Would anyone care to comment on the afternoon tea at the Orangery at Kensington Palace. It seems like this location may work best with the other sightseeing we have planned. Is one able to simply order tea and baked goods rather than all the tea sandwiches. My husband is allergic to mayo and that seems to be a staple ingredient.

mileaday: I have not done tea at the Orangery..mine was at Fortnum & Mason. I have seen other comments on boards regarding the Orangery and most of the comments have been favorable. It's resonable in price and the food was good from what I recall. Perhaps your could try searding on the board..and see what comes up. I actually don't recall mayo on any of the sandwiches I had at Fortnum and Mason...but..not being allergic, maybe I just didn't notice.

You will be able to get pastries and tea without the finger sandwiches. It's a pleasant place. Hope you enjoy your trip.

The Orangery is a lovely place to have tea, and the cakes were quite good. If I remember correctly, there are a couple of options from which to choose, and as mentioned, sandwiches are not in every choice. Go when it's sunny, if you can! It is also a bit chilly inside, so dress warmly!

The Orangery is a regular cafe, so it isn't just for afternoon tea. You can get afternoon tea, but you can also get soup, salad or a sandwich or just tea and a pastry or scone.

We just returned from London and went to the Orangery late in the day- around 4:30. Our server was rude- I think he didn't like that we got there right before closing, he never brought one of our desserts and the short bread we ordered seemed stale. The tea was good but we were unimpressed with the desserts, If you go, go early. The park is extremely dark and when we were leaving, we wanted to use the rest room and we were told it was outside behind the restaurant. It was pitch black and there were no lights- we did not see that there were steps leading from the front porch of the restaurant and my mom took a bad fall. Then we had to find our way in the dark to the restrooms and then out of the park- it was a bit scary! As for the food, I only remember seeing cucumber sandwiches on the menu- I don't remember any other tea sandwiches. You can order desserts and tea individually.

Congratulations, mileday.

You are the first to ask about "afternoon tea" instead of "high tea".

High tea is in Amsterdam.

Keith

topping for the gratuitously rude tmk649

I found having tea at The Orangerie to be disappointing. It is more like a cafe and we also experienced a rude waitress. It just doesn't compare to tea at the Lanesborough or even Harrod's. The food was not served on the usual tiered tray and the selection was sparse. Very noisy place.

Oh, Sheila, that you are so desperate for attention! Get a life, sweetie!

The Lanesborough is the best! Wonderful room and excellent service and food.

And very pleasant "live" piano music in the background.

I love tea at the Lanesborough best. The conservatory is airy, light, and beautiful. The scones are served warm from the oven, and the service attentive and impeccable.

Have a grand time at afternoon tea in London, TMK, no matter what anyone else says about the institution of afternoon tea, about your post, and so on. Enjoy!