As May kicks in and the Chelsea Flower Show approaches, London's menus take on a decidedly floral theme — and that extends to afternoon tea too. The Olympics, Harry Potter and royalty also feature in newly launched afternoon teas this May: read on for more details and get booking. Some of these aren't around for long.
Afternoon Tea 'That Must Not Be Named' at Great Northern Hotel
Things get magical at Rails restaurant inside the Great Northern Hotel in King's Cross, which launches a new afternoon tea inspired by the its proximity to the platform 9¾ at King's Cross Station, from where a certain boy wizard caught his train to boarding school.
The menu includes a 'herbologist's' red pepper and cream cheese spinach wrap; tomato 'Enchanted' arancini; a 'Butterscotch beer' panna cotta; a crunchy passionfruit 'Snitch'; and a chocolate mousse frog.
Afternoon Tea 'That Must Not Be Named' at Great Northern Hotel. From £39.50 per person. Available now, Thursday-Sunday.
Elizabethan Royal Tea at InterContinental London Park Lane
InterContinental London Park Lane, former childhood residence of Queen Elizabeth II, has launched an Elizabethan Royal Tea, inspired by the legacies of both Queen Elizabeth I and II. It's served in the Wellington Lounge on Wedgwood English bone china, and the menu includes the 'Royal Warrant' salmon & caviar bliss; Monarch's coronation chicken royale (inspired by Elizabeth II's famous 1953 coronation dish); and the Elizabeth I Syllabub (a pastry adorned with a sable as a nod to the Elizabeth I's love of these sweet confections).
Elizabethan Royal Tea at InterContinental London Park Lane. From £74 per person. Available now, 1pm-5pm daily.
Bank-Themed Afternoon Tea at The Ned
The building which now houses The Ned was previously the Midland Bank headquarters, and it celebrates its centenary this year. Among special happenings is a bank-themed afternoon tea, served at Millie's Lounge in the grand banking hall. The menu includes sandwiches, scones and bank-themed cakes, such as an edible gold bar made from passion fruit mousse, mango and coconut, and a miniature safe filled with dark chocolate and salted caramel.
Bank-Themed Afternoon Tea at The Ned. £100 for two people. Available from 7 May.
Flower Fairies Afternoon Tea at Grosvenor House
Illustrator Cicely Mary Barker's 170 Flower Fairies illustrations are the basis for a new afternoon tea at Grosvenor House on Park Lane, in collaboration with publisher Penguin Random House London.
The botanically inspired menu includes five pastries and an amuse bouche paying homage to the book's enchanting narrative: Fairy Dust (a sparkling wine granita); The Lavender Fairy (lemon-soaked cake encased in white chocolate, with blueberry and lavender essence); Apple Blossom Bliss (apple tea mousse with apple compote and sugar blossoms); Woodland Whispers (a brownie with milk chocolate and raspberry ganache within a toadstool); An Enchanted Chapter (a vanilla and hazelnut sponge book, layered with hazelnut cream); and Butterflies and Blooms (strawberry compote with vanilla custard rosebud, adorned with a white chocolate butterfly).
Finger sandwiches and scones are also part of the experience. The watercolour menu is yours to keep, and the Park Room, where it is served, is transformed into a wild fairy garden.
Flower Fairies Afternoon Tea at The Grosvenor. From £70 per person. Available 13 May-November 2024.
Bloomin' Lovely Afternoon Tea at The Goring
As we tipped you off last month, Belgravia hotel The Goring is getting into the spirit of flower festival Belgravia in Bloom (itself inspired by the Chelsea Flower Show), with a Bloomin' Lovely Afternoon Tea. An assortment of floral-inspired sandwiches, scones, sweet treats and teas is served in the hotel's private garden. We're particularly intrigued by the blackcurrant and hibiscus scones, though other items on the menu include a strawberry and violet cheesecake, and a chocolate and mint cake.
Bloomin' Lovely Afternoon Tea at The Goring. From £80 per person. Available 13-26 May.
Parisian Afternoon Tea at The Dilly
We're HUGE fans of the London-themed afternoon tea at Piccadilly hotel The Dilly, so we're rather excited that a Parisian version is being launched this summer, to coincide with the French capital hosting the Olympics.
The sandwiches all have a French flavour, and include a baguette with sliced ham and cheese; a crêpe containing roasted vegetables and soft cheese; and the Sandwich Lyonnaise, which is made up of egg mayonnaise and mustard cress served on focaccia.
As with the London version, the art really comes through in the desserts, designed to resemble a medal, the Olympia Column, and the Mona Lisa. Of course, the Eiffel Tower is present too, in the form of a biscuit layered with chocolate mousse and mandarin gel, with the famous tower made out of chocolate sat on top. We can only hope it's half as delicious as the chocolate Big Ben on the London menu — it's the most deliciously memorable component of an afternoon tea we've had anywhere in the capital.
Parisian Afternoon Tea at The Dilly. £49 per person. Available 13 May-30 September.
Chelsea Flower Show Afternoon Tea at Number Sixteen
Another botanical-inspired afternoon tea can be found at Number Sixteen in South Kensington, which showcases edible flowers in its one-week-only Chelsea Flower Show afternoon tea. The menu includes a ricotta and courgette flower vol au vent, a finger sandwich selection with the likes of roast beef and nasturtium on granary, and sweet treats including a dark chocolate and rose delice, and a viola and white macaron.
Chelsea Flower Show Afternoon Tea at Number Sixteen. From £50 per person. Available 20-26 May.
Eaten your way through all of the above? Take a look at the new afternoon tea menus which were introduced in April 2024, March 2024 and February 2024, as several of them are still available.
