DEBORAH CROMBIE: Afternoon teas have been much on my mind lately. My daughter and her family leave on Friday for a trip that will end with a few days in London and, of course, Kayti being the plan ahead person that she is, she wanted to choose a place for a proper afternoon tea. She picked Grosvenor House, which, by a funny coincidence, was the first place I ever experienced afternoon tea, on my first trip to London with my parents. Kayti asked if I thought it would be good and I assured her that it would. Tea is hard for a top-notch London hotel to mess up! (Photo courtesy of Grosvenor House London.)
Then, another friend who had family members making a summer London trip asked me for suggestions, and so I did a deep dive into recommendations on the internet as well as my own past favorites. I thought it would be fun to share some of my most memorable teas here.
#1 on my list is (formerly) Gordon Ramsay's Claridge's. This was on a trip with my (as above!) plan-ahead daughter. We can't nail down the exact date, but Gordon Ramsay's tenure at Claridge's ended in June 2013 and I think we were trying to get in under the wire. The only reservation available was the day we were scheduled to arrive. Our plane was due to land at Gatwick about 7 a.m. so we thought, sure, no problem for 2 p.m. tea. You can guess what happened. The plane was late, then when we finally deplaned, Kayti's luggage never came off the baggage carousel. By this time in a mad panic, we snagged her a dress and shoes in one of the airport shops (thank goodness this was arrivals at Gatwick and not Heathrow,) took the train into London, then a cab to Claridge's. We changed in the ladies' lounge and just managed make our two o'clock seating. After all the drama, everything--the room, the food, the service--was divine. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
Another memorable tea was at Sketch in Mayfair with a half dozen friends and maybe a wee bit too much champagne. I remember how fabulous the decor was, and what a good time we had, but I do not remember the food! I'm sure it was lovely! I encourage you to click on the link above to play with the Sketch website (and to gasp at the prices.)
A favorite I have been to several times is St. Ermin's Hotel in Victoria. I used to love to go there because it was just around the corner from New Scotland Yard but, alas, the Met headquarters has moved to the Embankment. Still, St. Ermin's is a great central London choice. Not only do they serve an absolutely delicious afternoon tea, they have beehives on the roof that you can visit.
You can adopt a bee. This would be a fun choice with kids.
Another memorable tea was at The Ritz after visiting Buckingham Palace, this with The Poisoned Pen owner Barbara Peters, author Kate Charles, and another London friend. Again, I remember the occasion and the spectacular Palm Court better than the food. That interior really is something to see!
I've had tea at The Connaught courtesy of my friend Deborah Harkness, and this time I do remember that the food was fabulous!
A tea more memorable for the view than for the food was at Oblix in The Shard, which Kayti and I had during a visit in 2022. The view really is amazing, but I think you could enjoy it just as well over a considerably less expensive cocktail.
My last recommendation is less expensive than many of the fancy hotel teas, but every bit as delicious, if not better. That's The Wolseley in Piccadilly, just a few doors down from The Ritz.
I hope if anyone is planning a trip to London this little mini guide will be useful. And if not, you can daydream along with me.
Dear Reds and readers, have you had a memorable afternoon tea? (Not necessarily in the UK!)
Oh, and happy birthday to my darling daughter today! It's too bad we're not celebrating over afternoon tea in London!
Happy birthday to Kayti!!!! Your stories brought back wonderful memories of my trip to England and Scotland with my mom.
ReplyDeleteForgot the name of hotel / restaurants. Always had wonderful afternoon tea. That was years before my allergies to dairy and gluten. Afternoon tea in London, York, Oxford, Cambridge and Edinburgh.
Happy Birthday to your daughter . . . .
ReplyDeleteAfternoon tea is something it looks like all of London does in spectacular fashion . . . the only afternoon tea I have ever had was with the ladies group at Church; not as fancy as all the ones you've shared with us, but just as lovely since it's time spent with good friends . . . .
