10 Best Themed Afternoon Teas in London
Did you know afternoon tea in London was invented when the Queen got a bit hungry and wanted some snacks with her tea? Since then London has gone crazy with the tradition and you will find so many unique themed afternoon teas in London. From the classic royal afternoon tea to Beauty and the Beast, this post covers all the best places. There’s so many to choose from and it can be overwhelming! Read on from my top picks after visiting so many myself!
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Best Themed Afternoon Teas in London
1. Big Ben Afternoon Tea at the Library (Marriott Hotels)
Afternoon tea with a view of London’s most iconic landmark? Yes, please! Plus, you will have the cutest cakes shaped like Big Ben. The Library is in such a beautiful setting with bookcases filling the room with decor. During Christmas time, there are Christmas decorations including a grand Christmas tree. Be sure to snag a seat by the window so you have a good view of Big Ben!
🫖 Theme: Big Ben Afternoon Tea
💰Price: £65 per person
📍Location: The Library at Marriott County Hall (Google Maps)
🕛 Opening Hours: Daily 12pm–5pm
⭐ Google Rating: 4.2 (341 reviews)
📸 Instagram: @thelibraryatcountyhall
2. Beauty & the Beast at The Waldorf Hilton
The Be Our Guest: The Enchanted rose themed afternoon tea is inspired by the movie Beauty and the Beast. It’s one of the best family afternoon tea in London. They have a children afternoon tea for £35.
You will find a harp inside with a live musician and the themed treats. The presentation is just adorable with teacups shaped like Mrs. Potts and Chip. The staff will bring out the Chip teacup with dry ice spewing out. There’s even a rose in a glass, just like the enchanted one from the movie.
🫖 Theme: Beauty and the Beast
💰 Price: £59 for adults & £35 for children
📍Location: The Waldorf Hilton (Google Maps)
🕛 Opening Hours: Monday – Friday 1-4; Sat-Sun 1:30 pm – 4 pm
📸 Instagram: @waldorfhilton
3. Charlie & the Chocolate Factory Tea at One Aldwych
Located in One Aldwych, the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea is one of London’s best themed afternoon teas.
As soon as you step inside, you will be greeted with cute setups that came straight from the movie. Like the “Good Nut, Bad Nut” station—a nod to Veruca Salt’s famous scene with the squirrels. You can even move the dial to decide their own verdict!
The afternoon tea was something special. They had everything from chocolate milkshakes to candy floss, scones, and nice desserts. The afternoon tea cost is £70 per person. They also have a children’s afternoon tea for those 12 and under for £50.
🫖 Theme: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
💰 Price: £70 per person; £50 for children 12 & under
📍Location: Covent Garden or Temple Tube station (Google Maps)
🕛 Opening Hours: Wed-Friday, 12–3 pm, Sat-Sun 12–4:30 pm
⭐ Google Rating: 4.5 (282 reviews)
📸 Instagram: @onealdwychhotel
4. Winter Garden Tea at The Landmark
The famous atrium with the palm trees in the courtyard is located at the Landmark Hotel. The Winter Garden Restaurant offers the perfect setting for an afternoon tea. It offers one of the best Christmas afternoon teas in London!
🫖 Best for: pretty interiors + decadent afternoon tea
💰 Price: £70 per person; £83 including a glass of champagne
🕛 Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 3:00pm-5:00pm; Saturday – Sunday: 1:00pm – 5:00pm
📍Location: The Landmark (Google Maps)
⭐ Google Rating: 4.2 (39 reviews)
📸 Instagram: @the_landmark_london
5. Pink Afternoon Tea at TĪNG (Shangri-La)
TĪNG is located in the Shard and is part of the luxury hotel brand, Shangri-La. It’s one of the tallest buildings in London and the views here are out of this world. I absolutely loved the setting because I love dining at restaurants with a view so being able to enjoy an afternoon tea like this was amazing.
The Shangri-La has many themed afternoon teas throughout the year. If you go in October, like I did, you will find a pink afternoon tea in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. Plus, a percent of the proceeds go to Guy’s Cancer Charity. So, I love supporting the good cause.
The highlight for me was the Shard shaped cake which was brought out with dry ice fuming out. And, literally everything was pink – even the scones!
