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Welcome to our very merry guide to the best Christmas-themed afternoon teas in London to get you in the festive spirit.
Christmas, that most wonderful time of year, is particularly so because of all the eating and drinking it entails. From deliciously foodie advent calendars to alcoholic Christmas crackers and, of course, all those dinner parties and the big day itself, there are lots of excuses to indulge. And we’re about to give you one more.
Be it full-out luxury or niche and unique, we love an afternoon tea at the best of times. But these Christmas-themed afternoon teas are next-level fabulous. Classically festive ingredients and flavourings give the usual scones and finger sandwiches a totally new taste, from turkey and cranberry chutney bites to dark chocolate and cherry yule logs.
Check out our edit of the best Christmas afternoon teas in London, and toast your teacup to the jolliest of Decembers.
Sketch
Best festive afternoon tea: Sketch Known for its iconic interiors, you’ll certainly want to add Sketch’s Georgian Christmas offering to your festive to-do list. Think eye-catching installations with accompanying cocktails, alongside a classic afternoon tea served throughout the festive season in sketch’s gastro brasserie, the Gallery restaurant.
When? From now until 6 January
How much? From £85pp
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Christmas at Fortnum & Mason
Best festive afternoon tea: Fortnum & Mason From the home of the classic luxury Christmas hamper comes an equally delectable limited edition Festive Afternoon Tea. Enjoy a classic selection of delicate finger sandwiches, including coronation chicken and smoked trout with dill, followed by freshly baked scones with champagne preserves and Somerset clotted cream.
Offering a true taste of Fortnum’s at teatime are the intricate cakes and pastries celebrates yuletide flavours and traditions. Think Cranberry and orange Christmas cake; the Ginger loaf and the Christmas Wreath pastry laced with cherry and chocolate.
One thing is for sure: it was the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite supermarket for good reason.
When? From 21 November to 23 December
How much? From £75pp
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The Savoy
Best Christmas afternoon tea: The Savoy Few places embody the iconic luxury of The Savoy, making it the ultimate festive treat for you and your loved ones. This year, enjoy A Christmas Promise with Champagne Laurent-Perrier, acharming experience that sees a Christmas-scented bubble blown onto the top of a coupe of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé. By popping the bubble, guests send their positive promise out to the universe in a mist of the seasonal scents of spices and berries, then enjoy the deliciousness of the ripe red fruit aromas of Laurent-Perrier’s celebrated rosé.
Whether you visit for a festive cocktail, an extravagant party or a delicious afternoon tea, you’ll definitely leave with asense of the magic of both Christmas.
When? From 13 November
How much? From £75pp
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Sheraton Grand London
Best Christmas afternoon tea: Sheraton Grand Nothing sums up the spirit of Christmas like a delicious box of chocolates, so a fun festive afternoon tea inspired by our favourite treat? Sign us up. For the full five-star treatment, head to the Sheraton Grand London on Park Lane for the Selection Box Afternoon Tea. Take in the beautiful art deco surroundings of its Palm Court while enjoying imaginative twists on your favourites, including Dairy Milk Caramel, Flake, Orange Twirl and Cadbury Dairy Milk Whole Nut.
Between the black forest bauble, yuletide eclair and merry and bright macarons, your sweet tooth is sure to be satiated. At least until Christmas Eve…
When? From 18 November – 8 January
How much? From £55pp
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The Lanesborough
Festive dining has never been better than at the Lanesborough. Feast on classic roast turkey, chestnut stuffing and cranberry sauce sandwiches or try the oak-truffled duck and turkey sausage rolls for a fun twist on Christmas cuisine. Keep an eye out, too, for the perfect seasonal treat in the Rudolph pudding choux bun, and wash it all down with a selection of delectable Christmas cocktails. Bon appetit!
When? From 11 November
How much? From £80pp
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Royal Lancaster London
Best Christmas afternoon tea: Royal Lancaster London The Royal Lancaster London’s enchanting festive afternoon tea really is pure indulgence. After a long day of Christmas shopping, relax and enjoy an irresistible assortment of delicately crafted sandwiches, warm baked scones and deliciously sweet delicacies, accompanied by a selection of warming teas.
Refuel with a hearty roast beef sandwich served with English mustard or go classic with roast turkey and cranberry jam. For dessert, the luxe twelve-night cake or orange bakewell tart sounds like pure heaven.
When? From 26 November – 1 January
How much? From £39pp
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The Ned
Best Christmas afternoon tea: The Ned We can’t think of a more fabulously festive venue than the always grand The Ned. With luxurious dark wood features, marbled columns and a live band playing in the centre of a myriad of restaurants, it doesn’t get more atmospheric than this. This Christmas, in the blush-pink-themed Millie’s Lounge, the traditional afternoon tea is being sprinkled with magic thanks to some deliciously festive touches.
Served on bespoke Burleigh china tea sets, guests will enjoy mince pies, mini gingerbread men, a selection of festive cakes including a Christmas tree-shaped cake, plus scones with seasonal jam and clotted cream and a selection of sandwiches. Get ready to fill your (ski) boots.
When? 27 November to 28 December
How much? from £55pp
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The Landmark London
Best Christmas afternoon tea: The Landmark The Landmark London is holding a twinkling Festive Afternoon Tea in the hotel’s magical Winter Garden, which includes a glass of chilled champagne, festive sandwiches, followed by an assortment of Christmas-inspired cakes and pastries.
When? 4 December until 5 January
How much? £78pp
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Brigit’s Bakery Christmas Afternoon Tea Bus Tour
Can’t decide which festive location to enjoy your Christmas afternoon tea at? Why not have them all, with one of Brigit’s Bakery’s Christmas afternoon tea tours that take place on an iconic London double-decker bus? You’ll be taken on a tour of London’s famous landmarks and best Christmas lights while enjoying the comforts of a fairy light and tinsel-strewn London bus.
Their menu has gone big on festive flavours, with savouries including smoked salmon pretzels with Philadelphia and figs, a stilton muffin with chestnuts, leeks and cranberries, and a turkey and cheese bun with onion chutney and mayo. These are followed by an assortment of mini cakes and tarts that have been given a similar seasonal makeover: choux pastries with pistachio cream and cherry coulis, sablé bretons with hazelnut cream, and it wouldn’t be a British afternoon tea without freshly baked scones with jam and clotted cream.
When? 14 November to 8 January
How much? from £45
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Images: courtesy of venues
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