Fairmount Chateau Laurier in Ottawa has a lovely afternoon tea but does a really special one during the Christmas holidays. I went with a group of ladies in 2021.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I have had an allergy to black tea since my 20s (confirmed again by an allergy skin test last week). But the Fairmount offers over 30 types of tea, including several green, oolong, white and herbal teas which I CAN DRINK. I had a delicate white tea flavoured with peach from nearby Niagara Region.
The afternoon tea included the typical scones with clotted cream and jam, 4 types of finger sandwiches and a wide selection of sweets. A pricey indulgence ($65) but it was a lovely time spent with an engaging group of ladies.
P.S. Here is the classic afternoon tea menu.
Deletehttps://www.chateaulaurier.com/dine/afternoon-tea/
And I vividly remember this get-together since it was the last time we could have close meetups. COVID's Omicron variant caused a huge spike in infections so we entered our 2nd pandemic lockdown a few weeks later.
Good morning! Thank you, Debs, for opening a window in my memory. My first experience with afternoon tea was at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC. My father's mother had taken my sister and me on a mini-vacation: the excursion boat from Seattle to Victoria, a stay in the hotel, and this meal. I don't remember too much of the tea experience, except that I was young and very, very uncertain about the food. Now, I treasure having tea at any time. Somehow though, I think afternoon iced tea at home, with a pbj, doesn't quite have the same panache, does it?
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to Kayti!
ReplyDeleteSame as Coralee, my first high tea experience was at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC. It was a lovely affair.
I need to learn to like tea. I did go to a Ladies’ tea at my new church in May. I drank water and tried not to make a pig of myself with the assortment of finger sandwiches and sweets they served. I was famished after two hour of pickleball! I have been to these sorts of things a few times over the years. The memorable thing is that they always have the men do the serving.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to the Sweet Tea Social that the Friends & Fiction Official Book Club is having in Atlanta in August as part of the 5 year anniversary celebration event. It is going to be a great weekend of meeting people in real life from this online book club!
Sounds fun, Brenda. Maybe we can eventually make you into a tea drinker!
DeleteMy favorite tea experience was with my British brother in law and my daughter a few years ago. He took us to the Woolsey, which is his favorite. It also seemed to be a favorite of Rolling Stone Ron Wood, who was sitting at the next table.
ReplyDeleteThe Wolseley, yes! (It is pronounced "Woolsey" for some British reason:-)) And it is quite the place to see and be seen!
DeleteAll these photos and descriptions are a treat, Debs - thank you. I had afternoon tea in London once, but it was forty-five years ago, and I couldn't tell you what we ate or where it was.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that all your teas seem to include alcohol! Is that standard? Bubbly and brewed tea? A cocktail with your cupcake?
And happy birthday to Kayti!
DeleteThanks, Edith! A lot of the hotels seem to offer champagne as well as tea these days. It makes for a very liquid outing and not to be attempted if you don't have access to facilities afterwards!
DeleteThis is lovely Debs--wish we all were going to tea with you! Yesterday I received a photo of our daughter and her 9 year old daughter having tea in Vancouver. Something they both will treasure! Happy birthday Kayti!
ReplyDeleteOh, the perfect age for that! How adorable!
DeleteA friend and I used to dress up, including hats and white gloves,, for high tea in Stonewall, Manitoba! Delicious! Happy Birthday Kayti 🎂🥂
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dorothy!
DeleteHappy, happy birthday, Kayti! You and your mom have so many fun adventures together! We have a wonderful tearoom here, the Bonbonerie; I should gather my daughters to enjoy it next time they are all here.
ReplyDeleteMy first afternoon tea was memorable mostly for the company and for the tea, although we also had pastries. It was at Mariage Frères in Paris in 2001 during my first trip to Europe, and I was completely overwhelmed by the massive menu of different beverage choices. For someone raised on Lipton, it was eye-opening. By the way, they have a shop/tearoom in Covent Garden, too, as well as other locations. https://www.mariagefreres.com/en/
On my first trip to London I met up with an online friend and her sister, who gleefully shepherded me around the city, to the V&A for lunch and a Carnaby Street fashion exhibit, to Harrods, and to Liberty of London, where I chose a scarf with their help, then we enjoyed a cream tea in their funky little tearoom. Kate and her sister showed me how to use the tea strainer, and taught me the correct way to eat scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream. With nonstop, sister-speak commentary!
