The 10 best afternoon teas
From scones, jam and cream at an Irish castle to a Balinese-inspired indulgence with avocado sorbet in London, here are some unforgettable places to take high tea.
An afternoon tea party is that most British of rituals: unrushed, mannered and dainty. It embodies the old-school pleasures of grand hotels and languorous hours spent chatting between sips from fine bone china and nibbles on fluffy cucumber sandwiches and miniature patisseries.
The notion of lingering over sweet and savoury bites, with a pot of steeped leaves, was invented in the mid-1900s to tide Brits over until dinner, then evolved into an aristocratic ritual.
Travellers can take high tea around the world, putting various luxury brands to the test. The dowager duchess code remains: never put the milk in first. Here’s your definitive guide to the best places for afternoon teas around the world.
1. COMO The Halkin, London
The ultimate spa-hotel brand is known for its witty cultural mash-ups, and London flagship hotel, COMO The Halkin in leafy Belgravia, brings a twist to afternoon tea.
This guilty gastronomic pleasure has been reimagined as Balinese-inspired clean cuisine. Tea kicks off from 2pm with hot towels infused with signature COMO Shambhala scent. Anti-inflammatory ginger tea replaces black tea.
Fresh juices, bursting with raw greens, turbocharge the nutritional component of the menu. Moreish, flavourful savouries – seeds sprinkled on avocado and toast, spiced crispy prawns, a marinated chicken “lolly” that pops in the mouth – meet sweets with a tropical twist. Cucumber comes as jelly with avocado sorbet; wholemeal waffles are topped with banana; the show-stopping Zen Garden combines protein “rock”, chocolate “stone” and matcha cake; £55 ($105) a person.
2. Rendezvous Hotel, Melbourne
This grand dame, restored in 2022, adds the decadence of bottomless sparkling to a high tea ritual, a testament to the Edwardian opulence of the hotel’s beginnings, when horses clip clopped past.
Guests can still party like it’s 1913 among the wood-panelled walls of the Heritage Lounge. Specialty teas broaden the palate. Bites are refined and richer than original nursery-style nibbles.
Duck liver pate, porcini-pickled mushroom, and rhubarb create a medley of forest floor pungency; chocolate and coffee eclairs need to be eaten with eyes rapturously closed; watermelon, pistachio and fresh mint add a burst of kitchen-garden freshness.
Purists keen for pull-apart scones will love the chef’s unctuous berry jam, lightened with cloudy whipped cream. Why wait ’til Sunday? Tea service starts early on Thursday afternoons; from $89 a person including a glass of bubbles or $109 for bottomless bubbles.
3. Ashford Castle, Ireland
From the moment you enter the castellated drawbridge of this sprawling castle estate in County Galway, the spell of Ireland’s mythology and medieval history takes hold.
The original 13th-century tower and gothic Victorian additions – a typical 19th-century tycoon’s fantasy – rise high on the emerald sweep of this playground where golfers and falconers roam. Guests staying at the castle hotel, or passing through to visit the tiny riverside village of Cong, can lift their teacups in an elegant interior that has hosted afternoon teas since the tradition’s earliest days in the 1860s.
The authentic old-world comfort food of finger sandwiches and generously heaped cream and jam on fresh scones comes with glorious views over Lough Corrib and the estate gardens; from €75 ($123) a person.
4. The Lanesborough, London
The Bridgerton streaming phenomenon has given new life to the world of posh regency London and its love of parties and balls. The Lanesborough, London has launched a themed afternoon tea to honour the latest series, Queen Charlotte. Contemporary flair enlivens old favourites – the salmon in sandwiches is cured with tea; cheddar is baked into scones and custard.
Coronation chicken and a specially created cocktail honours the titular queen. Exquisitely coloured miniature cakes are a nod to the character Lady Danbury’s passion for hats and jewels; from £80 ($152) a person.
5. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
This colonial-era hotel, with cavernous modern additions, is a spa sanctuary located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in one of the world’s most fascinating cities.
The property was the first luxury establishment to open in Thailand, launched by two Danish sea captains in the 19th century. Its fabled afternoon tea service is served with a glass of Laurent-Perrier, La Cuvee Champagne in the Authors Lounge.
Scattered white cane furniture and retro decorative elements conjure lazy afternoons in the 1920s, when authors such as Somerset Maugham relaxed here. There is a choice of two teas. Traditional service has Brit classics such as cucumber and cress sandwiches (dressed with drained yoghurt), and minted lamb in puff pastry.
The Oriental Afternoon tea showcases more eastern ingredients such as crab meat and poached prawn, and flavours the jam with fragrant rose petal; from 1800 baht ($77) a person.
6. Suvretta House, St Moritz
Invigorating alpine air and the jetset glamour of the St Moritz ski fields in Switzerland lure travellers during the winter (December-April) and summer (July-October) seasons. The lavish “Full English” afternoon tea is as unapologetically old school as Suvretta House’s lobby where it is served to the rustle of newspapers.
A variety of teas is accompanied by fruit-laden strawberry jam, lemon curd, and clotted cream thick enough to please Queen Victoria herself, with Bollinger Special Cuvee Brut Champagne or gin and tonic cocktails and “magical” milkshakes for younger patrons; from 59 francs ($103) a person.
7. Vintage Tea Experience, Dublin
This 80-minute tea experience is a moveable feast, encompassing the nostalgic fun of a vintage Routemaster bus departing from Temple Bar and jauntily passing Dublin’s highlights in all their Georgian glory, including Trinity College (attended by Oscar Wilde). An upbeat local host and 1950s jazz gets the party started, with Irish granny-worthy sandwiches, desserts, cakes, and pastries (vegan and dairy or gluten-free versions available); €49.50 ($81) a person.
8. Raffles London at the OWO
A stiff upper lip is the perfect accessory for afternoon tea overlooking the Horse Guards near Whitehall in central London. The Drawing Room at London’s spanking new Raffles Hotel, in remodelled landmark espionage headquarters, serves a traditional feast among timber panelling and plush armchairs. The menu starts with carrot tart before buttermilk scones, pastries and a selection of delicate sandwiches. Hot hatted chef of the moment, Mauro Colagreco, also creates a Mediterranean version at Saison, the cathedral-height, latticed dining space that forms part of this spectacular new collection of nine restaurants, three bars and accommodation; €80 ($131) a person.
9. The Hermitage Hotel, Nashville, US
American-style southern hospitality and celebrity glamour come together in the Music City at the 110-year old Hermitage Hotel, which hosts “Spillin’ Tea with Draper James” – the clothing brand launched by actor Reese Witherspoon to showcase the region’s aesthetic. The afternoon tea service features sandwiches, pastries, tarts and scones inspired by recipes in Witherspoon’s cookbook, Whiskey in a Teacup, a title that refers to the prohibition era. Loose-leaf teas come from purveyor In Pursuit of Tea, and staff uniforms and table linens are custom designed under the Draper James label.
The Hermitage is familiar with female entrepreneurial spirit; the women’s suffrage movement once had its headquarters here; $US75 ($112) a person.
10. The Majestic Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
This charming 1930s heritage hotel serves afternoon tea in the Orchid Conservatory, where a wondrous profusion of elegant moth orchid blooms perfume the air with vanilla-like scent. Egg or cucumber sandwiches and fruit scones are served on an Art Deco tiered stand, while warm savouries (with dollops of delicious mango chutney) are presented in a box.
Any sweet tooth will take a fancy to the cornucopia of chocolate, peanut butter, raspberry, lemon and berry sweets, another sensory dimension among the prettiness of so many exotic petals. Never fear, you can burn off the calories with a walk to the nearby Bird Park; from 140 ringgit ($45).
