Best afternoon tea in London

To find the best afternoon tea in London we ate our way through piles of finger sandwiches, tiers of cakes and delicacies, and pots of tea – little fingers raised, of course. 

We headed to the most popular venues across the city, including Claridge's, Fortnum & Mason, The Ritz London, The Savoy and more to try each afternoon tea menu.

Whether you're travelling into or across London for a special occasion afternoon tea, we've rated each one on the taste of its sweet and savoury courses, as well as the tea. We've also judged on presentation of the spread, the ambiance of the venue and the service.

The best afternoon tea in London

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The afternoon teas in London we tried

All the afternoon teas in London we tried are listed in alphabetical order below.

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Brigit's Bakery Classic Afternoon Tea Bus London Sightseeing Tour

How much is afternoon tea on Brigit's Bakery Afternoon Tea Bus £45 per person, also available at Virgin Experience Days (£120 for two), Buyagift (£120 for two)

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Other afternoon tea menus Vegan Afternoon Tea, Vegetarian Afternoon Tea, Halal Afternoon Tea, Gluten Free Afternoon Tea

Extras Bottle of sparkling wine (from £29), bottle of champagne (from £48)

Departing from Trafalgar Square or Victoria Coach Station

Need to know Daily tours depart at: 12pm, 12:30pm, 2:30pm, 3pm, 5pm. Additional weekend tours: 1pm, 3:30pm, approximate 80-minute duration, see the menu, no toilets on board 

Claridge's

How much is afternoon tea at Claridge's £90 per person

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Other afternoon tea menus Champagne Afternoon Tea (£100 per person), Rosé Champagne Afternoon Tea (£115 per person), Children's Afternoon Tea (£45 per person), Easter Afternoon Tea (£115 per person), Chelsea Flower Show Afternoon Tea (£115 per person)

Extras Glass of champagne (from £28)

Address Claridge's, Brook Street, Mayfair, London W1K 4HR

Need to know Served from 2.45pm to 5.30pm, see the menu, food and tea refills available

Fortnum & Mason

How much is afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason £80 per person, also available at Virgin Experience Days (£140 for two)

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Other afternoon tea menus High Tea (£85 per person), Savoury Afternoon Tea (£83 per person), Vegetarian Afternoon Tea (£80 per person)

Extras Glass of champagne (£17.50), glass of rosé sparkling tea (£7.50), cocktails (from £15.50)

Address Fourth Floor, Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, St. James's, London W1A 1ER

Need to know Served from 11.30am to 8pm (Monday-Thursday), 11am to 8pm (Friday and Saturday), 11:30am to 6pm (Sunday), see the menu, food and tea refills available

Fortnum's Bar and Restaurant at The Royal Exchange

How much is afternoon tea at Fortnum's Bar and Restaurant at The Royal Exchange £38 per person, also available at Virgin Experience Days (£85 for two)

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Extras Glass of champagne (£17.50), glass of winter sparkling tea (£7.50)

Address Fourth Floor, Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, St James's, London W1A 1ER

Need to know Served from 2.30pm to 4.30pm (Monday-Friday), see the menu

Sketch

How much is afternoon tea at Sketch £80 per person

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Other afternoon tea menus Champagne Afternoon Tea (from £94 per person), Children's Afternoon Tea (£55 per person), Easter Afternoon Tea (from £95 per person) 

Extras Glass of champagne (from £24), glass of sparkling wine (from £19), cocktails (from £18), non-alcoholic drink (from £11)

Address Sketch, 9 Conduit Street, London W1S 2XG

Need to know Served from 11.30am to 4.30pm (Monday-Sunday), see the menu, food and tea refills available

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The Dorchester

How much is afternoon tea at The Dorchester £95 per person

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Other afternoon tea menus Children's afternoon tea (£50 per person), Champagne Afternoon Tea (from £105 per person), Vegan Afternoon Tea (£95 per person), 

Address The Dorchester, 53 Park Lane, London W1K 1QA

Need to know Served from 12pm to 4.30pm (Monday-Sunday), 11.30am to 8pm (Saturday), 12pm to 6pm (Sunday), see the menu, food and tea refills available, dress code is smart casual with no sportswear or caps

