Afternoon tea in London?
 

For our stay in London Dec31- Jan6, we were looking forward for the Ritz's afternoon tea but unfortunately they are booked. I was wondering if someone can suggest the next best thing.
We love the elegance of Ritz and really looking for the next best thing.
Thank You

People rave about afternoon tea at Brown's Hotel, and many prefer it to the Ritz (marginally less stuffy).

http://www.brownshotel.com/dining/the-english-tea-room/

These threads might help (you can find more by searching "tea London" in the search box):

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...on-england.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ons-needed.cfm

They're a year or two old, but the traditional tea places in London don't change that much.

I took my DW to London last December for a big birthday. I enquired about afternoon tea at the Ritz some weeks before hand but was told they were full up. I settled for the Goring, however on arrival in London we happened to walk past the Ritz the day before her birthday so I nipped in and asked at reception if there were any vacancies for the next day. We were told that there were vacancies in the morning at 1130am
The following morning we enjoyed a fantastic "afternoon tea" which lasted until about 1pm. The staff were brilliant, they could not do enough for us including taking photographs, and the food was endless.
We sang Happy Birthday to several of those present celebrating their big day.
My advice is to do as we did and try a personal visit.

Some years ago I was treated to Afternoon Tea at the Lanesborough Hyde Park Corner and enjoyed it very much. For interest the building was a hospital and has been converted to a five star hotel.

Some years ago we did tea at the Savoy. It was very nice them.

It warms the cockles of my Anglophile heart to see everyone referring correctly to afternoon tea not high tea. I lift my teacup (and pinkie) to you all.

A few years ago I had high tea at the Dorchester Hotel. Absolutely fabulous! They also serve afternoon tea. Grand old hotel, beautiful setting near Hyde Park.

>>For interest the building was a hospital and has been converted to a five star hotel.<<

That's not the half of it. The landowner made a canny deal when he sold the land for the hospital to be built: he put a covenant on it that the land and any hospital buildings could not be sold to anyone else, but only back to his estate <i>at the original price paid to him</i>. Fast forward ninety-odd years......................

Patrick London I forgot that little titbit.

Mimar to be really PC one does not extend one's little finger when partaking of Afternoon Tea. I understand as well that one pours the tea, using a tea strainer. no tea bag, and then adds the milk. Personally I use a tea beg and put the milk in first, but then I am as my mother once described me a bolshie b****.