Splurge! Only time for one...tea or dinner?
 

We will be in London for a few days and have planned a full itenary. We will really have time for only one splurge - do you recommend using our time for high tea or shall we opt for dinner? Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks

Personally I'd say dinner.

Can you tell us about your dining tastes and the budget for that one splurge and I am sure many people will have recommendations for you.

Also, what's your budget for the other nights dinner - may have some ideas for you there too.

An enjoyable tea, need not be such a splurge and you can do both.
I would recommend for something really different, take a train to Kew Gardens, take a walk through the Gardens and the Greenhouses. Then mosey over to the Maids In Waiting tea house along the road that runs by the gardens. You can have a high tea or just a full and wonderful tea for no more than any tea place in the heart of London.
It is only about 15 minutes maybe 20 by train, and a short walk, easily done.

I'd opt for tea. Fine dining in London will not give you the opportunity to experience British food -- only the current London take on the best of Italian, French, Indian, nouvelle, or whatever else you choose. Tea will give you a British experience, albeit an experience perhaps better suited to pre World War II than modern Britain.
Consider tea dancing at the Waldorf on Aldwych, the ultimate in British cozy at Brown's; the elegance of Claridge or the Ritz. Sure it's expensive. Afternoon tea has always been fairly high in price; designed that way to keep the riffraff out. If you go to tea, you'll have an experience you'd be hard pressed to have anywhere outside the British Isles. If you go for a fancy dinner, you could most likely replicate it at the fanciest place near home.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful replies. (orry I am just getting back - I had to go after a hive of bees as it was getting dark.)
We live in a small midwest town so when we travel we do enjoy great food. We like all types of food and usually try to do one or two expensive meals and then upper moderate for the remaining meals. I was also wondering about lunch if we decide to take in a play.
A couple of the restaurants that I have on my maybe list - Gordon Ramsay, Le Caprice, Spoon, Ivy. Any thoughts?
Thank you

Unless you are a tea drinker, which I am Not, I will probably splurge and go to a nice restaurant and have a good dinner!!

Advice re Gordon Ramsay: They have 13 tables. They take reservations no more than one month in advance; phones are open for reservations at 9:00 a.m. (3:00 a.m. CST in the US) and all dinner reservations are booked within 15-30 minutes.
Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's is an option. Larger but still very popular. Book well in advance.

Hi jan,

I suggest tea.

Try http://www.gofortea.com/ for where to go.

Your friends back home will soon tire of your description of dinner in London, but they will never get over a real English afternoon tea.

I also like Circus which is reasonable both for pre theatre and a la carte and Indigo at One Aldwych, same.

Criterion still does wonderful food but service has not got any better...

China Town is great for a very inexpensive but very foodie lunch - a dim sum lunch is my favourite.

Kavey

If I was going to splurge, I would go to one of the restaurants you mentioned for a very special meal. I saw at article online from the New York Times (nytimes.com) about lunch specials at some of the top restaurants in London. (I am not a tea drinker so I would definitely want my splurge to be a meal.)

I suggest English fish and chips with mushy peas....:-&