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London’s Best Christmas Afternoon Teas
'Tis the season... to eat cake
By | 7 months ago
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and what better way to celebrate than with some tea and cake? Many of London’s finest restaurants and hotels have given their afternoon teas a festive shake-up, with seasonal sandwiches, mince pies and mulled wine being thrown into the mix. So toast your teacups and enjoy some festive feasting at one of the city’s best Christmas afternoon teas.
10 Best Christmas Afternoon Teas in London
- The Biltmore Hotel
- The Ivy Asia
- The Rotunda Bar & Lounge, Four Seasons Hotel at Ten Trinity Square
- The Carlton Tower Jumeirah
- The Savoy
- London Hilton on Park Lane
- The Dorchester
- Strand Palace
- Pan Pacific London
- The Lanesborough
- Corinthia London
The Biltmore Hotel
Visiting The Biltmore in Mayfair is like entering a luxurious grotto – guaranteed to get you in the festive spirit and located close to Bond St, makes a heart-warming post-shopping pit stop. Dressed for Christmas the Tea Lounge glistens with starched white linen, twinkling lights, silver trays and glistening baubles. Feast on a selection of savouries including turkey and cranberry and cucumber and truffle sandwiches before an interim of scones and cream before indulging in cake. The patisserie chef has gone to town with pistachio and raspberry Santa Claus financiers, little ‘Mont Blanc’ trees with Cassis and Bavarois and chocolate mousse Holly candles. Dainty enough to enable you to devour them all. Add a glass of Champagne for extra cheer.
Price: From £80pp
Date: Hotel guests only on 25/26 Dec 2022
Address: 44, Grosvenor Square, W1K 2HP
BOOK: hilton.com
The Ivy Asia
This festive season, The Ivy Asia across London is partnering exclusively with Champagne Laurent-Perrier for a glitzy and glamorous handcrafted afternoon tea. The menu will feature handmade aromatic duck spring rolls, steaming vegetable dumplings and hand-rolled ripe avocado maki rolls. For those with a sweet tooth, there will be a selection of Japanese mochi, with fresh mini chocolate samurai and warm passionfruit and coconut doughnuts to indulge in. As part of the partnership, the unmissable epicurean delight to add on is The Festive Surprise, a luxurious chocolate brownie with white chocolate snow, mandarin sorbet and yuzu caramel. The dessert is designed to be an interactive advent calendar experience offering guests the opportunity to win Champagne-inspired gifts each day. Vegan and vegetarian options are available. Enjoy this with Maison’s classic Cuvée Rosé or add on an exclusively concocted Laurent-Perrier x The Ivy Asia cocktail, the Pink Kurisumasu, consisting of passion fruit liqueur, supasawa, pink grapefruit syrup and topped with Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé.
Price: £38.95pp
Date: Until 24 December 2022
Address: The experience will be running across all London sites in Mayfair, Chelsea and St. Paul’s
BOOK: theivyasia.com
The Rotunda Bar & Lounge, Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square
Four Seasons’ hotels pull out all the stops come Christmas time, with beautiful décor and festive food galore across the board. You can enjoy a particularly special afternoon tea at The Rotunda Bar & Lounge in the Ten Trinity Square branch, which will kick off with classic finger sandwiches like smoked salmon, dill and capers, and coronation turkey. Next, enjoy Christmas-themed patisserie such as The Reindeer, made with pear marmalade, lime zest chantilly and peanut biscuit, and The Bauble, a chestnut mousse with a golden mandarin and saffron glaze – all served on a special Santa’s Sleigh. And, of course, there will also be freshly baked scones, to be topped with seasonal jams, lemon curd and Devonshire clotted cream.
Price: £65p
Date: Until 8 January 2023
Address: 10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ
BOOK: fourseasons.com
The Carlton Tower Jumeirah
A new tea room has launched at The Carlton Tower in Knightsbridge, the Chinoiserie Tea Room, where a special festive afternoon tea is being served this season. Created by Jessica Prealpato, the offering will reflect her signature style, inspired by the flora and botanics of the gardens of England. Begin with a palette cleanser of mandarin sorbet, followed by the ‘Scone Experience’, a quartet of specially created scones. There’s also a showstopping dessert course featuring a Christmas log centrepiece, an orange and mandarin tart with hot wine jelly, and a classic galette – all artistically presented. Complete your experience with a glass of Billecart-Salmon or Dom Perignon Champagne.
Price: £75pp
Date: Until January 2023
Address: 1 Cadogan Pl, London SW1X 9PY
BOOK: jumeirah.com
The Savoy
One of London’s most iconic hotels, The Savoy knows how to do afternoon tea. Its festive offering begins with a mix of traditional finger and open sandwiches, alongside freshly baked scones with clotted cream and lemon curd. Next up: a selection of festive sweet treats, plus a glass of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé, which is presented on a bespoke oak wood trolley dressed as a miniature replica of The Savoy Theatre. The champagne will be topped with a festive-scented bubble, which guests are encouraged to burst upon taking their first sip, while making their Christmas promise.
