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 festive 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 Pan Pacific London, Liverpool Street
Southeast Asian-inspired restaurant Straits Kitchen at Pan Pacific London puts a festive twist on its afternoon tea menus for both adults and children.
A Rudolph pecan tart, a mint chocolate macaron wreath and a plum and chestnut mousse ‘bauble’ are on the menu, alongside finger sandwiches and festive orange and cranberry scones. If you're treating the kids too, this one is a great option, as their menu comes with interactive activities including biscuit decorating and cupcake crafting to keep them occupied as you eat.
For extra festive flair, the hotel overlooks what claims to be London's tallest Christmas tree (sorry, Trafalgar Square), the 67-footer on nearby Bishopsgate Plaza, decorated with 65,000 lights and 800 baubles... though we admit, we haven't counted them ourselves.
Festive afternoon tea at Pan Pacific London. Available from 13 November 2024. From £68 adult/£29 per child.
Festive afternoon tea at the Great Northern Hotel, King's Cross
There's a French-inspired angle to the festive afternoon tea at RAILS Restaurant, within the Great Northern Hotel at King's Cross. Kick things off with turkey and cranberry or brie and apple sandwiches, and a leek, thyme and Comté quiche. We're rather tempted by the eggnog tart which is served with a gingerbread man, and other sweet dishes including a spiced apple crumble muffin and a red cherry and chestnut yule log. Naturally, scones served with jam and cream also feature, to be washed down either with East India Company tea, or a glass of fizz.
Festive afternoon tea at the Great Northern Hotel. Available 14 November 2024-5 January 2025. From £39.50 per person.
'That Christmas' afternoon tea at Sheraton Grand Park Lane
New Netflix family film That Christmas is the inspiration for the festive afternoon tea at the Sheraton Grand Park Lane. Sit down in the historic Palm Court restaurant — one of our favourite spots in London for afternoon tea, thanks to its tranquility and elegance — alongside a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, and eat your way through a suitably festive menu, beginning with finger sandwiches. Coronation turkey with cranberry chutney; egg mayonnaise and cress; cucumber with whipped ricotta and lime; and a smoked Scottish salmon wellington all feature, with a vegetarian version also available.
Plain scones, and the rather special orange, cinammon and cranberry scones are all served warm, along with pots of apricot jam, raspberry jam, lemon curd and clotted cream. If you're not feeling thoroughly festive by this point, the desserts will sort you right out: our favourite is the passionfruit snowman, its tangy filling paired perfectly with a white chocolate shell. An 'officially nice' cherry and pistachio macaron, a salted caramel Dasher mousse and a lemon and gingerbread opera designed to look like a stack of Post-It notes are all nods to the characters and themes of the film — though they're still rather delicious (and photogenic) if event if you haven't found time to watch it yet.
The impressive selection of teas to accompany the food is worth lingering over. For our money, the chocolate and chilli black tea has just the kick you need to warm you up on a cold December afternoon. Make sure you leave time to snap some photos of the Christmas tree in the lobby on the way out.
That Christmas afternoon tea at Sheraton Grand Park Lane. Available now until 8 January 2025. From £65 adult/£29 child.
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Christmas afternoon tea with an eerie twist at Harvey Nichols
To celebrate Harvey Nichols Christmas partnership with The World of Tim Burton exhibition at the Design Museum, enjoy an exclusive afternoon tea where gothic elegance meets festive cheer.
Each bite is a tribute to Burton's fantastical films. Munch your way through sweet treats including gold-leaf baubles layered with zesty orange sponge and Christmas pudding mousse; mini ‘teapots’ filled with buttery biscuits and English breakfast tea mousse; peppermint candy cane macarons; and cinnamon gingerbread ganache bonbons encased in white chocolate — all while figuring out which of Burton's films they're themed on.
Savoury dishes are served too, including a truffle, celeriac and mushroom soup; goat’s cheese mousse with a baked grissini; and pigeon and blackberry pie. And it wouldn't be afternoon tea without sandwiches and scones, all served alongside a choice of Harvey Nichols tea or coffee.
Harvey Nichols Christmas Afternoon Tea, available now until 28 December 2024. £40 per person, or £50 with a glass of champagne in the Fifth Floor Café at Knightsbridge, and £50 per person, or £60 with a glass of champagne, at OXO Tower Restaurant.
Festive afternoon tea at The Library at London Marriott County Hall
Christmas afternoon tea is all well and good, but when it comes with some of the most iconic views in London? Even better! Take a seat at The Library and gaze across the river towards Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, as you make your way through a festive menu which includes turkey sandwiches with cranberry butter, and Christmas pudding scones and cinnamon scones served with brandy butter.
As for the dessert course, it pays tribute to its surroundings, with a chocolate orange and salted caramel version of the Elizabeth Tower (or Big Ben), along with a mince pie tart, a fondant fancy, and a mandarin and eggnog Swiss roll.