🫖 Theme: Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
💰 Price: £79 without alcohol or £89 with a glass of Champagne or a cocktail
📍Location: Inside the Shard, Level 35 (Google Maps)
⭐ Google Rating: 3.9 (1,300 reviews)
🕛 Opening Hours: Monday – Thursday: 12:30pm – 15:30pm;
Friday – Sunday: 12:30pm – 16:00pm
6. Rubens at the Palace
Rubens at the Palace is one of the prettiest afternoon teas in London! Be sure to snag a table by the window so you can sit on the cozy red sofa chairs while enjoying your tea and finger sandwiches. The best part is the view of Buckingham Palace!
🫖 Best for: Views of Buckingham Palace
💰 Price: £80 per person
📍Location: Rubens at the Palace (Google Maps)
🕛 Opening Hours: Monday-Sat 12pm-5pm; Sunday 12pm-6pm
⭐ Google Rating: 4.7 (387 reviews)
📸 Instagram: @rubenshotel
7. Christmas Themed Afternoon Tea on a Vintage Bus
I love spotting the red vintage buses in London as they are so cute! So, why not have the chance to ride on one and have an afternoon tea. I’d recommend going for Christmas afternoon tea because you will get to ride past all the stunning Christmas decorations in London along the way! This experience is run by Brigit’s Bakery and you can book it here.
Read more about my favorite Christmas Themed Afternoon Teas.
🫖 Theme: Christmas Themed
💰 Price: £60 per person
⭐ Google Rating: 4.4 (1,284 reviews)
📸 Instagram: @brigitsbakery
8. Secret Garden at Taj Hotels
The Secret Garden Afternoon Tea at Kona of St. James Court, a Taj Hotel has to be one of my favorites.
It is inspired by the children’s classic book of The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
I love the presentation and it’s one of the most unusual afternoon teas in London. The tiered tea stand is shaped like a bird cage. The menu has a butterfly pop out when you open it! There’s a box that opens with a key and has chocolates inside. Plus, all the sweets are beautifully designed. One is shaped like an edible flower pot.
🫖 Theme: Secret Garden
💰 Price: £75 for adults & 50% discount for children
📍Location: St. James Court, a Taj Hotel (Google Maps)
🕛 Opening Hours: Thursday – Sunday: 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm, and 4:00 pm.
⭐ Google Rating: 4.5 (208 reviews)
📸 Instagram: @sjctaj
9. Diwali Afternoon Tea at Taj Hotels
London is huge on Indian food, believe it or not. So Taj Hotels also has a Indian Diwali themed afternoon tea and it’s actually pretty awesome. It’s their Indian Jasmine Afternoon Tea.
Savory bites include the Masala Mutton Keema Pinwheel and my favorite – Bhujia Bhaji Cheddar Pinwheel. It’s basically like a open faced grilled cheese – so good! The Indian sweet treats like Gajar Halwa Ricotta Crumble and the delicate Gulabi Trifle were so good.
Plus, an afternoon tea wouldn’t be right without scones. The Indian twist on the British classic scones are done by adding a hint of saffron and cardamom to the mix. It’s a flavorful, festive take on afternoon tea!
🫖 Theme: Diwali Afternoon Tea
💰 Price: £75 for adults, £90 with prosecco; 50% discount for children
📍Location: St. James Court, a Taj Hotel (Google Maps)
🕛 Opening Hours: Thursday – Sunday: 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm, and 4:00 pm.
⭐ Google Rating: 4.5 (208 reviews)
📸 Instagram: @sjctaj
10. Elizabethan Royal Afternoon Tea at the Intercontinental
Situated at the Wellington Lounge in the InterContinental London Park Lane Hotel, this afternoon tea is dedicated to e legacies of the late Queen Elizabeth I and II.
This luxurious afternoon tea is super classic. I love how cute the deserts are with the gold crown shapes. The food is really good too. I love the finger sandwiches and the selection of desserts. My favorite sandwich was the Coronation Chicken! You get unlimited teas with your tea sitting.
🫖 Theme: Elizabethan Royal Afternoon Tea
💰 Price: £74 for adults; £86 with champane; £42 for children under 12
📍Location: InterContinental London Park Lane (Google Maps)
🕛 Opening Hours: Mon-Sunday 1-5
⭐ Google Rating: 4.5 (70 reviews)
📸 Instagram: @icparklane
Hopefully you enjoyed reading this post on the best themed afternoon teas in London.
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