Best High Tea in London w/family

Walkers? Earls Court?
Consider combining afternoon tea with Hyde Park and the V&A Museum and the Natural History Museum.
Maybe the Rosebery Lounge, which welcomes kids,
or search Time Out for a spot near the Science Museum.
Plenty of good walking in the area -- use your TfL card to go from Earls Court to South Kensington or Hyde Park,
the surface walk is do-able but might be a little gritty with boys to keep an eye on.

I doubt it's "high tea" that you want, if it's sandwiches, cakes and scones you're after then it's afternoon tea:
http://www.learn-about-tea.com/high-tea.html

Tea (high tea) when I was "a lot" younger was around 5 o clock and is now called dinner (which was at midday) because we're now all American.:-)

Have a look at the Grosvenor afternoon tea. They have a kids tea menu for £15 and it's all kiddie friendly fare plus they are given a stuffed bulldog toy to take home. I recently went with my 8 and 10 year old niece and nephew and it got multiple thumbs up. The grown ups liked the unlimited champagne!

The Grosvenor Hotel is on Park Lane (that's the eastern edge of Hyde Park.)

Also look at stopping by the Princess Diana Memorial Playfround for a fun break for the boys. It's close to the Queensway tube station.

The Orangery at Kensington Palace is a commonly recommended non-hotel location for afternoon tea. Its on the palace grounds, in Kensington Gardens, so a pleasant walking area as well.

Thanks to Harley in Hampshire for sharing that clarifying weblink!

I agree that it's high time that the torch of WASP elitism which was passed from England to the American eastern seaboard be outshone on the Atlantic stage by more sensible cultural standards, like having dinner at the normal time of after 9pm and saving the 4 or 5 o'clock hour for a few tapas and a vermut or aperitivo. Just the thing to tide you over from siesta time to supper.

We should be thinking of afternoon tea as the bland version of a merienda. Then it will all fit together nicely. I've always scratched my head at this confusion over 'why they eat dinner so late in southern Europe' instead of wondering why the north is so industrially insistent on getting back to their homes early.

avirosemail.. Merienda, what a nice memory of my time in the Philippines!!

Afternoon tea. The Orangery is a nice place and kid friendly. We don't like the desserts tho ...too much passionfruit.

The Great Court Restaurant at the British Museum serves a reasonably priced Afternoon Tea from 3pm at £19.50.

Salt beef, cress and radish bagel
Charred broccoli and Keen’s cheddar tart
Scottish smoked salmon and cucumber brioche
Avocado and egg sandwich
Macaroons
Raspberry and vanilla tart
Aubergine and chocolate torte
Apricot and pistachio cake

If you would like a full English Tea and don't want to get all dressed up (many of the hotels have a dress code for "High" Tea.)
I would recommend Tea and Tattle a very nice tea room across the street from the British Museum. They offer the tea with all the goodies that go with.
You may need a reservation - depending on what time of day you are going, but
it is much much less expensive than the more formal "High Tea" places.

From Earl's Court it's probably about a 30 minutes walk to the Orangery and Kensington Palace.

£54 for example to get you afternoon tea at The Ritz.

"You may need a reservation - depending on what time of day you are going, but
it is much much less expensive than the more formal "High Tea" places."
That would be afternoon tea then.

I think you want Afternoon Tea, which is in the afternoon and has scones, finger sandwiches, pasteries and a pot of tea. High tea is an evening meal served with meat