Probably my favorite afternoon tea, though, was at a hotel in the Washington DC area (that no longer seems to be there, or at least no longer has the same name), a Mother's Day gift from my youngest daughter.
Rhys will know the name of the charming tearoom in Arizona, near Scottsdale. A friend took three of us there for afternoon tea several years ago, and we all said hello to the life-sized cardboard Queen Elizabeth.
DeleteI've never had tea at either Liberty or Harrod's, but I have had tea at Fortum's, which didn't make my faves list. I am jealous of your tea at Mariage Freres. Maybe Kayti will get there, as there are going to Paris, too. And Nice!
DeleteThe funky tearoom was at Liberty of London. It was very dark, with only a few tables, and the tables, counters, and at least one floor lamp were all decoupaged with Liberty print fabrics. I remember a lot of red. We didn't stay at Harrod's very long, it was so big.
DeleteIf Kayti is able to go, I hope she/you will report back. Their tea list was at least four pages long.
As a charter member of the PERFECTS (Public Employees Registered Female Engineers Conversation and Tea Society), I have been to almost every tea locale in the Los Angeles region during the past 25 years. Pasadena has a large British ex-pat community, so there are many tearooms there. I tend to remember the funny stories - how The Scarlet Tearoom would only bring us one pot of tea at a time even though we had 10 people, or how rigid The Rose Tree Cottage was about when and how you could schedule by phone. Our current favorite there is Madeline Garden, which is fabulously decorated.
ReplyDeleteFor a short time, the Queen Mary had afternoon tea (in conjunction with an exhibition of Diana’s dresses), so that was a fun venue.
My favorite was my local Vintage Tea Leaf in downtown Long Beach. One of the first places I went out for tea (friends and I had been hosting them at home for years). I used to go to the best used bookstore in the world, Acres of Books (Ray Bradbury wrote about it), then stop for tea. The staff there would make sure I got a table by a window or with a good lamp so I could read while enjoying my solo tea. Sadly, both of them are no more.
So sad when things we love are no longer there. But I love that Long Beach/LA is such a tea haven.
DeleteBeing a member of PERFECTS fits you to a tee, LISA!
DeleteOur local Community Center has Tea By the Sea every Wednesday in July and August, and on special occasions such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. The tables must be booked, and most people dress ‘better than usual’ – and sometimes even wear a hat. The price is $12 each.
ReplyDeleteThe tables are all set with cloth table cloths and cloth napkins, and usually a posey and a ‘gift’ for each – chocolate rose for Valentine’s for example. The good China is all matched and colour coordinated to the napkins at the table even though it may be different from the next table. The tea is brought in a thermal tea carafe and replaced regularly. The 3-tier cake plate is set for 3 or 4 depending on the number at the table and there will be more than one plate if necessary. There will be 3 finger sandwiches each, a scone (actually it is only a tea biscuit), jam, whipped cream, and a medley of sweets. The menu of things on offer changes according to the whims of the cooks or the season – the one next week will no doubt have lobster sandwiches as they are in season. The sandwiches range from standard, triple layer, open face, and things in interesting packets – always something to explore. The tables are for the afternoon, but some people have a quick tea and move on to allow the table to open up for a later seating.
Since it is local and the summer, it is a hit with people from away who are back visiting family or even just happen upon it. Our table is booked right now for every time because if you don’t there will be no table– subject to change if necessary. Usually it is 4-10 people, and let me tell you we have a grand time!
For a great series on tea, I recommend Vicki Delany’s Tea by the Sea series. It is a great introduction to how to serve a proper tea, a fabulous grandmother, and of course a murder!
