Looking for a luxurious afternoon tea with spectacular food and atmosphere. First time in London!

My husband and I are doing the exact same thing you are in May…..first-timers to London….we made a reservation at the Brown Hotel after our son went last year and highly recommended it

We have gone to tea at Fortnum & Mason for tea twice, and the last time was Christmas Eve day,2019, right before COVID.
Beautiful presentation, delicious small portions of foods. You choose either savory or sweet. The four of us chose one of each to share. Highly recommended! You can’t go wrong here where they have been serving teas for centuries! This is definitely where you should book your tea, at their main store.

What’s your budget?

The experience can be expensive.

That said I’ve enjoyed afternoon tea at Claridges
( expensive ), Fortum and Mason ( also expensive ) and in Barnes at Orange Pekoe. ( not expensive )

All three were experiences in their own right. I think it depends on how you want to dress and how much you are willing to spend.

Since this is a once in a lifetime event for me, I am not concerned about the budget for this particular event. Thanks for asking and considering that! :)

I highly recommend Pret-a-Portea at the Berkeley Hotel. It was a great experience and the food was good. My daughter and son went to Sketch. They said it was also very good. However, both of these places are a bit pricey but having done research a lot of them are.

I thoroughly enjoyed afternoon tea at both Claridge‘s and Brown’s Hotel Mayfair. Wherever you choose, I hope you have a lovely experience.

Since no restrictions to your budget …..Claridges….Hands down

I really enjoyed afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason - it was such a wonderful experience. And it was my first experience with clotted cream, which I fell madly in love with. :)