Afternoon tea is a special treat, and what better time to be indulgent with family and friends than at Christmas? These restaurants and hotels all offer special festive twists on their afternoon teas and high teas this season — a perfect addition to a day out if you're Christmas shopping, skating at one of London's seasonal ice rinks or just catching up with friends. You'll need to book in advance, so get planning!
Festive afternoon tea at Lanes of London, Park Lane
Within the Marriott Park Lane (handily located for both shopping on Oxford Street and Hyde Park Winter Wonderland) its Lanes of London restaurant serves a classic afternoon tea with added seasonal spice. The tempting savoury menu includes turkey and cranberry bonbons, and a smoked salmon and Cornish crab tartare mille-feuille. Plain and seasonal spiced and mixed fruit scones lead onto the charming dessert course, consisting of Santa's Enchanting Sleigh (fruit cake with ginger shortbread and vanilla frosting), Letters to Santa (a red plum cheesecake with cherry compote), and other sweet Christmassy treats. Full menu here.
Festive afternoon tea at Lanes of London, from £50 per person.
Festive afternoon tea at Westminster Abbey
At the atmospheric Cellarium Cafe & Terrace at Westminster Abbey, the upstairs dining room hosts a festive afternoon tea menu, which includes a chestnut, leek & feta mini quiche, turkey & cranberry mayonnaise finger sandwiches, mini mince pies, carrot cake and macaroons. Unlimited tea and coffee are included, or enjoy a glass of Chapel Down Classic Brut for £11 extra.
Festive afternoon tea at Westminster Abbey, £38 per person.
The Magic Faraway Tree festive afternoon tea at Grosvenor House, Park Lane
Enid Blyton's children's creation The Magic Faraway Tea is the theme of the festive afternoon tea at Grosvenor House on Park Lane. While sandwiches and scones are in the offing, it's all about the themed pastries here: the centre of your table transforms into an enchanting woodland laden with The Magic Faraway Tree (a chocolate sponge with orange jam in a milk chocolate shell, topped with candy floss and a forest-moss-inspired crumble); The Land of Presents (honey mousse and pear compote with caramelised chocolate ganache and honeycomb crunch): Moonface's Bauble (a ginger and mandarin mousse on a gingersnap and caramelised chocolate biscuit); Woodland Whispers (an edible woodland toadstool in a white chocolate shell, concealing chocolate sponge with morello cherry preserve and whipped vanilla ganache); and The Land of Dreams (a creamy chocolate mousse crowned with a vanilla marshmallow cloud).
The Magic Faraway Tree festive afternoon tea at Grosvenor House. From £75 per adult/£38 per child.
Hamleys festive afternoon tea at The Langham, Oxford Circus
Once again, toy store Hamleys teams up with The Langham (located just north of Oxford Circus) for a variety of festivities, including both a children's and adults' afternoon tea, served in the Palm Court restaurant. Younger diners get a menu full of whimsical pastries including a Hamleys Bear and a miniature carousel, washed down with a build-your-own hot choc, while adults can enjoy the Langham's traditional afternoon tea with extra festive sparkle.
Hamleys festive afternoon tea at The Langham. From £75 per child/£95 per adult.
Festive afternoon tea at Pan Pacific London, Liverpool Street
It's home to what is apparently London's tallest Christmas tree, so it makes sense that the Pan Pacific London would go all out for the season, including a festive afternoon tea. British tradition meets Asian flair in the special menu, served in the Ginger Lily Lounge, including roast turkey, cranberry, and sage & onion butter finger sandwiches; plain and gingerbread scones; a bobble hat mousse; and a Christmas pudding macaron. A special version for under-12s is also available. Full menu here.
Festive afternoon tea at Pan Pacific London, £68 per adult/£29 per child.
Festive afternoon tea at St Ermin's Hotel, Westminster
Both adults and children are catered for at the St Ermin's Hotel, which is decked out for Christmas with floral garlands and Christmas trees throughout its lobby and staircase. Grown-ups can dine on festive finger sandwiches including turkey and chestnut with cranberry and tarragon mayonnaise, and a prawn cocktail brioche roll, followed by scones and sweet delicacies such as a chocolate and Grand Marnier mousse, and a gingerbread spiced choux. Children's treats include egg mayonnaise and ham and cheese sandwiches, a lemon drizzle cupcake, and a cherry and orange mini donut.
Festive afternoon tea at St Ermin's Hotel, from £52 per person.
