London is at its prettiest during Christmas. Festooned in lights and invigorated by the holiday spirit, the city’ spirit pulses with new life.
Given that afternoon tea is a household British tradition, London’s Christmas grandeur truly shines through in this ritual. The post-siesta affair is sprinkled with festive magic – cream teas and champagne are paired with ginger cookies, Yule logs, and cranberry pies. The quintessential scones, cakes, and finger sandwiches are shrouded in Christmas splendour, setting the scene for a merry feast.
Read on to discover the best afternoon tea spots in London.
Christmas Afternoon Tea at The Ritz
The Ritz has set the ultimate standard for exclusive luxury hoteliering. As such, their Christmas afternoon tea experience is certainly a class apart.
Ritz’s iconic Palm Court is highly evocative of an Edwardian holiday wonderland during Christmas, decked out in glamorous fairy lights, glittering baubles, traditional spruce trees, and red-and-gold trimmings. The gilded tea room, lit up by a grand tinsel-draped chandelier, embodies festive maximalism to the fullest.
A handsome selection of 20 loose-leaf teas and the highly exclusive Barons de Rothschild “Reserve Ritz” Brut NV Champagne are hallmarks of a Ritz Christmas afternoon tea. Guests are in for a scrumptious feast, featuring Christmas cakes, mince pies, fresh scones with Cornish clotted cream and preserve, and other holiday-themed sweet treats.
Festive Afternoon Tea at Savoy
The Savoy unabashedly revels in the Christmas spirit with its delectable afternoon tea extravaganza.
The five-star hotel's timeless elegance is beautifully emboldened by the frosty festivities. Bedecked in sparkling white trimmings, silver baubles, shimmery snowflakes, and delicate fairy lights, their Thames Foyer is reminiscent of an enchanting winterland.
Age-old festive flavours dictate their Christmas afternoon tea menu. The affair is incredibly exclusive, gracing a lucky few. Heavily drawing on theatre tradition, the spread is presented with a flourish – from coronation turkey sandwiches to orange poached endives with duck jus and winter flan, the fare truly befits royalty.
Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea at the Chesterfield Mayfair Hotel
Inspired by the warm nostalgia of familial Christmas traditions, Chesterfield’s Winter Wonderland is designed to tug at your heartstrings.
Rich sanguine hues, faux winter trees, scarlet ornaments, and iridescent silver lights adorn the wooded tea room. Nothing is left to chance – every nook and cranny holds a trace of Christmas.
Guests are welcomed with mulled wine before they can tuck into the array of finger sandwiches such as turkey mayonnaise with cranberry, ham hock with brie and spiced apple chutney, and prawn with Marie Rose. In addition to winter pastries such as berry Christmas tree pot, gingerbread choux bun, and Ferrero Rocher macaron, cranberry scones are also on offer. Besides the holiday grub, guests can choose between a diverse loose leaf tea menu and a premiere champagne collection.
Christmas Afternoon Tea at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
At this afternoon tea haunt, guests are whisked away to a romantic winterland, dramatically evocative and bejewelled to a fault. As one of London’s oldest creative spaces, Theatre Royal Drury Lane guarantees visitors an unparalleled transformative experience.
The Grade I-listed early modern theatre has preserved and nurtured the performing arts culture for over 200 years. It is an archetypal early modern structure, with ornate ceilings, appealingly symmetrical panels, resplendent crystal chandeliers, and notable mediaeval artwork peppering the venue. During Christmas, the grand saloon metamorphosizes into a winter fiesta straight out of a fairytale, with white-clad tables, silver streamers, and soft gold lamps.
London-based baking maestro Lily Vanilli curates excellent festive pastries; her signature dish is a vanilla cake filled with passionfruit. Her gingerbread-spiced chocolate cake is another fan favourite. Other treats include the English feta madeleines, turkey and cranberry pie, and smoked salmon with Earl Grey-infused cream cheese.
Kaleidoscope Afternoon Tea at Pan Pacific
The Pan Pacific lounge in Spitalfields has enraptured the hearts of Londoners with their discerning Southeast Asian gastronomy.
During the holiday season, Pan Pacific is aglow in twinkling lights, shiny harlequin baubles, and gold-dusted pine trees. Gargantuan Christmas trees, decked up in sparkly gossamers, ornaments, and fairy lights, take centre stage, immodestly frolicking in their Yuletide splendour.
Singapore-inspired summer rolls, bao buns, and dim sums are on the Pan Pacific high tea menu. Exquisite pastries and scones are presented in a golden birdcage, in addition to a range of Asian aromatic teas. Select bottles of fizz from Britain’s bountiful vineyards are also on offer.
Sky High Festive Afternoon Tea at Oblix, The Shard
Festivities are taken to new heights, quite literally, at Oblix, a restaurant occupying the 32nd floor of the Shard.
Enveloped by London’s skylines, the vogueish restobar is styled with a star-studded Christmas tree, sleek ornaments, snazzy mini lights, and lustrous red bows. The city’s holiday incandescence imbues Oblix with festive cheer, while treats and fizz are served in festooned tableware.
The pageantry begins with sandwiches such as prawn and lobster, ham and cheese, and coronation chicken with mango chutney. Cranberry-dressed sconces, tartlets donning Santa hats, and chocolate-drizzled Madeleines are some desserts on the menu. For libations, there’s an indulgent bottomless champagne option, as well as an enviable assortment of Asian teas.
L'Oscar London Festive Afternoon Tea
The L'Oscar Christmas affair is opulence personified, truly conjuring the magical essence of Christmas.
Ethereal and discerning, the restaurant is ornamented with delightfully frosted Christmas trees, amethyst-hued jewels, snow-fleckled pine firs, gold and silver baubles, and antiquated candelabras. The decor paints a vivid picture of a heartwarming winterland, enlivened by Christmastime fortitude.
L'Oscar’s holiday high tea, however, is mainly defined by the bespoke menu. Sultana scones with cinnamon-cranberry jam and orange curd, egg mimosa and black truffle on brown bread, chestnut and dacquoise with ginger and pear compote, and Christmas cake with marzipan mousse are some of their standout gems.
Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea at the English Grill, Rubens at the Palace
Every holiday season, mesmerising winter funfare takes over the historic West End restaurant, bestowing its silk-stocking regulars with the ultimate Christmas high tea feast.
The baroque Victorian structure, with its richly panelled interiors and labyrinthine ceiling work, is draped in deep red gossamers, bedazzled pine trees, ostentatious baubles, and quaint wreaths. Rubens' archaic interiors and the holiday season's flamboyance harmonise in jovial, festive cacophony.
Mulled wine, glasses of fizz, and soothing brews set the high tea in motion. For savouries, the menu presents ritzy sandwiches such as Norfolk roast turkey with sage and onion stuffing, roast beef sirloin with horseradish cream, and barber’s cheddar cheese with plum tomato. Led by pastry chef Sarah Houghting, magnificent sweet treats including apple and cinnamon tart, hazelnut, chocolate delice, and vanilla choux are on the menu.
There’s something especially elegant about British afternoon tea. Whether it's the toothsome delicacies, the splendid miscellany of teas, or just the sophisticated ambience of the whole affair, a high tea never ceases to disappoint. Add some Christmas pizazz to the ritual, and you have yourself a sumptuous holiday delight. Treat yourself this holiday season with the best afternoon tea in London.