The surroundings are a fantastic place to hide away on a chilly winter's afternoon as the sun sets. The Library is a cosy space, lined with antique books, and at this time of year, the festive decorations make it all the more special.
Festive afternoon tea at The Library at London Marriott County Hall. Available until 5 January 2025. From £70 per person.
Festive afternoon tea at Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge
The Rotunda Bar & Lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge is a rather fancy setting all year round, with its ornate pillars and beautiful domed ceiling. Ideal then for treating the family to a festive afternoon tea, with menus for both adults and children, and live Christmas music included.
Minted cucumber, coronation chicken and roast turkey are among the finger sandwiches on offer, followed by plain and cranberry scones which are served with three condiments (strawberry jam, orange marmalade and, rather uniquely, kalamansi curd) as well as clotted cream.
The sweet section of the menu is where the festive theme really shines: Santa's hat is a chestnut sponge with chestnut mousse and cranberry confit; an edible wreath is fashioned from pistachio financier, ganache and morello cherry; pear and ginger confit, Christmas spice mousse, poached pear and gingerbread are combined into a Christmas bauble, and a traditional chocolate log takes the form of chocolate and Lapasang Souchon mousse, coffee crémeux and chocolate crunch. Again, children are kept entertained with a gingerbread decorating activity to accompany their own mini version of the menu.
Festive afternoon tea at Four Seasons Hotel London, Tower Bridge. Available 15 November-31 December 2024. From £75 per adult/£35 per child.
Festive afternoon tea at Great Scotland Yard Hotel
Westminster's 5-star Great Scotland Yard Hotel puts a festive twist on the afternoon tea served in The Parlour, in partnership with B Corp premium chocolate brand, Valrhona Chocolate.
Festive delights on the menu include wild mushroom and rocket quiche; turkey, celeriac remoulade and cranberry sauce on brown bread; and a chestnut and Montgomery cheddar Yorkshire pudding. Of course, freshly baked plain scones feature, and — this really piqued our interest — spiced gingerbread scones, served with Cornish clotted cream and blackberry jam. Both the gingerbread scones and the blackberry jam make a welcome and festive change from the usual fruit scones served elsewhere.
An assortment of festive teas, cakes and pastries are also available, such as the hotel’s signature GSY bûche de Noël Spiced Jivara chocolate and bergamot teacake; a chestnut and cassis Mont Blanc Christmas tree tart; and Black Forest reindeer with Kalingo chocolate and Amarena mousse.
You can upgrade for a Champagne Afternoon Tea or Infinite Champagne Afternoon Tea, and rather wonderfully, it's available to book for Christmas Day itself. The afternoon tea is served in the intimate Parlour, which has its own Christmas tree, and the rest of the hotel is fantastically decked out for Christmas. Take time to have a proper look around the lobby while you're there — it's full of artefacts relating to the building's history as the former HQ of the Metropolitan Police.
Festive afternoon tea at Great Scotland Yard Hotel, available 18 November 2024-5 January 2025. From £65 per person.
Festive afternoon tea at The Dilly
We're huge fans of The Dilly's London-themed afternoon tea (the chocolate Big Ben is exquisite) so we're thrilled to learn that the Piccadilly hotel is serving up a seasonal version.
Begin with an array of festive sandwiches, including turkey and cranberry served on malt bread, and candied ginger cream and poached salmon on white bread. Naturally, plain and raisin scones, served with clotted cream and strawberry jam, are included, but for us, it's all about the sweet treats.
At this time of year, that means a banana and Baileys cremeux in the shape of Tower Bridge, a hazelnut and salted caramel Big Ben, a Speculoos spice and date cake resembling St Paul’s Cathedral, and red bus shaped mandarin and cardamom cheesecake. Perfection.
Festive afternoon tea at The Dilly. Available 18 November 2024-5 January 2025. £49 per adult/£39 per child.
Hansel & Gretel festive afternoon tea at The Swan at The Globe, Bankside
The Swan at The Globe keeps up with its thespian neighbour, offering a regularly-changing afternoon tea menu themed on different Shakespeare plays. We were huge fans of the A Midsummer Night's Dream offering a few years ago, but for Christmas 2024 it's leaning away from The Bard, and into the Grimm Brothers.
Taking inspiration from the festive production of Hansel and Gretel, the Hansel and Gretel afternoon tea offers a fairytale twist on a classic afternoon tea. A quick glance at the menu draws our eyes straight to the gingerbread house (in this case a 2D biscuit rather than 3D construction), which is accompanied by mince pies, black forest gateaux, macarons and speculoos biscuits, all given names relating to the tale of Hansel and Gretel.
Scottish salmon and dill, and egg mayonnaise sandwiches, a wild forest mushroom vol au vent, and a turkey and cranberry bun add a savoury balance, and plain and raisin scones are also served. Always worth putting in a cheeky request for a window table at this venue, so you can watch boats whizzing up and down on the river as you dine.
