“London and afternoon tea are synonymous. A trip to London would not be complete without treating oneself to at least one afternoon tea.”

My favorite place to have afternoon tea and in my opinion the quintessential cosy English setting is The Red Room at The Connaught Hotel in Mayfair. The sofas and chairs are so confortable and the decor - pure English.  It’s peaceful and relaxed, ideal for relaxing for a hour or two sipping tea and munching on sandwiches and scones. The service is exceptional as is the tea, sandwiches, scones and pastries, which you select from a cute desert trolley. You get to pick from an excellent selection of pastries and deserts.

Another favorite place I like to have tea or I should say “I use to like having tea” was Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair. The reason I use the past tense is the hotel was closed for “extensive renovation and refurbishment” in the Spring of 2004.  Now as we all know time marches on and all that, but I am always afraid when I see the words “extensive renovations”. I did a brief walk through on my last trip and sadly the Library Room with its fireplace and bookish atmosphere is no more and has been drastically altered. The fireplace is still there, but the books and the ambience are gone. The furniture in the Drawing Room has been changed. Gone is the eclectic mix of sofas and chairs. Don’t get me wrong the place is still elegant and quite lovely, but somehow the old decor was right out of a novel by Agatha Christie. Somehow for me at least the change was not for the better. Perhaps one day I will stop in for tea, but not until I get over the shock and disappointment.

One of my other favorite places to have afternoon tea is at Claridges, but I have always been a sucker for Art Deco, scrumptious pastries and live piano music. Reservations are essential at this fine establishment. The Promenade at the Dorchester is another wonderful place to go, the plush setting along with delicious scones, sandwiches and of course tea make for a delightful afternoon. As with Claridges reservations are a must. I believe you can make reservations through the website of the respective hotels.  

Sometimes after doing a little shopping at Liberty, I would stop in the Art Bar Cafe on the 2nd floor for some refreshment. Shopping always makes me hungry and depressed at the same time so I need sustenance after running about the place and consolation after spending money especially after factoring in the exchange rate. The setting is pleasant, the food and tea quite good and the cost reasonable.  Fortnum and Mason’s also offers an excellent afternoon tea in the St. James Room.

Perhaps the most opulent setting in London to have afternoon tea is The Palm Court at The Ritz. And the dress code reinforces this as one of the most elegant - if not “the” most elegant places to have afternoon tea in London. Formal dress is required in public areas, which means coats and ties for the gents - no sneakers or jeans. There are five sittings everyday and reservations (at least six weeks in advance - according to the website) are necessary. I must admit having afternoon tea at the Ritz is like having tea at Versailles. The place is simply gorgeous and over the top Louis XVI. In other words, definitely warrants at least one visit. For more information including the menu and to make reservations via the webiste click on the link. A calendar will pop up to let you see what dates and times are available and so on.   

Down the Strand from The Savoy and right across from the Royal Courts of Justice is the delightful Twinings of London.  Along with a shop selling teas (their Earl Grey is my favorite) and other tea paraphernalia there is a wonderful little museum that shouldn’t be missed.

The Tea Council, a UK organization that publishes annually  the informative AA Guide Book to Britain’s Best Afternoon Tea, which can be purchase either directly from the website or from the online bookseller AmazonUK. The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea This book makes a lovely keepsake of trip to London especially if you have afternoon at the Ritz.

The Book of Afternoon Tea I bought this book for the wonderful recipes. At the beginning there is a two page introduction to afternoon tea. For detailed information I consult Taking Tea: The Essential Guide to  Brewing.......

Taking Tea: The Essential Guide to Brewing, Serving, Entertaining With Teas from Around the World This book I find interesting not only because of the recipes, but also for the history and background on different types of teas. This book complements The Book of Afternoon Tea.

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