black&white #41: Top 5 luxury afternoon teas in Central London

5 min steep

Afternoon tea, a favourite still among Brits and a timeless English tradition with visitors from all over the globe. Canton is served in some of the best hotels and restaurants in the country, who serve the world's most refined, creative and delicious afternoon teas. We’re extremely proud to be the ‘tea’ in their Afternoon Tea. Here is a small super-luxury selection of our partners in central London. Perfect for a catch-up with friends, a special occasion, or even just an excuse to eat really tiny sandwiches with sensational high grade tea. In no particular order – each one is spectacular in its own special way.

Corinthia, Whitehall Place

As they make clear on their website, afternoon tea at Corinthia is a serious affair. In fact, they call it a “slowly unfolding pleasure that must never be hurried” and a “delightful reminder that time is luxury to be savoured.” Sign us up. Expect a delectable array of finger sandwiches, scones and sweet delicacies. If you fancy blowing the budget, you can also opt for their Caviar Afternoon Tea – serving up blinis, crab tartelettes and 20g of King's Golden Oscietra Caviar. All the Canton favourites are also available – and we’ve even created a few bespoke blends to pair with their menu. It’s all served in a light-drenched lounge illuminated by the glow of 1,001 Baccarat crystals. Find out more and book your place here.

The Rosebery @ Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park

An award-winning Afternoon Tea at The Rosebery – once a stylish tea room in the 1920s frequented by Lord Rosebery, British Prime Minister and Liberal. The food, headed up by Executive Pastry Chef Emmanuel Bonneau, is inventive and utterly superb – with both standard and vegetarian menus on offer. Think taleggio cream cheese and poached pear sandwiches, plum and tonka bean tart and Passion Fruit profiteroles. You can also drink some truly exceptional tea, like Canton Sticky White Rice, an extremely rare handmade white tea from Laos that releases the wonderful aroma of sticky rice and pandan leaf (we’ve previously sourced it exclusively for Mandarin Oriental – but we’re planning to release it in our next batch of special edition teas). And of course, all the Canton classics, like Jasmine Pearls, Dragonwell and Genmaicha. A pretty sublime experience. Book your place here.

Bulgari Hotel, Knightsbridge

To celebrate their 10th birthday, Bulgari Hotel has teamed up with British-Nigerian artist and designer Yinka Illori – who has an exhibition on now at the design museum, showcasing his bold, graphic and beautifully coloured diasporic visual language. The result is an afternoon tea like no other, “born from a joint obsession with bold colour and a celebration of the multicultural mosaic of the capital”. The food, headed up by award-winning pastry chef and chocolatier Gianluca Fusto, has been designed to complement the bold geometry and contemporary colours of Yinka’s sculptural tea stands – and is delicious. And the tea? All the Canton favourites, as well as some knockouts like Nine Ladies Dancing and Frisky Rascal, both 100% Scottish grown tea from the Tea Gardens of Scotland. Don’t miss your chance to experience this unique afternoon tea. Book here.

The Guardsman Hotel, Buckingham Gate

A five-star boutique hotel with the feel of a members club, The Guardsman is one of London’s best kept secrets. Their Royal Parks afternoon tea is inspired by the local flora and landscape design of London’s royal parks. Enjoy all the classics of an afternoon tea done beautifully – with full afternoon teas for those who are gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan. You can drink a selection of beautiful high-grade Canton teas, from Silver Needle to Darjeeling. Enjoy what they call one of the “noblest traditions” in the Drawing Room, Library or Dining Room, just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace. Or, if you fancy getting out for the day, they’ll also prepare you an afternoon tea hamper to take to one of London’s beautiful central London parks. Book here.

Nobu, Portman Square

A luxury afternoon tea in the heart of London which combines the quintessential English custom with elements of Japanese culture and tradition. Executive Chef Michael Paul and his team drew inspiration from the artist Gavin Mitchell, whose works can be found throughout the hotel and on the menu – which juxtaposes Eastern and Western cultures in both traditional and contemporary contexts. The result is an afternoon tea like no other. You’ll eat Japanese-inspired savouries like Snow Crab Salad Roll and Beef Tataki Shokupan Sando followed by freshly-baked scones and Yuzu macarons. Truly, fusion at its most refined, served with exceptional tea. Complement Japanese flavours with high grade Japanese teas like Canton Genmaicha and Canton Kabuse Sencha, both from the Obubu Tea Gardens in Kyoto. Book your place here.