waring

Tina

Honestly no-one is being mean. There has been useful advice and many of the posts are by the English reminiscing over the afternoon teas of their childhood, which are in stark contrast to the tea offered by hotels, for which, I admit, the Americans are getting teased.

Frankly forking out £30 for tea and cakes is in no way shape or form an English tradition.

No offence was meant or taken regarding high tea. To explain

Cream Tea=Tea and cream cakes taken pretty much anytime in the afternoon, generally in a tea room. This is authentic.

Afternon Tea=Around 4, tea, toast, sandwiches and cakes. Authentic if taken at home. Very unusual to go out for afternoon tea which I am pleased you experienced in its natural habitat.

High Tea=Around six, more likely to be sausage and eggs and bacon with bread and butter etc. Again eaten at home,

It isn't code, its how we speak, and if you don't understand, ask and no-one will mock you.

nini

Cindy--I don't think you and your family would be disappointed in having tea at Harrod's--less in cost than hotels and the food is very good. With the piano music you will enjoy a certain ambience. Personally I can't imagine having tea wo the sandwiches and you will be served a nice assortment arranged on the three tiered tray. Pastries and scones will not disappoint. The Orangery was a huge disappointment IMO because it was very noisy and not served as a proper afternoon tea. The Lanesborough was very nice with lovely china and atmosphere but with champagne and strawberries it came to about $150/2persons. Good luck with your decision but defintely have afternoon tea. Your children will not forget it.

waring

$150 a head?

I give up.

EnglishOne

Me too.

*whoosh - right overhead*

tinabina

waring,

Thanks for the explanation. I do understand now that tea was more of an intimate family or friend affair. I also think warning travelers about the ridiculous cost of some pastry and tea is valid. I definately felt robbed after afternoon tea, but then again sort of knew what I was getting into. The tea we had at someone's home was so nice. I wish every person could have such a nice experience. Thanks again for your explanation, very helpful. Tina

EnglishOne

I hate to see tourists getting fleeced for something we DON'T do, under the guise of 'being British'. But then, I expect Im getting fleeced in foreign lands for the same kind of things too!!! But when you KNOW its hard not to get frustrated about the ££££ spent over the top.

Cream tea is a very good idea, as Ive said above

jewela

"You really are completely missing the point, tea is served at home, and can be cobbled together in no time for next to nothing. Do it yourself!"

They aren't going to be "at home", they are on vacation (on holiday to you), and evidently want to do something special. We're quite capable of "cobbling" together tea at home, but it isn't the same as having a lovely, special day out in London, and stopping for afternoon tea in a beautiful place.

Have you ever traveled to the US? Brits still continue to flock to to visit JR's house from the set of Dallas. It's not something most Americans are going to do. We also do not all wear cowboy hats, although I see a lot of them leaving the US in special carry-on boxes via British Airways. A special little gift that can cost several hundreds of dollars.
Not to mention the tour buses that bring loads of Brits to Justin Boots for a pair of the finest ostrich boots money can buy. (Most of us don't wear those either).

So, let's just say that we all do frivolous things when we are on vacation or holiday....knowing that we probably won't do it a second time.

And....we do have kettles. We drink tea just like you all do. We boil our water, and use teabags and all. I prefer lemon in my tea, instead of milk. And we serve it with cookies, or cakes.

EnglishOne

Tinabina has opened a 'new thread' about being fleeced at Harrods. I think that re-iterates my point.

But a lot of us ARE 'being fleeced' at some point when abroad, as Ive already said. So I agree with you, and we are suggesting alternatives for the OP who was fearful of her budget

flanneruk

Tina and (if you've not been repelled by Audere's reminiscing about his chlidhood), Cindy.

There is actually a fourth category of tea, but it's rare in London these days (though the Maids of Honour at Kew usually do it)

That's Tearoom Tea. At Huffkins in Burford and Witney, the Kardomah all over Merseyside once upon a time (but alas no more, trhough I hear good things about Darcy's Tea Rooms in Southport),and all sorts of other places there was once just Tea. Cream cakes, a few sandwiches, a pot of tea, nothing that looked like it was auditioning for a remake of "Gosford Park" and a modest price. Sadly, the grandma of them all (Betty's in Harrogate) now charges £15, though it gets below a tenner if you miss the sandwiches.