Festive afternoon tea at The Swan. Available from 19 November 2024. £39.50 per person.
'Twas The Night Before Christmas afternoon tea at Grosvenor House, Park Lane
'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house... if you know the words to this Christmas poem, have we got the afternoon tea for you.
Grosvenor House takes inspiration from the excitement of the last sleep before Christmas for its festive afternoon tea this year. Expect enough excitement and nostalgia that you'll be itching to hang your stocking before you've even reached the scone course. The charmingly-named menu items include ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (a traditional brandy-soaked fruit cake with a marzipan case); A Mouse About this House (baked cheesecake with a caramel crème fraîche miniature mouse); Trimmings and Traditions (a glittering gold bauble of fig mousse and plum compote on a spiced sable biscuit); and Dash, Dash - Away in a Flash (A hazelnut and praline sponge yule log with Dasher the reindeer in chocolate form).
Sandwiches and scones are provided too but, really, we're here for those charming pastries. The menu takes the form of a watercolour-illustrated version of the poem which you can take home as a keepsake, and the Park Room’s resident pianist plays renowned carols and Christmas songs while you dine.
A children's version is available too, featuring pastries, miniature scones, ice cream and hot chocolate... and presumably minus the brandy-laced fruit cake.
'Twas The Night Before Christmas afternoon tea at Grosvenor House. Available 19 November 2024-2 January 2025. From £70 per adult/£35 per child.
Après Afternoon Tea at W London
The Perception Bar at W London in Leicester Square has teamed up with W Verbier for a Swiss Alpine menu this winter — and that extends to afternoon tea. Immerse yourself among fur blankets, skis, and firewood and enjoy après ski-inspired bites including potato rosti with smoked ham, beetroot and dill smoked salmon, followed by 'Sloping Scones' and 'Sweet Peaks' pastries shaped like snowballs and mountains. Pair it with seasonal teas, or upgrade to themed cocktails or a glass of Veuve Clicquot Champagne. Even better, this one runs until February, so you can book it in after Christmas if you're running out of time in December — it's always nice to have a treat to look forward to in January!
Après Afternoon Tea at W London. Available now until 28 February 2025. From £52 per person.
Festive afternoon tea at The Royal Lancaster, Lancaster Gate
The Hyde Cafe at The Royal Lancaster offers a festive afternoon tea menu, beginning with finger sandwiches such as turkey and cranberry, and roast salmon, followed by homemade scones served with clotted cream and preserves.
Most impressive — and certainly most Christmassy — is the selection of sweet bites, whipped up by Head Pastry Chef Scott Villacora and his team. The photogenic cakes include the Snowflake fruit cake with brandy mousse, the Christmas Present made of cranberry curd, yuzu cremeux and shortbread, Santa’s Belt Bauble with chocolate mousse, spiced pear compote, and chocolate cake, and the Yule Log, created with whipped ganache, cocoa genoise and morello cherry confit.
We've always found the cafe to be a great spot for people-watching, as its open plan design means it looks into the hotel lobby, with a constant stream of guests arriving and leaving.
Festive afternoon tea at The Royal Lancaster. Available 25 November 2024-5 January 2025. From £59 per person.
Festive afternoon tea at DUKES London
Rather unusually, the festive afternoon tea at DUKES London in St James's takes the format of a four-course menu, inspired by seasonal flavours.
Begin with Eggs Drumkilbo — an alternative take on prawn cocktail made with lobster or crab meat, chopped egg and Sherry jelly, which is said to be a favourite of the Royal family. This is followed by savoury dishes savoury dishes including smoked turkey breast with cranberry and a sage and onion, beetroot and goat’s cheese cone.
Then tuck into a ‘flight of scones,’ featuring classic buttermilk, mince pie (!), and golden raisin scones, served warm with a selection of condiments, finishing up with sweet treats including Christmas tree biscuits, a gingerbread man, and cranberry and vanilla choux.
Festive afternoon tea at DUKES London. Available from 28 November 2024. From £65 per person.
EL&N x Moomin festive afternoon tea at Selfridges
Moomin (Moomin Characters and Moomin Arabia) and EL&N have teamed up for a limited edition seasonal afternoon tea, served at EL&N Selfridges for just two weeks.
Based on Finnish artist Tove Jansson’s characters, the Moomins, the menu includes a base layer of savoury Moomin shaped sandwiches, a second tier of Moomin-inspired sweet treats including a Moomin macaron, and a top tier of mini pancakes using the official Moominmamma recipe.
It's all served on Moomin Arabia ceramics, including plates, teacups, and Moominhouse teapots, all designed by Fiskars Group, which has been creating Moomin ceramics since the 1950s.
EL&N x Moomin Afternoon Tea. Available 6-20 December 2024. £49.95 for two people.
