the series’ most beloved characters, all paired with a generous selection of teas and infusions. And because no scandal is complete without a tipple, the Forbidden Love cocktail rounds things out—bold, elegant and absolutely Lady Whistledown-approved.
Afternoon tea is from £92 ($179) per person. Book here.
One Aldwych
1 Aldwych, London
Image credit: One Aldwych | Website
If your idea of afternoon tea leans more Willy Wonka than Windsor, One Aldwych has you very much covered. Inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, this wildly imaginative experience is pure, nostalgic escapism—served right in the heart of London’s theatreland. Think playful savouries like beetroot and horseradish ‘hot ice cream for cold days’ alongside classics like Coronation chicken, before things get seriously whimsical with fluffy floss and a box piled high with cakes, sweets and creams that feel straight out of the factory.
Drinks are half the fun here too. Sip on chocolate or lemon sherbet tea, order cocktails with names like Just Like Gold and Delicious Purplicious, or go all-in with fizzy lifting Champagne. It’s theatrical, joyful and unapologetically indulgent—perfect for special occasions, or simply when you feel like leaning into your inner child and calling it lunch.
Afternoon tea is £75 ($146) for adults and £55 ($107) for children. Book here.
The Wolseley
160 Piccadilly, London
Image credit: The Wolseley | Website
If you’re after a proper, no-frills classic afternoon tea that doesn’t come with a sky-high price tag, The Wolseley is a London icon for good reason. Housed in a grand Piccadilly dining room that feels unmistakably old-school (in the best way), this is where tradition is treated with confidence rather than fuss.
The Classic Afternoon Tea delivers exactly what you want: a tidy line-up of finger sandwiches, fruit scones served warm with homemade jam and clotted cream, plus a selection of cakes that are elegant rather than experimental. It’s all paired with a choice of the house’s most popular teas, poured with quiet precision and zero gimmicks.
Timeless, polished and refreshingly accessible, this is the kind of afternoon tea you book when you want the full London experience—without feeling like you’ve accidentally committed to a once-a-year splurge.
Afternoon tea is £46.50 ($90) per person. Book here.
London by Lily Vanilli at The Four Seasons
10 Trinity Square, London
Image credit: The Four Seasons | Website
If you think you’ve seen every version of afternoon tea London has to offer, this one will happily prove you wrong. Created in collaboration with cult cake queen Lili Vanilli, this afternoon tea flips tradition on its head—swapping tiered cucumber sandwiches for chic snacks, playful flavours and very good drinks.
Set against the hotel’s grand riverside backdrop, the experience is all about fun rather than formality. Expect beautifully styled bites like crisp confit potato bites topped with salmon, a coffee caramel tiramisu tart and cheese loaded savoury scones designed for grazing rather than ceremony. Tea is still very much part of the picture but cocktails are where things really shine—think tasting flights, a seriously smooth spicy margarita and an espresso martini that disappears far too easily.
Afternoon tea is £55 ($107) per person and with cocktail pairing it’s £90 ($175). Book here.
Deciding what to savour next in London? Check out:
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