When I was headed to London , I knew what I wanted to do.. HIGH TEA!
I did my research and really planned out where I wanted to go and why I chose these places before I booked. P.S. – don’t tell anybody…I snuck in some bathroom (appropriate) selfies as well 🙂
In the United States, High Tea is becoming more of a popular thing and you can enjoy high tea at most 5 star resorts or hotels. But once I figured out I was going to be in London I made it a mission to do at least 3 Tea Rooms during the 5 days I was there.
Here are the 3 places I chose to do High Tea in order of my favorite:
- Fortnum & Mason (Most classic and traditional of all of London)
- Ting at the Shard London (The upscale asian or traditional tea with the best view of all of London)
- The Ampersand Hotel (A cool, low-key modern scientific themed Tea)
WATCH THE VIDEO TO SEE WHAT EACH TEA INCLUDES
Fortnum & Mason (Most classic and traditional of all of London)
I so loooove this tea room:)
Fortnum & Mason is the oldest and most traditional place in all of London to have tea. Fortnum & Mason was actually just across the street from my hotel so it was an added bonus for me to not have to travel too far.
The tea room is on the fifth floor and it’s gorgeously decorated in a tiffany blue / torquoise color.
- It’s traditional and exceptional in taste and offerings
- The tea can be savory and you can order a small dish that is more of a meal type dish (more modern) to accompany your tea and tea desserts. I had the lamb and highly recommend it!
- If you do tea here you can reorder unlimited sandwiches
- The flavors and presentation are the best of any tea service I’ve had ( I’ve probably had high tea about 10 times in total, from NYC to Beverly Hills to London.)
- The best scones and accompanying jams (lemon curd and raspberry and presented in take-away jars at the start)
Here’s my Bathroom selfie since I drank so much tea and beverages. The bathrooms are really clean, pretty with classic art on the walls, an attendant for all bathroom needs and cloth towels to dry your hands. 🙂
The Ampersand Hotel (A cool, low-key modern scientific themed tea)
I went on a weekday and the hotel tea room was pretty quiet, which was just fine for me.
I chose this tea because I really wanted a unique tea experience. I originally came across it because I was looking to stay in the Chelsea area for my stay however I ended up at the Le Meridian in Piccadilly Circus. When I looked into their tea, I loved their modern and unique space themed tea. They do not actually call it a themed tea but it really is.
Sandwiches included a roast beef with pickles and tiny mayo on white bread, lobster that was on a toasted focaccia-like bread (subtle in flavor and creamy texture with mayo), a quiche appetizer with mushroom and peas, a salmon soft pancake-like cracker with a green sauce and fish eggs.
You can reorder any of the sandwiches* and I re-ordered a roast beef sandwich since I’m more of a savory than, sweet type of girl. I never eat all the sweets.
The scones are so yummy and have a sweet vanilla flavor to them and a cool bonus – – there’s a toothpaste looking tube that is actually caramel for the scones.
Of the sweets I thought the spaceman was supper cute but I couldn’t eat him. The space globe/moon (Minty chocolate mousse with a fudge like brownie) See video was so delicious and cool to see.
(Tea is served from 2:30-5:30)
Here’s my second bathroom selfie…the bathroom is a bit out of the way but it is so pretty! It’s located on the floor below (underground floor) and it seems to be for co-ed.
Ting at the Shard London (The Upscale Asian or Traditional Tea with the Best View of All of London)
You absolutely must go for the asian tea! You can get a classic tea in any metropolitan hotels, but here at the Ting the Asian inspired tea is the best!! I actually ordered both the Traditional and the Asian, but honestly the Asian Tea blew the traditional one out of the water.
The traditional tea sandwiches were a mayo and egg, cheese and butter with mustard on wheat, a sundried tomato and ham, smoked salmon chives and butter but the best and only one I reordered was the roast beef with a little dijon.
For the Asian Tea plate the sandwiches and food it came with were
- a Red sandwich with 3 layers of cream cucumber and salmon and butter
- an Asian roll with a meat and pickled something
- a Quiche like appetizer with crab, *But it tasted like a Vietnamese pork or Chinese duck. This was the best tea sandwich!
- a Spring roll with ham and noodles and mango sauce on top very Hawaiian … sweet and salty ham yum
- and an Egg roll
The Scones and jams were the same for both traditional and asian tea and were classic lemon and raspberry flavors.
My favorite of the desserts was the loved the mouse in the flaky tart, it was perfect sweetness with a bit of bittersweet chocolate.
The bathroom is the best restroom I have ever been in! Full length of windows, cloth towels to clean your hands, and many amenities to freshen up…maybe too many amenities .. see the image below with even chargers next to the toilet 🙂
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Here are the 2 other Places I would like to when I visit London again:
Claridges (according to one London Cab driver, it’s his absolute favorite place to go for a special Tea. He says that the hotel has an Art Deco feel, has pianist playing and the staff is fantastic!
The The Ritz London, for tea, a bit Bourgeois and beautiful setting with a pianist too.
