London :: High Tea

Afternoon Tease

:: Volupté : 9 Norwich Street EC4A : nearest Underground Station Chancery Lane - Central Line : Show & Tea Tickets: £35 in advance by calling 0207 831 1622 or email (includes entry, a table for the afternoon, entertainment and a beautiful Afternoon Tea and a glass of champagne : 2.30pm – 5pm : also open from 5pm Tue-Sat for drinks : dinner from 6.15pm : Dress code: "You don't have to dress up, but most guests take inspiration from the 1920s to the 1940s...think flapper - beads, corsets, seamed stockings etc for ladies. Gents, be as dapper as you can! No trainers, jeans or sportswear"

Prêt-à-Portea

:: Caramel Room @ The Berkeley Hotel : Prêt-à-Portea : Wilton Place SW1 : T 020 7235 6000 : daily 1-6pm : Book online or T 44 020 7201 1619 : fr. £35 : feast on a collection of cakes and fancies in the colours of the fashion season and in the style of the world’s finest designers : if you’re after a drink afterwards, the Blue bar is lovely

Floral Garden Tea

:: Athenaeum Hotel : 116 Piccadilly Mayfair W1J :T 0207 499 3464 : Laduree Pink Afternoon Tea inspired by their Patrick Blanc created vertical garden : orange blossom scones with Devonshire clotted cream, bird cookies, iced floral tea cakes, rose-scented meringues, fairy cakes with sugar flowers : served daily from 2pm – 6pm : £26.50 per person or £33.00 including a glass of Rose Petal Champagne : Booking essential : awarded Top London Afternoon Tea 2009 Award of Excellence from The Tea Guild

:: Parlour, Sketch : 9 Conduit Street W1 : T 0870 777 4488 : The decor is eclectic, think grand velvet seats and yellow perspex shelves w/ Pierre Gagnaire pastissiere served on delectable patterned china : Tea served until 11pm : walk in, no bookings

:: Bob Bob Ricard : Retro inspired WALLPAPER Magazine 2009 Global Design Award Winner : serves tea and cakes all day : 1 Upper St James St W1F : T 020 3145 1000 : email : Piccadilly Circus tube : around £10 per person : served Mon-Fri 7am-1am : Sat 10-1am : Sun 10am -12am

:: Yauatcha : dim sum & stunning patries : 15 Broadwick St, W1F : T 020 7494 8888 : Leicester Square, Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus or Tottenham Court Rd tube : from £22.50 per person : served 12.30-6pm daily : an amazing restaurant to visit anytime: open Mon-Thurs: 11am-11.30pm Fri-Sat: 11am-11.45pm Sun: 11am-10.30pm (dim sum served from midday)

image from kensington blue

:: Orangery : Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, W8 : T 020 7376 0239 : from £12.50 per person : cream cheese and cucumber sandwich, scone and the signature Orangery cake : High St Kensingon tube : served 3-6pm daily

:: St. James, Fortnum & Mason : 181 Piccadilly W1A : T 020 7734 8040 : served Mon-Sat 2pm-7pm : Sun 12-4.30pm : from £22 - £30 per person : reservations T: 0845 602 5694. Don't leave without seeing the food hall

:: Nicole's : basement of Nicole Farhi’s Bond Street boutique: 158 New Bond St, W1S : T 020 7499 8408 : ‘Miniature tea set’ £16.50 : bite-pretty little macaroons, tiny orange madeleines, cherry muffins, blinis with smoked salmon and mini open sandwiches or ‘Saintly tea’ w/ gluten-free, 97 per cent fat-free chocolate cake and goji berries, paired with Puer tea for £6.95 : served 3.30-5.30pm Mon-Fri : 4-5.30pm Sat

:: Brumus, Haymarket Hotel : 1 Suffolk Place, SW1Y : T 020 7470 4000 : Piccadilly Circus tube : from £17 per person : served 3-5pm daily : email : Award of Excellence by the UK Tea Council 2009 Best Afternoon Tea in London awarded by the UK Tea Council 2008

:: Bea’s of Bloomsbury : 44 Theobald Rd, WC1X : T 020 7242 8330 : Holborn or Chancery Lane tube : served from 2.30 Mon-Fri : from noon on Sat : £8 per person : a proper scone, clotted cream and jam, signature cupcakes and a mini Valrhona brownie, Belgian Blondie and meringue + a pot of Jing tea : Sun : £13 as tea sandwiches are included : Reservations recommended : opening hours : Mon - Fri 8am-7pm : Sat 10-6pm : Sun 12-6pm

:: The Hummingbird Bakery : 133 Portobello Rd W11 : T o2o 7229 6446 : Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm : Sun 11am-5pm : also at 47 Old Brompton Rd SW7

:: Miller Harris : perfumier with Fragrant Tea Room at rear of store : 21 Bruton St W1J : T 020 7629 7750shop open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm

:: Maison Bertaux : 27 Greek W1D : gorgeous French cakes and coffee: Mon-Sat 8:30am-11pm : Sun: 8:30am-9pm : head into the basement for secret discount designer fashion, basics and vintage : Shop At Maison Bertaux : open Mon-Sat 11am-6.30pm : Closed Sun : blog

:: The Ritz : 150 Piccadilly W1 : reservations T 020 7300 2345 : online : book at least 12 weeks in advance : 5 sittings a day : fr. £37 : try the chocolate lover's afternoon tea

:: English Tea Room @ Brown’s hotel : Albemarle Street W1S : £35 : Mon-Fri 3pm-6pm : Sat-Sun 1pm-6pm : Reservation T 020 7518 4155 : Awarded Top London Afternoon Tea 2009 by The Tea Guild

:: The Wolseley : 160 Piccadilly W1 : T 020 7499 6996 : Open breakfast, lunch & dinner 7 days Mon-Fri fr. 7am : Sat & Sun fr. 8am : Grand European café : email : book online

:: Knightsbridge & Belgravia (SW1)
:: Kensington (SW7)
:: Soho + Mayfair + Marylebone (W1)
:: Notting Hill (W11)
:: West End + Covent Garden (WC)
:: City (EC)