That all sounds amazing, Margo! And I love Vicki's books but haven't read this series so will definitely check them out! P.S. You won't get such a nice tea in London for $12, I can tell you!
DeleteBack in 2000 I was in London with my mother-in-law. She was a travel agent back then and had been to London several times. She decided we would just drop in at the Ritz for tea. Ha. Reservations were full several months out. A nice employee suggested we try Brown's Hotel. We did and they graciously took us in and gave us the best cream tea ever. It was wonderful. The tea room was like someone's overcrowded parlor, with overstuffed chairs, love seats, etc and little tables everywhere. And for those of you who read Martha Grimes, this is the hotel Melrose Plant stayed at before he started staying at his father's club, Borings.
ReplyDeleteI had tea at Brown's years ago, with my folks, and it has been on my list of things I want to do again. I think Kayti was considering Brown's, too, which I think might be more fun than the Grosvenor.
DeleteHappy Birthday to Kayti! Thanks for sharing your tea adventures. I've never really had the budget for a lavish fancy hotel experience. My favorite memories of tea are from the high tea spreads "Auntie" Joan put on for us at her home on Otley Old Road in Leeds. So many different baked delights, sweet and savory, all delicious. Even with a teenage or young adult appetite, I couldn't eat everything. Once her son Nicky came in during the meal, looked at the abundance of goodies and decided to have a bowl of shredded wheat. Families!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure your "Auntie's" teas were more memorable than anything you could have in a hotel, Gillian!
DeleteHappy Birthday, Kayti! Enjoy your trip with your family!
ReplyDeleteDebs, my "afternoon tea" experiences are mostly not that memorable, because, until I began coming to this blog, I never paid much attention. Sorry if that is blasphemy, gang. There is one that Irwin and I will never forget, however. It wasn't so much the "tea" as what came next.
It was our first voyage together in 2011. We had spent a week hiking and exploring Alaska before we met the ship for a voyage through inside passage. We were on a very, very nice European line small cruise ship. I must mention our arrival for boarding. It was May and we had just hiked on the Exit Glacier that morning and, it being mud season, we were pretty much representative of that name. Wearing slickers, jeans, fleeces, hats, scarves we observed the prissy, sophisticated passengers from around the globe, in their pants suits and high heels, their sports jackets and ties as the crew handed around glasses of champagne while we waited our chance to board. We looked at one another and laughed.
One night was designated as "formal" night. Before we left for the hiking trip, we had mailed a suitcase to the ship from Connecticut with a suit for Irwin and an evening gown for me. The activities at each port were pretty active and when we arrived back at the ship, we were famished. We decided to go to afternoon tea. I remember that there were delectable little sandwiches and fabulous bite sized pastries. Irwin could not resist the pastries.
We left that port and began to prepare for our formal evening. I was in the little shower in our tiny suite when I realized that I was literally bouncing off the shower walls. When I stumbled into the bedroom in one of their fluffy robes with my hair up in a towel, Irwin was already groaning. Oh, no! It got worse. It seems that we were in a hurricane in the gulf and the captain slowed the ship down because of the storm. We were being buffeted by gigantic waves, which you could watch on your TV. I knew that there was no way I could walk around in high heels in that storm. I lay down on the spinning bed next to Irwin and groaned. We were skipping formal night. We called our butler who took away the mess and informed us that most of the crew was sick, too. That is why our afternoon tea was so extraordinarily memorable.
Oh no, all that effort to get your clothes there for formal night for naught!
DeleteWhat a story, Judy! I hope the seas calmed down quickly! And personally, I'd rather have had the tea than the formal dinner:-)
DeleteLisa, I wore that dress for the semi formal night. I shipped it and I was not to be denied!
DeleteDebs, we think the story is hilarious! Neither of us is prone to seasickness, so it must have been truly wild seas! Some on-board friends had no problem with the motion and did the whole evening with a very few other hardy souls.
We actually had great weather for our whole Alaska adventure, considering that it was early spring there.
