unejam1

Greetings.

The best afternoon tea places my wife found online are at the Dorchester and the Lanesborough. These are a bit pricey, but we are willing to pay for the experience. However, I was wondering if the Fodor's community though these afternoon teas are worth the price and, if not, if there are others you might recommend either better for the same price or comparable for less money.

Thanks!

john127

On a great tip from this board, last week we had a wonderful tea at the Orangery at Kensington Palace. Beautiful, historic room with huge windows overlooking the grounds and fairly priced - choices of tea service ranged from 15 to 18 pounds, if I recall. Everything was delicious!

John

unejam1

Thanks for the suggestion, John. We are seriously considering it.

Any other thoughts? Do most locals just have afternoon tea at home?

alihutch

No we don't have afternoon tea at home....a very outdated concept. I had a very good afternoon in Brown's Hotel in Mayfair about 10 years ago.

Denise

I really liked Harrods, there are two types of Afternoon Teas there. One slightly less expensive than the other. Then go window shopping.

Cholmondley_Warner

I took Old Ma CW to Fortnums and she absolutely loved it. It was about £20 a head from memory.

Matroskin

I second the Fortnums! Not too pricey as well as excellent service.

ChgoGal

Has anyone been to the Dorchester for afternoon tea? My friend wishes us to go -- I believe there's a bit of nostalgia in it for her as she went as a child, so I may have to swallow that hefty price of 36.5 GBP ($60 US!).

I'm curious about the experience.

Does anyone know if there's any tea "education" that goes along with this? Is there some tea sommelier hovering about? Are there tea recommendations for certain pastries or sandwiches? I've seen the online tea menu at The Dorchester, so I can take a look at that, I suppose.

And what of the room itself? Once you're seated, and the tower of goodies is set down, does the staff hurry you out? There seems to be a number of seatings... so I imagine they want to keep the bodies moving.

And do you imagine the room will be mostly full of tourists?

Also, is it crass to ask for the leftovers at a posh tea like this?

Thanks in advance, Fodorites!

PalenQ

Taking High Tea at Harrods has been a tradition in London for years - not just for the tea but the ornate room.

High tea at Harrods | Europe Forum | Fodor's Travel
My boss and his daughter will be traveling to London soon and he would like to take her to high tea at Harrods. Does he need a reservation?
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...at-harrods.cfm

Steves' Europe: Getting Up To Snuff In LondonTo hit Harrods' high points, start at the ground floor Food Halls with their ... After 3:45 p.m., a fancy afternoon tea is served, with a three-tiered ...
http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/desti...ain/london.htm

Gothampc

One of the things that you should consider is what type of atmosphere you want to have tea in. Are you looking for oppulent surroundings, modern surroundings, Edwardian surroundings?

My favorite has always been Brown's Hotel. I like the "tea in the library" atmosphere.

bellini

I would not recommend Claridge's. Over-priced and snooty!

Josser

I notice that even Steves knows the difference between afternoon tea and high tea

PalenQ

and pray tell what is the difference between afternoon tea and high tea?

I would hazzard that afternoon tea may be what many Brits sip when 'they put the kettle on'?

and High Tea is an elaborate version of afternoon tea.

Josser please enlighten us ignorant dweebs - the OP asked for afternoon tea but did she/he really mean 'hi tea'?

PalenQ

And there apparently is a "Low Tea" to boot!

High Tea vs. Afternoon TeaThese terms are used interchangably, but traditional High Tea is not the same thing as Afternoon Tea.
coffeetea.about.com/cs/culture/a/aftervshigh.htm

Afternoon Tea or Low Tea vs. High Tea: Please do not refer to your afternoon tea as a high tea. Remember, a high tea is served in the late afternoon or ...
oldfashionedliving.com › Kitchen

Gothampc

Someone once explained to me that dinner was served very late (8-9 pm). Afternoon tea was the small sandwiches and cakes that were eaten to hold a person over until dinner. High tea always involved a small piece of meat or fish and was often served to the children so that they could be put to bed before the formal dinner was served. I don't know how accurate that is, but that's what I was once told.

TDudette

The Ritz used to have tea but DH and I were ousted-we really were going to sign up but they were pretty snooty to us so we didn't. We always looked so shabby when we traveled.

Good luck!

Sue878

We also liked having tea at the Orangery at Kensington Palace. Check out link below.

http://www.visitlondon.com/attractio.../afternoon-tea

ChgoGal

Thanks, all, for the feedback. Does anyone have experience at the Dorchester. That's the place I'm interested in. Have had a simple tea at the Orangery... very nice. But I think the Dorchester is a step up.

historytraveler

The Dorchester is a step up from the Orangery. I believe the Dorchester has two different places where they serve afternoon tea. One is a bit more expensive, but I don't recall the names and, of course, if you have champagne it'll cost more.

europeannovice

If you have tea at the Orangery just stick to tea and pastries. My son had a shrimp cocktail there and he suffered for three days afterward. It wasn't pleasant. The shrimp or its surrounding mayo had to be the culprit because that was the only thing different that he had eaten over the prior two days than the rest of us had.

We actually enjoyed afternoon tea at Claridges. I loved the Chihuly Chandelier! The tea menu was extensive and they accomodated our various allergies with special plates. The food was good and they kept bringing us stuff until we couldn't eat anymore. We went around 5PM and that was our dinner.