But you can still find them. If Tina walks along the parade of shops opposite West Kirby station, or along Market St in Hoylake, there must be one: I used to take my mum (RIP) to one in West Kirby as a treat only five years or so back.

Cindy ought to check out Paul in Covent Garden (no idea how much it costs) or almost anywhere anywhere outside Central London: every elderly provincial hotel still does it, and if your plans take you out of the ripoff zone, come back and ask. Sadly, though - Kew and Highgate excepted - I don't think any of London's gentrified suburbs have them.

But they're still ubiquitous outsde London. So if you're planning to be in Abergavenny or Chester, tell us and we'll suggest somewhere affordable.

waring

Jewela

I have been to the States, many times and and while I can't speak for the Brits going to JRs house my abiding memories are B&Bs and family run restaurants and horse-riding in the desert.

Please DO go for a cream tea in a guest house which will cost you 15$, DON'T go for afternoon tea at $100 a head anywhere. You are being fleeced and its fake.

Nothing wrong with a good pair of boots

fnarf999

Flanner, have you got any suggestions a bit closer in in Merseyside? We will be there in a couple of months. I think we'll get as far as New Brighton, but not to Hoylake or West Kirby.

flanneruk

Well, I once had just one fantastic suggestion for tea in New Brighton: my mum's Sandwich Spread butties on the beach outside Harrison Drive baths with a flask of tea topped up from one of those "Hot water for the shore" vans.

Sadly, now gone the way of all flesh. As have the cheapo sit-down places in beautiful downtown New Brighton, as well as the myriads of more chintzy tearooms all round the peninsula - like the Cottage Loaf at Thurstaston, now turned into a boozer.

But I'm spending the weekend with Mrs F in law, whose quest for tea in the area (she insists it's Cheshire, and has no truck with this modern "Merseyside" nonsense) still goes on. I'll report back

loncall

When I was four [46 years ago !] my parents paid what was then considered huge sums of money to have a drink in St Marks Square Venice. I can remember that sunlit day, and how special we all felt, and how happy and fun it was. Expensive at the time but cheap at the price when you consider the decades of memories provided for.

audere_est_facere

I would take issue with the statement "Brits never do tea". Yes we do - we do it the same as the yanks, when we are tourists.

I've done it several times at various coastal resorts and in the grand hotels of Cathedral Cities and market towns. I like doing it for an occasional treat.

It is also de rigueur for entertaining a certain type of aunt (think Bertie Wooster's Aunt Agatha - I've got a passell of these to entertain periodically).

Mind you I wouldn't pay more than about £15 a pop.

dgg

I'm surprised your kids want to go to tea. That was the last thing on my kids' minds in London. However, my older girls have attended several nice teas stateside and pretty much got that out of their systems. In fact the annual tea for one of our charity groups is a dreaded occasion. I guess my only advice would be to press them a little bit to see if the experience is all that important to them...suggest taking half out of their souvenir allowance or offer an alternative. My kids wanted to see "We Will Rock You" but we're big Queen fans and you can't see that musical in the States. A good time was had by all and I don't think we paid much more per person for some very good seats. You may not be Queen fans, but there are plenty of other options.

carylspall

Heres the Cheapskate's way to do it!
Go to Marks & Spencer's foodhall and buy sandwiches and cream filled scones, take them back to your hotel room, make tea,unwrap the goodies and serve to the kids!
The money you have left over will pay for a night at the theatre.

jewela

flanneruk

If you don't mind my asking, what is "Cottage Loaf" ??

flanneruk

1. A tearoom in Thurstaston, now converted into a boozer
2. A distinctive shape for a white loaf of bread
3. Almost certainly Cockney rhyming slang for "oaf". But it's bit early in the morning for the Mockney experts to have their brains switched on, though they might confirm this in six hours or so.

audere_est_facere

"loaf" in cockney means head (loaf of bread - eg "use your loaf" means apply some intelligence) so it would be confusing.

A cottage loaf could describe a lazy homosexual practise....

Gretchen

I haven't read the thread but if this is high tea it will be a meal, as I understand it--and an experience you can have nowhere else. And you can probably have it for less than that.