Picture the scene. It’s early December on Oxford Street. The pavements and stores are teeming with Christmas shoppers (despite the inevitable drizzle), faces lit by the festive lights overhead and complexions rosy thanks to scarves and hats that have been donned despite the fact it has yet to dip below ten degrees. You’re tired. Your feet ache. You’re desperate for a break from all the retail ‘therapy’ but somehow it’s not yet 3pm.
And then suddenly there it is: a five-star hotel enticing you in with a twinkling Christmas tree and the irresistible smell of freshly baked scones. In the distance, you can hear the sound of champagne bottles popping and the delicate tinkle of cups, saucers and piano keys. It is, of course, time for afternoon tea.
While London is home to the world’s finest afternoon teas all year rounds, at Christmas the capital’s hotels and restaurants really pull out all the stops to ramp up the festive cheer. Expect pastries in the shape of baubles, delicate finger sandwiches with seasonal fillings and whole menus of cocktails blended with nutmeg and cinnamon. These are London’s best festive afternoon teas for Christmas 2022.
It’s Showtime at The Savoy, The Strand
Image: Will Stanley
For its festive offering, The Savoy has teamed up with Champagne Laurent-Perrier to create an ode to classic Christmas theatre. Extending beyond afternoon tea, ‘It’s Showtime’ will see dramatic décor, including a miniature stage, take over the Thames Foyer and other communal spaces within the hotel while the bars will also offer a series of limited edition Laurent-Perrier cocktails. The afternoon tea menu (which also includes options for vegetarians and vegans), meanwhile, has also had a makeover with season dishes including Baron Bigod brie and cranberry tartlets, spiced ginger sable and chestnut cream Santa’s hats and dark chocolate and chai tea baubles.
From £75 per person, savoychristmas.com
The Sugar Plum Fairy afternoon tea at Pan Pacific London, City of London
Liverpool Street’s luxurious Pan Pacific London hotel will be getting a Nutcracker-themed makeover for Christmas 2022 with the ballet’s most beloved character, the Sugar Plum Fairy, taking centre stage for afternoon tea. Served in the gorgeous Orchid lounge, pastry chef Cherish Finden has given her usually exquisite offering a festive overhaul, serving up Prima Ballerina macarons, Nutcracker caramel sponges and Sugar Plum Fairy compote and chantilly. Wash everything down with a limited edition Spice of Life cocktail (Rémy Martin VSOP, ginger syrup, lemon juice, pineapple juice, topped with Asian-spiced mulled wine) or a glass of Nyetimber English Sparkling Wine.
From £78 per person, panpacific.com
Festive afternoon tea at The Guardsman, Westminster
Buckingham Gate’s The Guardsman hotel is the perfect place for a pitstop if your Christmas site-seeing tour includes the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. Its seasonal offering features special savouries, including sausage rolls with sage and apricot and roast beef, brie and cranberry sandwiches, as well as adorable miniature Christmas cakes and pastries in the shape of snowmen and baubles. Oh, and there’s a glass of Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut Champagne or a Christmas cocktail thrown in for good measure.
From £65 per person, guardsmanhotel.com
Selection Box at Sheraton Grand Park Lane, Mayfair
What could be more quintessentially festive than a selection box? From 18 November 2022, the Palm Court restaurant at the Sheraton Grand Park Lane will be offering guests their own take on the classic gift, with an afternoon tea featuring treats inspired by chocolate bars including Dairy Milk Caramel, Orange Twirl, Flake and Dairy Milk Whole Nut. The menu is complemented by a selection of fine Newby teas, including 1927, a blend unique to the Palm Court named for the year it was founded.
From £55 per person, palmcourtlondon.com
Grover festive afternoon tea at Grosvenor House, Mayfair
Image: CPG Photos
Boasting glamorous Art Deco interiors and glorious views over Hyde Park, the Park Room at Grosvenor House has long been one of London’s chicest spots to take afternoon tea. For Christmas 2022, chef Anthony Hurst has turned to the hotel mascot Grover the bulldog for inspiration, resulting in a number of canine-themed delicacies. Sample the Mr Grover chocolate mousse cake, Bone Appetit strawberry and cream shortbread sandwich and Sweet Dreams chocolate brownie. Children will also be given a letter from Grover on arrival, as well as a Grover-themed puzzle to keep them entertained while the adults sip on something refreshing from the champagne trolley.
From £62.50 per person, parkroom.com
Christmas afternoon tea at The Lane, Covent Garden
The Lane, the elegant drinking and dining destination at Covent Garden’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane, will be throwing open the doors to its opulent Grand Saloon throughout December to serve up a seriously sumptuous festive afternoon tea. Designed by famed London baker Lily Vanilli, the spread includes gingerbread-spiced sticky toffee pudding, salted caramel popcorn and a chocolate cake decorated in the style of a Christmas tree. Fittingly, the theatre itself is currently home to the Frozen musical – pair the two for a truly seasonal day out.
From £49 per person, thelane.co.uk
Christmas afternoon tea at Biscuiteers, Belgravia and Notting Hill
Throughout November and December, Biscuiteers two locations in Belgravia and Notting Hill will be serving up a few extra baked delicacies alongside its usual array of decadent biscuits. Alongside the usual scones, jam and finger sandwiches, treat yourself to smoked salmon brioche buns, vanilla panna cotta with spiced pear, Mont Blanc tarts and a cup of bespoke blend Tregothnan tea. Of course, this being Biscuiteers, there are also plenty of festively-shaped ginger biscuits ready for some DIY icing.
From £48 per person, biscuiteers.com
Winter Wonderland afternoon tea at London Hilton Park Lane, Mayfair
From 1 December, the London Hilton Park Lane will be serving up plenty of yuletide cheer at its Podium restaurant courtesy of its Winter Wonderland afternoon tea. Taking its cues from the annual winter extravaganza of the same name that takes place in nearby Hyde Park, there are treats on offer for the whole family. Adults can tuck into chestnut and cassis yule logs and eggnog mandarin cheesecakes, accompanied by a glass of Pommery champagne, while children will be treated to reindeer lollies, Christmas tree cupcakes and hot chocolate.
From £39 per person, hilton.com
Read more: The best Christmas hampers
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