Recommendations for best high tea in London where casual attire is acceptable?

I compiled a list a couple of years ago and decided on the Savoy.

https://www.thesavoylondon.com/exper...on-tea-london/

I really enjoyed it.

You aren't looking for 'High Tea'. That is more like dinner. It is called Afternoon Tea.

You know there are hundreds of places offering afternoon tea -- from the grandest of Grand Dame hotels to local neighborhood bakeries. The Savoy that starrs recommends . . . was remodeled and 'reimagined' last year as the Gallery. It isn't the same concept now and (though they still do afternoon tea). It is a better set up for dining but not as special for afternoon tea as it used to be. Used to be one of my favorites but its fallen down my list a bit. The Savoy is grand but not like say at the Ritz or Claridges-grand. But you mentioned casual clothing -- many of the hotels do have a dress code.

I've taken afternoon tea at most of the 5 star hotels - a few multiple times. The Ritz, Savoy, Dorchester, etc etc), plus Fortnum & Mason, Harrod's etc. F&M is really nice BTW. And at slightly more casual places like the Orangerie at Kensington Palace, The Wolseley, Ladureé, The English Rose, the restaurant in the Wallace Collection.

Then there are really casual places - bakeries and cafes and places like Borough Market.

So what are you actually looking for. And what is your budget.

Our first time in London we went to the Ritz, and it was perfectly delicious and a memorable aftn. On our second trip, did not do tea.
I would not go in what one may consider casual dress, but nice slacks, skirt or dress, and for men at least collared shirt (not golf shirt) and nice slacks. I do not believe jacket required, but I'd check wherever. I shudder at what people wear at certain venues these days, including cruise ships.

We went to Ham Yard Hotel and enjoyed it. It's called high tea where we live but referred to as afternoon tea in London.
We only had casual clothes with us and felt fine there. Staff were friendly and helpful. Beautiful decor in the hotel.

. . . Meant to add -- at the posh hotels afternoon tea will set you back £75 to £100. Most run between £65 and £80-ish plus a 12% service charge. If you add a glass of champagne that's another £20-£28.

In casual cafes plan on £20-ish.

The Kensington Palace Pavilion/Orangerie will likely be about £40.

The Savoy offers both - Afternoon Tea and High Tea


You don't have to make the decision before you get there. You can decide at the time. I'd definitely make reservations no matter what you decided upon.

I have afternoon/ high tea often on trips. The options can vary widely. I added the cheese course at the Prince of Wales in Niagara-on-the-Lake and it's one of my favorite experiences ever. The Conrad in London used to offer a wonderful modern twist but they've switched it up again. They do offer an unlimited champagne option. I always order champagne but one glass is usually enough. Check around and see what interests you.

Personally, I am not interested in "budget" tea options. I enjoy the experience as much as the food. Lots of options in London to choose from.

Photos from the Conrad - 8 years ago (their menu options have changed - but this is still probably my favorite)

Thanks for all the information!! Yes, I did mean afternoon tea. My husband and I went to Harrods for afternoon tea (years ago!!) and it was lovely. Their afternoon tea on the terrace sounds nice. The Savoy sounds great too.
All the places I've looked at run around £80 plus service . Actually, my daughters are treating me, so I'll pass all this along to them. But all your suggestions sound good. Thanks for taking the time to provide all this information.

How lovely!

I had narrowed down to about three options but made the final decision based on location and the logistics around the other things I planned to do. The to/from worked out best for the Savoy. Since your daughters are treating you, maybe come up with three options and let them make the final choice?

Enjoy your trip!

So nice that your daughters are doing this. Don't get me wrong -- the Savoy is lovely. In fact my last posh tea was there. Nothing at all wrong with it -- but compared to places like say the Dorchester or Claridges, or even the Corinthia - I just feel their standards have slipped a little (My next posh afternoon tea may actually be there in November -haven't yet decided if I'm staying at the Savoy that trip or not).

I've done tea at the Ritz probably 8 or 10 times over the years -- it used to be the one they measured all the other 5 star hotels against. But it has sort of fallen victim to its own popularity. Too many sittings and a bit stingier with refills etc. Stil grand but the bloom may be off the rose just a bit. Which seems weird because the main restaurant seems better than ever before.

Honestly ANY of the nice properties do terrific afternoon teas -- Brown's, the Connaught, the Goring, Dorchester, Claridges, Savoy, the Shangri-La, Four Seasons, etc etc etc. I wouldn't turn down any of them but perhaps my favorite for a special occasion would be Claridges. It does run a little more though

. . . I have had tea at all he hotels I listed but a few were longer ago so current service etc may have changed.

One thing about Harrods -- they have changed several of their restaurants and do change formats - they still do a lovely tea -- it just might not be in the same place when you last visited.

When American friends come to stay with us we often take them for afternoon tea and have tried a wide range of places around town. The Ritz is always a favourite, if a little stuffy. We like The Langham - overseen by the world renowned Michel Roux Jnr. it was the first ever London hotel to offer afternoon tea.

Incidentally, 'high tea" is something totally different, it is an antiquated term dating back to the last century referring to an early evening "working class' meal usually meaning tea plus heart savoury food like pies , cheeses, pickles ..

The best high tea (and yes, I do mean high tea) we've ever had was at the Plough and the Stars in Philadelphia. Wonderful in winter. They had a fireplace and if you were lucky, you could get a table near the fire and enjoy their winter late afternoon/early evening high tea. It was very popular but alas they stopped offering it (don't know why) and the restaurant's reputation as a whole seems to have gone downhill.

My favourite afternoon tea in the UK was at the Wolseley in London. I was on friendly terms with the manager so always got a nice table in the inner horseshoe. Great for people watching, lots of UK media types went there. However, it was a place I usually went to solo as it is quite noisy and my husband found the acoustics irritating. The best afternoon tea we've had in Europe was the holiday (Christmas) tea at the George V (aka Four Seasons) in Paris. Fabulous.

I don’t recognise the Savoy’s description of a high tea - that seems like an afternoon tea with a savoury course added.

My understanding mirrors catch23’s description, at least in a British context.

It's fascinating to read the responses to questions posted to Fodor's. I learn so much and it's so interesting to hear about everyone's experiences. Thank you all for all the information!

I enjoyed this message thread, as well, and I don't currently have plans to return to London. I can picture all of the posters here enjoying their tea and having a lovely time.

I’m bookmarking for our next trip, probably only in 2027. Pre Covid we greatly enjoyed the offerings, service and style at the Savoy, also the Goring. One year I took my niece to a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, can’t remember where it was. F&M is also fun.

Would like to try out the Dorchester and Ritz, haven’t been ever.

The Mad Hatter tea is at the Sanderson -- which is a pretty unique property

Quite awhile ago my sisters and I had a very nice afternoon tea in a beautiful room at the V&A Museum. Now I don't find anything about this on their website. Do they still offer this?

The Morris, Gamble and Poynter rooms are lovely and definitely worth a visit. One can do afternoon tea there. But they are essentially cafeterias -- there is no table service nor reserved seating.