Afternoon Tea Guide

Afternoon tea in London ranges from classic hotel service — finger sandwiches, scones, pastries and a pot of tea over white linen — to playful modern reinterpretations built around a theme, a view, or a particular chef's style.

What's Included

A traditional afternoon tea has three tiers: sandwiches (cucumber, egg, smoked salmon are classics) on the bottom, scones with clotted cream and jam in the middle, and pastries or cakes on top. Tea is usually a loose-leaf selection rather than a single option, and champagne afternoon tea adds a glass (or bottle) of sparkling wine to the format.

Booking

Well-known hotel afternoon teas book up weeks in advance, especially for weekend slots — if you have a specific venue in mind, book as early as you can. Most venues are used to catering for dietary requirements (vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free) if you flag it when booking rather than on arrival.

Tips for Visiting

• Book several weeks ahead for well-known hotels, especially for weekends.
• Flag dietary requirements when booking, not on the day.
• Scones traditionally come with clotted cream and jam — the "cream first or jam first" debate is a genuine, good-natured regional argument, not something to worry about getting wrong.
• Many venues offer a savoury-only or dessert-only option if a full three-tier tea is too much food.