Winter afternoon tea in London's parks
For something a bit different from an upmarket hotel, take Christmas afternoon tea in London's parks. Roots & Berries, which runs cafes in several green spaces across the capital, serves a festive (and keenly priced!) afternoon tea menu this Christmas. Made daily by in-house bakers, enjoy seasonal savouries such as smoked salmon tartar with citrus dill cream cheese, and winter treats including gold star chocolate cake with orange ganache, as well as a scone served with, Cornish clotted cream and strawberry jam.
Winter afternoon tea at The Tea House (Bishops Park, Fulham), The Skylark Café (Wandsworth Common), The Rookery Café (Streatham Common), The Paddenswick Tea Gardens (Ravenscourt Park), The Glassmaker’s Café (Brockwell Park) or The Garden Café (Strawberry Hill House). £29 per person (which includes a £2 donation to each park’s Friends Committee).
The Art of Après festive afternoon tea at Sketch London, Regent Street
Instagram-famous restaurant Sketch London is themed on 'The Art of Après' this winter, decked out as a snow-covered escape, just a few steps from Regent Street. The rather charming sweet treats on the festive afternoon tea menu include a slice of Battenberg designed like a Christmas present, chocolate yule logs, and snow-topped miniature Christmas trees. It won't just be the decor you'll be taking snaps of.
The Art of Après festive afternoon tea at Sketch London. From £79 per person.
The Library Festive Afternoon Tea at London Marriott Hotel County Hall, South Bank
One of our favourite spots for boat-watching, the Library within the Marriott County Hall offers views over the river, the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament as you dine. Its afternoon tea menu takes inspiration from this, its most impressive item being a Queen Elizabeth Tower mince pie — yes, a mince pie shaped as the tower (better known as Big Ben). Also on the menu: A brioche bun filled with pigs in blankets and sage crème fraiche butter, as well as cranberry, cinnamon and Christmas pudding flavour scones, a Christmas pudding cheesecake, and a chestnut & pecan yule log.
The Library Festive Afternoon Tea. From £75 per person.
Festive afternoon tea at Pérola Battersea
Fancy Christmas afternoon tea in an art deco-inspired cocktail bar, on the 15th floor overlooking the Battersea Power Station chimneys? That's what you'll get at Pérola, the new bar at JOIA within art’otel Battersea. The experience begins with a selection of sandwiches (lobster roll on brioche with lettuce, chives, aioli and kimchi; Iberico ham and cream cheese with rocket on sourdough toast). Scones are served with strawberry jam, mulled wine jam (keep talking...) and clotted cream. Finish up with festive bakes including a ginger and clementine tart; Baileys and salted caramel present (HELLO!); and milk chocolate and mint bauble.
Festive afternoon tea at Pérola Battersea. From £45 per person.
Festive afternoon tea at the Landmark London, Marylebone
For an overtly festive afternoon tea (with a price tag to match), The Landmark London serves it in the Winter Garden restaurant, an eight-storey tall glass atrium housing palm trees, and at this time of year, Christmas trees. The menu begins with sandwiches such as coronation chicken on walnut bread, followed by plain and Christmas spiced mandarin scones, and finally, festive pastries including a white chocolate, clotted cream and cranberry yule log, and a gingerbread & orange dark chocolate choux.
Festive afternoon tea at the Landmark London, Marylebone. £99 per person.
Other Christmas afternoon tea menus in London
- Winter afternoon tea at The May Fair Hotel. From £49 per person.
- Festive afternoon tea at The Hansom, King's Cross. From £59 per person.
- Nutcracker afternoon tea at Hotel Cafe Royal, Regent Street. From £85 per person.
- Festive cream tea or afternoon tea at The Ivy Collection (multiple venues). From £11.25/£35.95 per person.
- Festive afternoon tea at RAILS Restaurant at Kaya Great Northern Hotel in King’s Cross. £41.50 per person.
- Festive afternoon tea at Kimpton Fitzroy London, Bloomsbury. From £75 per person.
- Festive afternoon tea at The Stafford, St James's. From £78 per person.
- Festive InfiniTEA afternoon tea at Conrad London St James. From £60 per person.
- Lapland afternoon tea at The Montagu Kitchen, Marylebone. From £59 per person.
- Festive afternoon tea at The Coral Room, Bloomsbury. From £75 per person.
- Festive Afternoon Tea by Lily Vanilli at The Four Seasons Hotel London Tower Bridge. From £65 per person.
- Silver Winter Afternoon Tea at Cafe Linea, Chelsea. From £45 per person.
- Festive afternoon tea at the Great Scotland Yard Hotel, Westminster. From £65 per person.
- Christmas afternoon tea at Origin Kensington. From £45 per adult/£25 per child.