Happy birthday, Kayti! I had tea at the Westin William Penn in Pittsburgh (a very fancy hotel) with Sisters in Crime years ago and it was quite delicious.
ReplyDeleteI will pass along the best wishes, Liz!
DeleteLovely descriptions and photos of afternoon teas, Debs! My mouth is watering. Like Coralee and Dru, my first afternoon tea was at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC, when I was a teenager, and my family was living in Vancouver. The Bellevue, a five-star hotel in Bern, also serves an enormous tea of sandwiches and cakes--I was taken there recently for my birthday by a Swiss friend. Best of all was a cream tea I had in my early twenties with an Englishman I was in love with at the Granchester Orchard near Cambridge (England), after we punted down the Cam (or, rather, he punted and I lounged in the bow). The romance was short-lived, but it's still a very happy memory.
ReplyDeleteOh, Kim, how could I have forgotten The Orchard in memorable teas!! I had afternoon tea there several times when I was writing Dreaming of the Bones, and there is a scene in that book where Duncan and Gemma have tea there with his mother. My only complaint about The Orchard is that it's very waspy! But it is heavenly!
DeleteGiven the lovey-dovey state I was in while having tea there, I probably wouldn't have noticed a wasp even if it had stung me!
DeleteHappy birthday Katyi!!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a delightful post Debs and a helpful guide to London eats!
I hope it will be helpful--it certainly made me happy to write!
DeleteOh Debs, those teas all sound terrific, and the photos are as well. Happy birthday to Kayti! 🎂🥂
ReplyDeleteMy first afternoon tea that wasn’t with my grandmother was in Newport, RI. It was a long weekend celebration for my 40th birthday and my husband indulged me (he doesn’t care for tea.) on our trip to London and Scotland in this May, we had a cream tea (with champagne) at 2 of our hotels, the Milestone in London, and 100 Princes Street in Edinburgh. I had smoky teas at both (I adore Lapsang Souchong) and my husband had a mild tea. My favourite sandwiches were the cucumber and the smoke salmon. I my next life I will organize a garden and afternoon tea trip.
Someone else who loves Lapsang Souchong! ☕️
DeleteSuzette, I would go along on that afternoon garden and afternoon tea trip!
DeleteI don’t remember the name of the restaurant. It was in Keswick, in the Lakes District.
ReplyDeleteIt was a high tea with freshly caught lakeland trout, a number of other dishes and a piece of pie that was the size of a quarter of a whole pie.
That was enough to cover the rest of the day.
A couple of friends and I used to go for afternoon tea in the Boston area. They were all in hotels, some more elaborate and expensive than others.
I haven’t done it for a while, but a place I would recommend now would be the Boston Public Library.
Their tearoom overlooks the Italianate courtyard.They offer traditional tea sandwiches, scones and pastries and a variety of teas. It is a little pricey but I think in line with other places plus the ambiance provides a relaxing atmosphere.
About fifteen years ago, we stopped for tea at a no-name hotel in London. While being seated, we eyed the spread and noticed the attendant knock a bread roll off the serving table with her tray. She didn't see us watching as she snatched the roll from the floor . . . and placed it back on the buffet.
ReplyDeleteAck! Obviously not the best hotel!!!
DeleteWell, it may be too touristy, but I took my sister to the Savoy for what was billed as "Royal high tea" for her birthday and a couple of days before Harry and Meghan got married nearby. It included savories as well as sweets, something savory that was plated (can't remember what - something small and beautifully arranged) . Everything was delicious, but I got so focused on the scones and clotted cream that the rest was relegated to the back of my palate! The best part was that my dear sister loved the experience.
ReplyDeleteLovely virtual visit. Thanks! -- Storyteller Mary
ReplyDeleteMy friend Tracy and I had a wonderful afternoon tea in the late 80s at the Ritz in Boston. Fabulous decor, wonderful service, delicious food - but the real highlight was when Robert Wagner held the door open for me as I was entering and he was about to exit! (And yes, he was as handsome in person as he was on screen.)
ReplyDelete