Price: From £75pp
Date: Until 31 December 2022
Address: Strand, London WC2R 0EZ
BOOK: thesavoylondon.com
London Hilton on Park Lane
After a day of Christmas shopping, rest your feet at the London Hilton on Park Lane, which is launching a special festive afternoon tea for the season. Executive Head Chef Anthony Marshall and pastry extraordinaire Sam Leatherby – a previous Bake Off: The Professionals winner – have crafted a menu of seasonal treats. Start with festive sandwiches and scones, layered with your choice of clotted cream, homemade strawberry jam and salted caramel spread. Also on offer are an array of seasonal pastries, presented on a three-tiered stand, including a Chestnut & Cassis Yule Log, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Black Forest Parcel and more. There’s also a separate menu for children, alongside teas from Hope and Glory, and Pommery champagne.
Price: £39pp or £49pp with a glass of champagne
Date: Until 3 January 2023
Address: 22 Park Ln, London W1K 1BE
BOOK: hilton.com
The Dorchester
The Dorchester really comes alive come Christmas time, with its majestic trees lining The Promenade – the perfect setting for a festive afternoon tea. Visit on a weekend to enjoy traditional carols as you dine on an assortment of sweet and savoury treats. To begin, there’s a selection of finger sandwiches on artisan bread: Cambridge bronze turkey with cranberry and chestnut, Burford Brown egg and truffle, Severn & Wye smoked salmon and lemon, and more. Scones, meanwhile, are served with lemon curd, strawberry jam and clotted cream from Craig’s Farm Dairy in Dorset. The festive-inspired pastries are sure to impress, with creations this year including Baubles: orange marmalade, citrus compote and cream cheese mousse. Pair with one of the specially selected grand and rare teas, plus a glass of fizz. A vegan menu is also available.
Price: From £105pp with a glass of Veuve Clicquot
Date: Until 3 January 2023
Address: 53 Park Ln, London W1K 1QA
BOOK: dorchestercollection.com
Strand Palace
Looking for a child-friendly afternoon tea to take the kids to this Christmas? Head to Strand Palace, which has launched a festive offering inspired by the heritage of long-standing Covent Garden toy shop Benjamin Pollock’s. Served in the art deco-style Haxells tearoom, the experience will include a selection of seasonal sandwiches, with fillings such as spiced winter pumpkin with whipped goat’s cheese, and turkey with homemade jam. Next, enjoy themed festive sweet treats like the Sugar Plum Fairy’s Dark Chocolate & Praline Éclair, and the Toymakers’ Strawberry & Vanilla Yo-yo Macaron. Children will also receive a goody bag complete with a toy, a themed colouring sheet and pencils, and a voucher for Pollock’s.
Price: £19pp for children, £39pp for adults
Date: Until 31 December 2022
Address: 372 Strand, London WC2R 0JJ
BOOK: strandpalacehotel.co.uk
Pan Pacific London
Afternoon tea is given a Singaporean twist at City hotel Pan Pacific London. Head to The Orchid Lounge to enjoy the festive edition of its Kopi Tiam Afternoon Tea, which pays homage to festive ballet The Nutcracker. Tuck into Snowy Stollen Scones, served with Cornish clotted cream and homemade strawberry preserve, alongside seasonal handmade pastries such as Sugar Plum Fairy: spiced plum compote, mascarpone chantilly and choux. Sandwiches on offer include a truffle egg mayonnaise with tarragon mustard, and roasted cinnamon-infused pumpkin. There’s also an extensive selection of teas, plus some special warming winter drinks like The Spice of Life, made with Rémy Martin VSOP, ginger syrup, lemon juice and Asian-spiced mulled wine.
Price: £78pp Monday-Thursday, £85pp Friday-Sunday
Date: Until 2 January 2023
Address: 80 Houndsditch, London EC3A 7AB
BOOK: panpacific.com
The Lanesborough
With its spectacular Christmas tree and roaring fireplaces, The Lanesborough is the perfect setting for festive feasting. Its seasonal afternoon tea is always a delight. On the savoury side you have truffled duck and turkey sausage rolls, and oak smoked salmon and horseradish sandwiches, followed by homemade scones with fruit preserves and clotted Devonshire cream. Pastries, meanwhile, include a pistachio and cherry Christmas tree creation, a fig and plum bauble, and a pear and bergamot snowflake. Pair with a Mulled Wine Martini, a mix of Belvedere vodka, hazelnut liqueur and chocolate brownie tea; a glass of champagne; or one of the ‘Teas with a Twist’, such as a rhubarb and vanilla Chinese green tea.
Price: £80pp with a cocktail, £85pp with a glass of champagne
Date: Until 8 January 2023
Address: Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA
BOOK: oetkercollection.com
Corinthia London
(c) Jack Hardy
With its Baccarat crystal chandelier, piano melodies and Richard Brendon hand-painted china, you’ll struggle to find a prettier afternoon tea setting than Corinthia London. Cakes are appetisingly presented on a trolley which is wheeled from table to table – and these are even better come Christmas time. First up is the savoury side though: enjoy sandwiches like roast turkey and stuffing on onion bread, prosciutto crudo and baby gem caesar on tomato bread, and roasted beetroot with goat’s curd on brown bread. Follow these with seasonal desserts like yuzu florentine tart, cranberry and orange fruit cake, and a white chocolate and blackcurrant Christmas bauble – washed down with a glass of Laurent Perrier.
Price: From £85pp or £95pp with a glass of champagne
Date: Until 4 January 2023
Address: Whitehall Pl, London SW1A 2BD
BOOK: corinthia.com
