When in Rome, do what the Romans do so when in London, do what the Londoners do as well! It is almost common to have high tea during weekdays for many Londoners (perhaps not the working crowd) so do make it a point to try one while you are there. There are many places that have afternoon tea in London and many popular places like Ritz and Fortnum and Mason needs booking in advance.
While we are in London, we decided to go for one of the most popular one at Fortnum and Mason at their Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon. Fortnum and Mason has a long history starting out from a small store in St James Market and a spare room in Hugh Mason’s house in 1707. Paired up with William Fortnam, the duo sold their ever first product in 1738 to travellers; the scotch egg! Fast forward to modern world, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge, visited the store to open the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon on 1st March 2012. When we arrived, we were greeted by staff who had impeccable service. The grand piano in the front also contributed to a fantastic atmosphere.
The entire tea salon was decorated for royalty and everything was prepared immaculately. The tables and walls were all in royal fashion.
The tableware were extremely pretty in turquoise with starched cleaned napkins
Our table was quite near to the entrance so we could hear the grand piano adding to the atmosphere of the entire afternoon tea. We felt like we were having tea in the Queen’s garden or something.
The afternoon tea set is priced at £55 for Fortnum’s famous blend and £58 for rare teas. Like the plates, the tea pot set was also very prettily designed Chinaware.
The afternoon tea comes in a 3 tiered plates with both savoury sandwiches, savoury pies and tarts as well as their famous scones. Everything is refillable as you can ask for a refill for a particular item if you like the taste of a particular item.
You might find that there is no sweet items on the plates but there is more! You can ask the staff to bring you the cakes carriage and you can get slices of their tea cakes for the day and there is at least 4 to 5 selection of cakes.
Although it is quite pricey for an afternoon tea but the quality of food is very high and the service is also impeccable. The experience of dining in a salon fashioned like a royal salon is great enough to come here at least once. Not forgetting the shopping at this 18th century store after tea is another highlight of visiting Fortnum and Mason.
Address: 181 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London W1A 1ER, UK
Operating hours: 10 am to 8 pm ( closing at 9 pm for Friday and Saturday) 11.30 am to 6 pm on Sunday
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