I'm not sure if this is something you'll find on the 'bucket list' but I do know it's something everyone should try at least once for the experience of it.
Also, I wouldn't say I'm an expert on it or anything either. (That would be our sis Savi - with her record of high tea hot spots, she should be like the ambassador of afternoon tea!) But having been to Afternoon Tea at a few different places ourselves, I thought I'll share our experience of it for anyone that's confused as to where is the best place to go.
So the contenders for Afternoon Tea (based on our experience) are:
Harrods
The Dorchester
The Ritz
Harrods
Harrods was our first experience of Afternoon Tea, but it felt more like an informal and slightly expensive lunch. Unlike most afternoon tea places where you have to book in advance, we just turned up and that was that. We were sat on the balcony overlooking the hustle and bustle of Knightstbridge and the shiny Lamborghini's, so I'd say we had a pretty good view. Otherwise, if you book in advance then you're most likely to be seated in the Georgian Restaurant with the Grand Piano. That's nice too!
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| That's us feeling all posh and privileged. |
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| Sweet lil treats |
The waiter who served us was really nice and friendly and regularly topped up our tea and sandwiches without us having to ask so that's a good thing, that you don't have to keep waiting around. The tea and food was nice too but nothing outstanding or memorable enough for me to comment on. The food did come out quickly and the desserts were mainly fruit based tarts. Personally, fruit just doesn't cut it as a dessert for me but it's a nice way of fitting your five a day in I guess. I'm all about chocolate and cheesecakes myself and there wasn't really a selection of them, so here is my sad face ---> :(
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| Feeling stuffed? How about this for a doggy bag...woof! |
It isn't your traditional afternoon tea experience but if you're looking for a last minute, informal tea experience then head down to Harrods because if like me you can't afford anything else in there, you can't go wrong for tea at £29.00 per person!
The Dorchester
This was our second experience of afternoon tea where we celebrated our sister Savi's 25th birthday last year. We booked in advance as this is one of the popular places for tea and so it does get booked quite quickly. We were sat in The Promenade which was just by the foyer and was really warm and inviting. The other place where you can have tea is The Spatisserie which is a slightly more intimate dining place and is more for private parties.
Everything about The Dorchester was AMAZING from the food, the atmosphere and the toilets! (Yes, the way to judge a good restaurant is surprisingly not by the food but the lavs so there's a tip for you!)
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| Waiting area in the foyer |
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| Scones with clotted cream and jam |
The best thing about The Promenade is that it features live entertainment every day between 1.15 and 7pm. There was a live jazz band that played music when we there and they dedicated a few songs to our sister, the birthday girl, so they really do pay attention to detail in everything to make your occasion (if that's what you're booking it for) feel special. The waiters were really friendly and took some time to get to know us all and made sure we were having a good time celebrating.
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| Live music in The Promenade |
Overall, I would say The Dorchester for it's great food, tea and great atmosphere is a classy tea experience and a great place to celebrate an occasion or just a chinwag with the girls!
The Ritz
We celebrated my sister Savi's 'Swan' (classy version of a hen!) at The Ritz.
This is probably the place for high tea as it is exactly just that-high tea. It is traditional English high tea in all senses of the word and an almost perfect experience. I say almost because for me it was a little pretentious in the sense that I didn't feel I could be myself here. I had to watch that I didn't drop any crumbs and that my spoon wasn't clinking too loudly in the cup. These tiny details might sound stupid but once you're there you feel they do matter because their staff watch over as everybody dines so you feel that you have to be on your best behaviour all the time! I didn't feel relaxed here as I did at The Dorchester however I was blown away by the Tea room at The Ritz because it is gilded in gold, is really extravagant (as expected) and the service is second to none.
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| The Palm Court where tea is served |
At our session of tea, we were the only Asians (!) and so the resident pianist, Ian Gomes (the personal pianist of Frank Sinatra!) at The Ritz played instrumentals from Bollywood songs on the Grand Piano for us which was a real treat especially for me because I friggin' love Bollywood! If you get a chance to have tea at The Ritz then you have to meet Ian. He really is the most nicest and humble person you will ever meet and we were lucky enough to have him play at Savi's wedding reception too. He knows a lot of romantic Bollywood songs and we were all well impressed.
The food at the Ritz obviously can't be faulted. Aside from the individual desserts you get as part of the tea menu, the waiters were also going around with fresh pastries and tarts which were not on the menu. These sweet little treats were just too good to describe. Little slices of Heaven, one might say!
Afternoon tea at The Ritz is from £42.00 per person and with it being on the upper end of the 'high tea' market, I would recommend this experience for a really special person or occasion.
(Word of warning here. Even though it is just tea, scones and sandwiches, afternoon tea experience can really fill you up that you'll have no room for Dinner! So I would say eat lightly before you go. If you can't finish all the sandwiches and desserts then you can get a pretty doggy bag from Harrods and The Dorchester, whereas The Ritz don't do doggy bags so don't ask and get your besti done! (loosely translates to 'embarrasment/shame')
Don't just be inspired. Be Twinspired.
Hernoor aka Noorie
