FORWARD
I absolutely LOVE afternoon tea. I love tea in general. Baking and aesthetic foods are another guilty pleasure of mine. As such, afternoon tea is a shoo-in for one of my favorite experiences. After years of visiting Ireland and the United Kingdom, I ended going on a trip touring the United Kingdom looking for the BEST tea locations. Through very vigorous evaluations, these are places we visited and what I liked about each.
On Dietary Needs: Each of these locations offered accommodations and afternoon tea experiences for gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian guests. So, if these are of value to you, please be assured that these needs were met.
Ashford Castle, County Mayo, Ireland
Ashford Castle Dr, Ashford Or Cappacorcoge, Cong, Co. Mayo, Ireland
Mon - Sun, 1:30 pm, 2 pm, 3:30 pm, and 4 pm
€78 per person
To reserve: Afternoon Tea at Ashford Castle | The Connaught Room
Ashford Castle is home to own of loveliest afternoon teas in all of Ireland. This castle hotel provides beautiful views of Lough Corrib, delicious food, and great service. This afternoon tea makes it easy to be accommodated for basic dietary needs. It provides truly lovely tea. In fact, you can buy the tea here at Mrs Tea's on the Ashford Estate. Reservation is required for non-staying guests, and it is subject to fill up so plan ahead. If you are coming to the castle as a non-staying guest, be sure to check out other opportunities at this location including, but not limited to, boat rides, falconry, and archery. Pairing these with your afternoon tea will be sure to elevate the experience here.
Afternoon tea will typically be in the Connaught Room, but it can also be served in the Drawing Room, as pictured above. From start to finish, expect a picturesque experience. From either room, enjoy the elegant interiors of the castle. With rich colors and beautiful wooden details, these spaces are a delight to be in. Freshly baked scones and towering, tiered sets come with little sandwiches and decadent desserts. Still, the tea was the highlight for me, even with all the lovely food. Additionally, the servers were incredibly attentive and pleasant to be around. Come for the atmosphere and stay for the impeccable, personable service.
Art Tea at the Merrion Hotel, Dublin, Ireland
Merrion St Upper, Dublin 2, Ireland
Mon - Sun,12:30pm, 1:00pm, 3:30pm and 4:00pm daily
€79 per person, or €99 per person with a glass of champagne
Art Tea At The Merrion Hotel | Luxury Afternoon Tea Dublin
Art Tea at the Merrion Hotel is one of the more interesting afternoon tea experiences you can attend. Tea is served in the elegant, golden-yellow dining room with a beautiful display of flowers always present. Paintings line the walls and are a key feature of this hotel. These piece continue throughout the hotel and are what inspired this tea (“Art Tea”). In particular, the paintings are used to inspire the second course: three beautifully design desserts inspired by the art in the hotel. These come with miniature prints of the art. Wandering the hotel and finding the real paintings is another fun element you can enjoy after tea here. This tea has one of the most creative themes of any afternoon tea I have visited. Along with this second course, the tea serves tasty savory sandwiches and freshly baked scones. As such, this afternoon tea is a heaven for families and creatives alike.
Old Course Hotel, St Andrews, Scotland
Old Course Hotel, Old Station Rd, St Andrews KY16 9SP, United Kingdom
Sat/Sun, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
£40 per person, £60 with champagne, £65 with rosé, and £18 for a children’s tea
Afternoon Tea | Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa | St Andrews
The afternoon tea at the Old Course Hotel promises views of the first golf course in the world, aptly titled the Old Course. This hotel and golfing course sit against Fife coast. We stopped by to enjoy teatime on Easter Sunday, and we were happily surprised with the themed tea set. This afternoon tea changed via the occassion, and includes other afternoon teas themed for Halloween and Christmas. The tearoom at this location is much less decadently decorated compared to some of the others on this list and it could be seen as quite modern in comparison. However, the views of such an iconic location speaks for itself. Whether coming to golf, visiting family at the university, or simply enjoying the city, this is a fun way to get to eat tasty treats and observe a round of golf on the oldest golf course in the world.