The Harrods Tea Rooms

How much is afternoon tea at The Harrods Tea Rooms £73 per person, also available at Virgin Experience Days (£110 for two), Buyagift (£110 for two)

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Other afternoon tea menus Vegan Afternoon Tea (£70 per person), Kids Afternoon Tea (£41 per person)

Extras Glass of prosecco (£15), glass of champagne (£19), cocktails (from £16), non-alcoholic cocktails (from £12)

Address Fourth Floor, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL

Need to know Served from 12pm to 7pm (Monday-Friday), 11.30am to 8pm (Saturday), 12pm to 6pm (Sunday), see the menu, food and tea refills available

The Ritz London

How much is afternoon tea at The Ritz London £75 per person

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Other afternoon tea menus Children's afternoon tea (£53 per person)

Extras Glass of champagne (from £23), glass of sparkling tea (£17), glass of alcohol-free bubbles (£19)

Address The Ritz London, 50 Piccadilly, St James's, London W1J 9BR

Need to know Served at 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm, see the menu, food and tea refills available, men are required to wear a suit jacket and tie

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The Savoy

How much is afternoon tea at The Savoy £80 per person (including vegan and vegetarian) 

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Other afternoon tea menus Children's afternoon tea (£40 per person), Champagne Afternoon Tea (from £95 per person), High Tea (£95 per person including vegan and vegetarian) 

Extras Glass of champagne (from £21), cocktails (from £26)

Address Thames Foyer at The Savoy, The Strand, London WC2R 0EZ

Need to know Served 12.30pm-7pm (Monday-Sunday), see the menu, food and tea refills available

The Wolseley

How much is afternoon tea at The Wolseley £44.50 per person 

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Other afternoon tea menus Cream Tea (£19.50 per person), Champagne Afternoon Tea (£56 per person)

Extras Glass of champagne (from £19.75), glass of prosecco (from £15.25), cocktails (from £14)

Address The Wolseley, 160 Piccadilly, St James's, London W1J 9EB

Need to know Served from 3pm to 6.30pm (Monday-Friday), 3.30pm to 6.30pm (Saturday-Sunday) see the menu, food and tea refills available

Ting at The Shard

How much is afternoon tea at Ting £79 per person

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Other afternoon tea menus Afternoon tea with a glass of champagne (from £89), afternoon tea with a cocktail (£86), afternoon tea with a mocktail (£82)

Extras Additional glass of champagne (from £24), signature cocktail (£20)

Address Ting Restaurant, Level 35, Shangri-La The Shard, 31 St Thomas Street, London SE1 9QU

Need to know Served from 12.30pm to 3.30pm (Monday-Thursday), 12.30pm to 4pm (Friday-Sunday), see the menu, food and tea refills available, dress code is smart casual

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How we test afternoon tea in London

To find the best afternoon tea in London, we head out to a selection of popular venues to try their standard afternoon tea menus. We pay for each afternoon tea that we attend and assess the following factors:

• Taste We rate the quality of ingredients and flavours in the sweet course, savoury course and tea. 
• Presentation We rate the table setting, crockery and how the food is presented. 
• Ambiance We look at the furniture, lighting, colour scheme and even the bathrooms to rate the ambiance of the venue. 
• Service We take note of how quickly the tea is served, how often our server checks in on us and how knowledgeable they are about the menu. The best go above and beyond to make your afternoon tea a wonderful experience. 

We also look for certain factors that we think every good afternoon tea should include. For example, if there is someone to show us to our seat and take our coat, the menu is explained to us, extra food and drink is offered, scones are served warm and lots more. If an afternoon tea doesn't have one of these important factors, it's marked down. 

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What to wear to afternoon tea

Some afternoon tea venues such in London, such as The Dorchester or Ting at The Shard, have a smart casual dress code, with no caps or sportswear. It's worth checking on the venue's website before you attend. 

The strictest dress code we found was at The Ritz London where men are required to wear a suit jacket and tie.

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