8 Tempting New Afternoon Teas To Try In London This Month: November 2019

Laura Reynolds
By Laura Reynolds Last edited 52 months ago

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8 Tempting New Afternoon Teas To Try In London This Month: November 2019

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City of London Afternoon Tea at Vintry and Mercer © Amy Murrell

Eaten your way through last month's new afternoon teas? Good — now it's time to start on the next lot. Below are all of the afternoon teas that have launched since our last update, or those which are due to launch sometime in November.

Hoping for something a little more festive? Fear not, we'll be publishing a guide to London's Christmas afternoon teas very soon.

Wonderful Treats Afternoon Tea at The Franklin, South Kensington

The Franklin Hotel continues its links with the nearby V&A by paying homage to the current Tim Walker: Wonderful Things exhibition. Event planners La Fête have been brought on board to inject a little theatricality into the Wonderful Treats afternoon tea, in an attempt to emanate Walker's fantastical photos.

The meal is served in tiered bird cages, taking inspiration from fairy tales, with snacks including lobster filled black buns, twisted trees adorned with chocolate and yuzu macaroons, and nests of kataifi pasta with micro salad, ricotta cheese and ‘honeygrette’.

Meringues are served in glass domes, while chocolate and pistachio fake ice cream is served upside down in cones. To wash it all down, there's the additional option of a signature cocktail, containing sloe gin and infused with lavender.

Wonderful Treats Afternoon Tea at The Franklin. £40 per person, or £65 with access to the V&A exhibition. The cocktail costs £18.

Available: 14 October 2019-29 February 2020.

Celestial afternoon tea at Plateau, Canary Wharf

'Celestial' isn't a word that normally springs to mind when you think of the urban jungle of Canary Wharf, but Plateau has teamed up with jewellery brand Astley Clarke for a starry new afternoon tea.

Inspired by astrology and the zodiac, the menu consists of traditional sandwiches and scones, followed by desserts including lemon curd tart with Italian meringue, and a white chocolate and raspberry choux bun, designed to look like elements of the night sky.

Celestial Afternoon Tea at Plateau. £22 per person/£32 with a glass of champagne/£100 for the VIP package, which includes an Astley Clarke necklace and a glass of champagne.

Available: 17 October 2019-29 February 2020.

Poppy Afternoon Tea at The Ivy Cafe, Richmond

It's easy to be cynical about brands which jump on the poppy bandwagon in early November, but The Ivy Café in Richmond has partnered with the nearby Poppy Factory, where millions of Remembrance poppies are made each year.

The restaurant has made a charitable donation to the Poppy Factory's work with veterans, and has installed an arch of poppies around the door. It's also serving a limited edition poppy afternoon tea, the centrepiece of which is The Ivy Poppy Pot, a chocolate dessert topped with an edible poppy flower.

Poppy Afternoon Tea at The Ivy Cafe. £19.75 per person/£28.50 for champagne afternoon tea.

Available: 1-12 November 2019.

Jimmy Choo Prêt-à-Portea at The Berkeley

The Berkeley's foray into fashion continues with the latest incarnation of its Prêt-à-Portea afternoon tea. November sees Sandra Choi, Creative Director of Jimmy Choo, offering her design input in the form of spiced ginger biscuits resembling the brand's Mahesa knee-highs, and featuring the new JC monogram.

Prêt-à-Portea at The Berkeley. From £60 per person.

Available: 1-15 November, after which the festive version takes over.

Do You Like Chocolate? Afternoon Tea at Kimpton Fitzroy London

This new chocolate-inspired menu is the Kimpton Fitzroy London's festive offering, but as far as we're concerned, it's not properly festive until it's got bells, reindeer and Santa's grinning face staring out at you.

Instead, this is a sophisticated menu compiled in collaboration with Thibault Marchand, winner of Bake Off: The Professionals 2019, and aims to show off the versatility of chocolate as an ingredient. The hotel's Director of Bars, Sean Fennelly, worked with Marchand to create some new cocktails, which are paired with the sweet desserts (think chocolate and coffee tart, chocolate and lime choux pastry and mango, passion fruit and chocolate layered cake).

We do have one reservation though — chocolate treats, surrounded by 'roaring fires' (the venue's own description). What could possibly go wrong?

Do You Like Chocolate? Afternoon Tea at Kimpton Fitzroy London, Russell Square. £65 per person/£45 without alcohol.

Available: Thursday-Sunday, from 1 November.

City of London Afternoon Tea at Vintry & Mercer

© Amy Murrell

Boutique hotel Vintry & Mercer knows how to get the attention of our London geek radar — an afternoon tea celebrating the City of London, served in speakeasy-style lounge bar.

The special menu celebrates the history of the capital, with particular focus on the merchant guilds established near the Cannon Street hotel. The 'Mercer' is a salted caramel mousse with passionfruit jelly and chocolate feuilletine, while the ‘Vintner’ is a dark chocolate barrel filled with homemade mulled wine. Bling comes in the form of the 'Goldsmith', a gold foil-wrapped dark chocolate bar filled with crispy pearls. These pastries are served with savouries, including roast beef and horseradish, and smoked salmon sandwiches, and scones.

City of London Afternoon Tea at Vintry & Mercer. £39.50 per person/£49.50 per person with champagne or cocktail flight.

Available: Saturdays and Sundays, from 2 November, indefinitely. 25% off until 29 December to celebrate the launch.

Throwback Tea at Lyaness, Sea Containers

Photo: Harriet Clare

High-end cocktail bar Lyaness (formerly Dandelyan) hosts two special Throwback Tea events this winter, serving its Fancy Tea to guests watching 80s films. The screenings take place in the Curzon cinema within Sea Containers — pick from The Breakfast Club (10 November) or When Harry Met Sally (15 December), and watch the film first, before tucking into the tea.

The afternoon tea itself is a cheeky take on a 1980s dinner party — think sausage rolls, devilled eggs and eclairs.

Throwback Tea at Sea Containers. £74 per person, including film screening.

Available: 10 November and 15 December only. The Fancy Tea alone is available Thursday-Sunday every week.

Churros afternoon tea at The Knot, South Kensington

Willy Wonka didn't do afternoon tea, but it he did, we imagine it would look something like The Knot's new creation.

Run-of-the-mill sandwiches are banished at the outrageous churros cafe, replaced by bagels, and churros served with chocolate dips. The grand finale is a soft serve ice cream dessert, topped with an edible mermaid tail (naturally) and a cloud of candy floss. Sugar high incoming.

I'm So Freaking Grateful For My Churros Afternoon Tea (to give it its full name). £45 for two people.

Available: Indefinitely

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Last Updated 01 November 2019

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