Afternoon Tea - Things to do in London May 29, 2008
Posted by Linda in : attractions , trackbackOne of the best things to do in London which you should really try and find time for is to indulge in that great British institution, the afternoon tea. I’m going to explain exactly what to expect and give you some idea of the best places to go in London to experience it. Now I don’t know about you, but I love the whole business of afternoon tea in an upmarket cafe or tea room. Just in case you were not aware, by the way, afternoon tea is more than just a cup of tea!
What is ‘afternoon tea’
The main thing to remember about afternoon tea is that it is a snack rather than a meal. Usually taken at around 4 - 4.30 pm it is designed to fill the gap between an early lunch and a later dinner, or possibly an after theatre supper. It’s not the same as high tea, which is more substantial, often includes something hot and is served at about 5pm. Having said that you are unlikely to leave the afternoon tea table feeling in the least bit hungry!
Where to go
Afternoon tea is a civilised sort of a snack and half the fun is going somewhere quite upmarket and traditional to indulge in it. I think the best places to sample it in London are one or two of the high quality department stores and some hotels. Now I do know that there are some places outside the capital that pride themselves on their wonderful afternoon teas and they are fantastic but London’s most famous tearooms have been serving afternoon tea for 300 years. It has to be worth trying!
Fortnum and Mason
I really think the ultimate place to go is Fortnum and Mason of Piccadilly. Now it’s not so straight forward as just wandering in and grabbing a table. You really need to book days or possibly weeks in advance, especially at weekends. Luckily you can add an afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason as an extra when you are booking your theatre break in London.
An Ideal Menu for Afternoon Tea
The essential elements include:
Dainty sandwiches - smoked salmon, ham or crab are always good, maybe some sort of pate, even cucumber (much nicer than you might think!)
Some sort of small savoury treat - maybe melba toast and Gentleman’s Relish, or a little cheese and potato pastry of some sort.
Then
Scones, fruit or plain, preferably with jam and cream, could be whipped or ideally clotted.
Finally to finish you off - did I mention this is just a snack?
Cakes - small iced cup cakes, little fruit tarts, individual iced cakes, little cream horns, eclairs, vanilla slices, need I go on?
(Groan - I’m making myself hungry!)
The Tea
Of course you also have the all important pot of tea. It has to be a pot, preferably china, though silver is acceptable, with another pot of hot water so that you can top it up. I prefer Earl Grey, with it’s gorgeous scent of bergamot oil, but smokey Lapsang Souchong, or even a really good Ceylon, is quite acceptable. Cups should be china too, with pretty matching saucers and milk jug. Slices of lemon should also be there for people like me who don’t take milk. Bowls of sugar cubes and pretty silver sugar tongs to serve them are lovely to look at even if you don’t take sugar.
Setting
I think where you eat is nearly as important as what you eat out. Afternoon tea is an ideal opportunity to live out all your Jeeves and Wooster fantasies or pretend you’re in an Agatha Christie. I want waiters and waitresses in black and white uniforms looking very efficient. Of course, to do it justice you need to be fairly smartly dressed too, smart casual is fine.
Choose the right setting and you might even see a few celebs refreshing themselves after a taxing afternoon’s shopping. Half the fun is people watching so choosing somewhere like Fortnums is ideal.
This is one of a series of posts about extra things to do whilst you are enjoying your theatre break in London. I’ve already looked at rickshaw rides and Thames river boat trips.
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