Prestonfield House Edinburgh
Priestfield Rd, Edinburgh EH16 5UT, United Kingdom
Sun – Thu, 12:00 pm - 6:45 pm, Fri – Sat: 12:00 pm –4:00 pm
£70 per person, and £85 with champagne
Unique Afternoon Tea in Edinburgh | Prestonfield
Stunningly beautiful is how I would describe afternoon tea at the Prestonfield House. Whichever room you are placed in, the colors, details on all the furnishings, and the displays of afternoon tea all work together to create a rich tapestry of aesthetic delight. With peacocks walking across the lawn, the setting of this beautiful hotel is not one to dismiss. In particular, we were delighted by the display of small vegetables planted with a little planted box filled with hummus on a plate of artificial grass complete with a small shovel-shaped spoon. Details like this are what make experiences like afternoon tea so fun. This elegant location paired with delectable food makes this an exceptional experience.
The Grand, York, United Kingdom
Station Rise, York YO1 6GD, United Kingdom
Mon - Sun, 12:30 – 16:00
£39.50 per person, £52.50 with champagne, and £24.50 for a Children’s Afternoon Tea. Also, a 12.5% discretionary service charge is added to the bill.
Luxury Afternoon Tea In York | The Grand, York
Beautiful pastries are the crowning jewel at the Grand in York. This hotel is at home in the historic town of York. Enjoy afternoon tea in the main dining area, a modern space, with a bit of a view of the Walls of York - the longest preserved medieval walls in England. Like the Old Course Hotel, this is a more modern space with very modern-appearing tea pots and bright-white ceramic dishes. For someone enjoying a more modern appearing tea-time with clean lines and less frills, this tea is perfect. The tea comes with a lovely the three-tiered afternoon tea spread whose pastries are clearly a work of art.
Unfortunately, when we visited our tea was cold - a huge shock since it was different tea in different pots all cool - and the service was not up to par; however, the staff informed afterward were very understanding, kind, and responsive. In fact, our stay at the Grand was otherwise full of nothing but fantastic service. Fabulous experiences with staff during other meals, the concierge, the managers, and the doormen, all showed the emphasis the team brings towards customer service. Of course, I still feel that it is important to share that the tea here was disappointing in terms of customer service, but I want to be clear that I believe that this was a series of unfortunate slip-ups, rather than a real reflection of the service and care that is usually provided here.
Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, United Kingdom
Woodstock OX20 1PS, United Kingdom
Mon - Sun, 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
£34 - £38 per person, and £55 with champagne
Orangery Restaurant and Afternoon Tea | Blenheim Palace
The Orangery Restaurant is an airy, light room with views of the garden and palace. The place is quite pleasant with green plants, wicker chairs, and soft light spilling into the restaurant. This aesthetic afternoon tea is served at this UNESCO location, and it provides an opportunity to enjoy a quiet moment within a bustling tourist attraction. The location and ambience here is perfection. Enjoy delicious scones, great savory bites, and playful desserts. With attentive service, this is a practically perfect stop for afternoon tea. When visiting Blenheim Palace, this is a wonderful addition to a trip. Soak in the sun in this garden inspired room, and enjoy the experience of sipping tea in a world heritage site.
Leman Tea Room, Brighton, United Kingdom
15A Madeira Pl, Kemptown, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN2 1TN, United Kingdom
Mon - Thurs, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Fri, 2:30 pm - 5:00 pm, Sat, 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm, Sun, 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
£25.90 per person
Leman Tea Room is a space straight out of your grandmother’s house. With assorted teacups, lace covered tables, brightly colored teapots, and charming decor covering every inch of the tearoom, this shop for the maximalism you would expect from Alive in Wonderland. This was the smallest space by far with a far more handmade feel than all the other afternoon tea locations. This tiny location shows the palpable love and infectious happiness of the owners in creating an afternoon tea experience. The owner was part of the fun of the experience, being very personable and bustling around the space. This is not necessarily the place to be if you are expecting perfection; however, this is a lovely spot to enjoy a tea full of personality and charm. Space like these prove that you don’t need to spend a fortune for a lovely afternoon tea experience.
So which of these are the best?
I would say that my favorites have to be Prestonfield House and Ashford Castle. The locations of both were lovely and the interior architecture stunning. Both had lovely afternoon teas. Between the two, Prestonfield House may win by just a tiny bit in terms of creativity of presentation, and taste of its food.
On the other hand, Leman tearoom is a great budget option that proves that afternoon tea can very successfully be served in a charming, tiny location. All of these places were so much fun to visit and review. Happy sipping!
If you want more information on afternoon tea experiences in the United Kingdom, I have found this website to be insightful: Afternoon Tea — Find & Book 900+ UK Venues | AfternoonTea.co.uk. There is a TON of information to sift through, so I hope my experiences at these locations will provide some more insight into a few of the afternoon tea locations here.
