thursdaysd

Odin

isleofwightorg

I have just remembered from my Yuppie (if you can call them that) days - Peter Jones in Sloane Square - relatively cheap - great views of SW1 from the top floor and in my view London's classiest dept. store - favoured by HRH Duchess of Cambridge.

jc_uk

The thing is, locals don't do high tea! We don't do afternoon tea/high tea, that's something tourists do or Brits (usually women) do once in a while as part of a day out, it isn't a day to day occurence.

Referring to Tea as dinner is a regional thing and simply means your dinner (evening meal) rather than a meal of sandwiches and cakes washed down with tea. I have never heard an evening meal referred to as high tea.

thursdaysd

I have (I grew up in England). Also see, for example: High Tea Menu | Hotel | Perth | Scotland | Hotel Perthshire |

jc_uk

Lol, they're just being poncey! It's a hotel, they're inclined to jazz up their menu's to make it sound more exotic than just calling it dinner. In all my years I have never heard anyone, from up and down the UK, refer to their dinner as high tea. Tea? yes, dinner? yes, supper? yes, high tea? never.

Pepper_von_snoot

High tea is lunch, noon meal. Definitely working class, not posh. I doubt if anyone under 75 would even use the term anymore.

Thin

janisj

>>We don't do afternoon tea/high tea<<

Don't conflate the two - High and Afternoon are completely different animals as mentioned up thread. However to imply that Brits don't do Afternoon tea is strange. Every time I've had a set afternoon tea (many many times - over 100+) more of the other diners (tea-er's ) have been speaking the King's English not some colonial accented version.

jc_uk

It would appear that there are many variations on the theme, I always refer to it as afternoon tea however I included high tea as a response to a previous poster referring to it in that way.

I also didn't claim that British people don't do afternoon tea,it's a bit disingenuous to quote something but leave a relavant part out "... We don't do afternoon tea/high tea, that's something tourists do or Brits (usually women) do once in a while as part of a day out, it isn't a day to day occurence...."

I stated in my comment that it's often undertaken primarily by groups of women for special occasions, it's certainly not something done on a daily or regular basis. There seems to be a belief amongst many non British that afternoon tea is a normal, daily occurence for most Brits when it most certainly isn't.

janisj

>> it's certainly not something done on a daily or regular basis. <<

>>There seems to be a belief amongst many non British that afternoon tea is a normal, daily occurence for most Brits when it most certainly isn't.<<


I don't think ANYONE assumes it is a daily/regular occurrence. When one is paying £35 to £50 for afternoon tea it is a 'special' event for anyone whether local, Yank, Kiwi whomever . . .

jc_uk

Of course there are people who do. I've read plenty of posts on a number of forums where people genuinely think that it's a routine thing for Brits. They're usually the ones who have never visited the UK and therefore are unaware of the costs or assume that the rest of us are enjoynig such frivolities at home at a fraction of the cost.

thursdaysd

Of course, paying that amount is a recent/tourist thing. When I was growing up in England, we would stop for "afternoon tea" as in a pot of tea and a scone or cake most days when on holiday or spending a day out. If I'm visiting with one of my sisters we still do. But we would not have dreamed of paying that kind of price.

janisj

Afternoon tea at the Ritz for example has always been pricey. It cost £10 or £12 back in the 70's when one could get a very nice B&B for £7 or £8. We are talking posh/special afternoon teas, not a scone and cuppa which people can and do have frequently.

thursdaysd

Your average Brit did not visit the Ritz in the 70s. Probably not today, either. (Yanks - overpaid, oversexed and over here, lol.)

jc_uk

But that's not afternoon tea, that's just a scone and a cuppa. Afternoon tea was a concept developed amongst wealthy Victorians and is certainly nothing that was practiced by the lower social classes, ie, much of the UK. It has never been something that was indulged in by the majority either daily or less frequently. It is now something which is indulged in as a special treat and the term 'afternoon tea' refers solely to this particular indulgence, there is no 'lesser' alternative as that would just be a cup of tea with something, a cake, scone, biscuit etc which has no specific label. Frankly, afternoon tea is now nothing more than a commercial prospect, adopted by many hotels and other establishments as another form of increasing trade. It is not and never has been a tradition acted out by the majority of Brits.

RM67

eastenderusvi

I was reading about tea at the Royal Albert Hall. Any comment?

Also, I thought that afternoon tea would be a good way to have something before a play. Am I off?

KayF

We did a backstage tour of the Royal Albert Hall last year which we enjoyed. If the afternoon tea is held in a lovely room that should be good. I'd check for reviews online. The teas we've had have been very filling, with some savoury and some sweet things. Most places tend to have different timings so you could book for late afternoon and go to the play afterwards. If it was me, I'd be worried about all that tea sloshing around in me

If you haven't already seen it, this website has loads of info -
https://afternoontea.co.uk/uk/london/

Kay

jc_uk

Most restaurants in the theatre district offer a pre-theatre menu, a menu that is offered earlier and often at a cheaper price.

jicasimpas

The Ritz
Barbican (on Sundays, I think)
Wallace Restaurant
Blue Bird Restaurant
The Dorchester