Afternoon tea in London....best!

I know that I've had tea at F&M, but I can't remember a thing about it except that I felt vaguely underdressed (was probably in a t-shirt and jeans). I very much enjoyed tea at the Orangery in Kensington Gardens. Lovely airy space, with no stuffy, formal feeling. The tea and cakes were very good and filled us up enough that we didn't need dinner. A stroll through Kensington Gardens afterward was just the ticket.

I also enjoyed the Orangery. It was nice, but not stuffy and you definitely would not need to wear a dress.

Next time I'm in London, I plan to spend an afternoon at Kensington Palace and Gardens, with tea at the Orangerie. I was at Kensington Palace last year, but didn't stop in for tea.

I've had tea at St Martin's-in-the-Field several times, but the place is noisy and the scones and cakes are refrigerated. You get a cold plate and a cup of tea. If you go there, be sure to arrive after the lunch crowd, at least 2:30 or 3pm. It is possible to have just tea and skip the pastries.

I agree with all the other posts, The Orangery at Kensington Palace is a fantastic place for tea. The Orangery was built for Queen Anne, it's a separate building from Kensington Palace but it's part of the palace. It's open daily from 10am to 6pm.

Another vote for the Orangerie at Kensington Palace. It has the most fabulous table of treats I've ever seen and the atmosphere is wonderful. I enjoyed touring Kensington Palace and walking in the gardens too.

Another possibility is the tea in the National Dining Rooms at the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square.

I've had tea at Brown's Hotel. It is very nice, has a very traditional feel. The room is cosy, has a fireplace and wood paneling. Service was very nice; it didn't seem stuffy to me. You get a choice of tea and a beautiful tray of sandwiches, scones, and pastries. It is expensive ... definitely more than the Orangerie but probably about the same as the Ritz (haven't been to the Ritz). You do need to make a reservation.

This question is asked quite a bit on Tripadvisor's London Forum, so you may want to do a search there.

Here is another vote for the Orangerie. Had afternoon tea there a few years ago. The sandwiches, scones and the cake was delicious. It was also the most reasonably priced. Have mentioned it to a few people that were visiting London and they said it was one of the highlights of their trip.

I have reservations at Claridges. It won best "tea" of 2009 in some travel magazine. Does anyone know about it and if it is any good? Thanks,Lisa

Joanna, No, you are not required to wear a dress at the Ritz. Nice slacks are fine. I think every traveler to the UK should have tea at the Ritz at least once. It's lovely and my daughter thinks their scones are the best (I like those at the Orangerie) but they did not let us take away our leftovers where as the Savoy did. Browns Hotel had the best desserts. There are so many options. Swan is right about The Crypt. Their tea is more a cream tea than an afternoon tea and it was refrigerated. Another thing about the Orangerie. Depending on when and at what time there always seems to be a queue and they do not take reservations. Thank you one and all for not calling it High Tea.

A completely different slant on tea - - when you get out into the countryside keep an eye out as you approach villages and towns. You will often find churches, village halls, old houses and such with signs on the approach advertising afternoon tea. This is not in restaurants or hotels, but done for charity.

You will have an instant in to the "back door" and will be taking tea made by volunteers, and home made cakes and scones, all for probably less than a pound!!

These are well worth stopping at. In London you may also see this at churches, especially the less famous ones.

Further to what Nigel (above) has said, if you are driving in Bedfordshire there is a beautiful stately home, Luton Hoo, apparently formerly owned by the Duke of Bedford, which is now a luxury hotel and restaurant. I had afternoon tea there a couple of weeks ago, and it was a memorable experience, not only for the tea, but for the huge, crackling fireplaces, the squishy sofas, the white linens and other pleasure-making extras. Complete afternoon tea for 24.50 GBP, which I think is likely less than half the price at the posh London hotels.

FYI, I joined four friends for afternoon tea a couple of Sundays ago in London at Claridge's. I don't have much experience of Brit afternoon tea to compare it to, but I had a fun time. Much of that was down to my tea companions; we chatted and laughed from five till nine (!!) P.M.

However, it was also due to the surroundings, and the service. We didn't choose a champagne option, so it was tea of our choice plus plates of assorted sandwiches and then of assorted pastries. Generously served, with plenty of refills on request both of teacups and all food items.

The only thing that my companions mentioned (and they are all UK residents), is that the food wasn't served on the traditional multi-layered "tea" serving dishes, but on rectangular serving plates. This made conversation around/across the table easier because our views weren't blocked, and I thought the plates were lovely. But it seems the tall multi-level serving pieces for "tea" food are omnipresently traditional, and their absence was noted. Whatever, is my attitude, but as I said I'm not experienced in these things so as to have a sense of what's trad and what's not.

The service was impeccable, and courteous to the extreme. Although we stayed well past a reasonable time for tea-goers, we were not once made by the wait staff to feel unwelcome. They kept coming by and asking if we wanted more sandwiches or pastries or tea, etc. And at the end of it all, each of us was presented with a small souvenir tin of Claridge's breakfast tea. Just remember to take a pound coin with you to the ladies' room to tip the attendant. And the ladies' room is worth a visit whether you "need" it or not. What a period piece of decor - I adored it!!

All told, it was a splurge for me, but a wonderful time as much for the company as the food and surroundings, and I don't regret it for a minute.

Oops, I forgot to mention the cost of the Claridge's afternoon tea. It was 35 GBP.

We went to the Capital Hotel up the street from Harrod's. It is very private and inexpensive if you just order scones and not the assorted plate. The assorted plate is huge and 24 pounds plus tea. We got two teas and two scones for 14 pounds. It is good to go by and get reservations. It is one of the quietest places we have been. Two Japanese ladies were there in our room and that was it. They got the assorted plate and could not eat it all. I think it is a romantic place. We were there March 26, 2010.

Thanks - Bill

Suz,, a pound tip for a washroom visit.. after four hours of tea drinking I would be broke.LOL

Pat, somehow I managed with only one trip to the loo. I have no idea how it worked out that way. ;-) The whole Claridge's tea was a crazy splurge for me, but as I said it turned out to be worth it because of the company I was in as much as anything about the location.