Afternoon Tea at The Savoy London

“Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors” – Alice Walker

Who doesn’t like a picnic? Especially when it’s fancy and includes champagne. Afternoon tea is the ultimate indulgence, and it doesn’t get much better than the way it’s served in London hotels, like The Savoy. If you’re planning a trip to London and looking for a classic and elegant experience for afternoon tea, then The Savoy is worth a visit! Below I will share my experience, photographs and review of afternoon tea at The Savoy.

The Savoy is located on The Strand in the heart of the West End theatre district, offering spectacular views of the River Thames. This luxury hotel opened in 1889 and is still considered to be the place to stay in London. The hotel closed in 2007 and re-opened in 2010 after a lavish £220m refurbishment with a huge influence from the French designer, Pierre Yves Rochon.

The Thames Foyer is where you will find guests enjoying afternoon tea.  A stunning glass dome with wonderful natural light is situated at the rooms centre. You will find a pianist playing for guests as they enjoy world-famous afternoon tea. We really enjoyed this special touch and thought it created a relaxing and more enjoyable experience.

Afternoon tea at The Savoy is an enduring custom where guests can choose from a range of teas served with finger sandwiches, homemade scones with clotted cream & jam and a mouth-watering selection of seasonal cakes and pastries.

We were greeted by our waitress, who was very knowledgeable regarding the array of teas. We chose the traditional afternoon tea with a glass of champagne (£65pp). In my opinion, afternoon tea should begin with a little bubbly.

Following some champagne, we decided to have The Savoy’s own Breakfast and Afternoon blend. The menu’s flavorful description of the Afternoon blend reads: ‘a unique blend of Ceylon and Darjeeling tea. Light, crisp and refreshing with a graceful citrus lift, a fresh, faintly minty aftertaste and a soft but ample mouth feel’. I found the tea was lovely and true to its description.

Next to be delivered was a classic three-tiered platter with scones kept warm in a linen on the top tier, sandwich selections on the second tier and The Savoy’s special recipe strawberry jam and lemon curd on the last tier. The scones were divine and the sandwiches were tasty.

The sandwiches included: roast beef sirloin with cucumber and tarragon cream on brown bread; coronation chicken on olive bread; smoked salmon with lemon crème fraiche, watercress on malted brown bread; egg salad with mustard cress on white bread; and mozzarella, beef tomato, with pesto and balsamic glaze on herb and spinach bread. We both agreed that the coronation chicken on olive bread was our favorite. The best part is that all of this is unlimited so you are welcomed to order as much as you would like.

NOTE: If you have an dietary restrictions, The Savoy can accommodate those with gluten-free or dairy-free allergies and vegetarians.

To complete afternoon tea, we were presented with a selection of The Savoy’s delicate pastries. This selection included dark chocolate and coffee layer cake, strawberry and vanilla tartlet,  a lemon and Italian meringue white chocolate cake, and a cherry and pistachio cake. Visually the desserts were gorgeous, and palate-wise we struggled to choose a favorite, as they were all amazing. Our overall experience at The Savoy was perfect from the beginning to end. The service was top notch!

Would I recommend you visit The Savoy for Afternoon Tea? 1000% YES!! I also recommend you make reservations weeks in advance and plan to spend at least 2 hours at tea time. The Savoy offers history, style and an exquisite afternoon tea experience. I believe anyone looking for one of London’s finest traditional Afternoon Teas, should visit The Savoy.

Have you experienced Afternoon Tea in London? Where is your favorite place for tea?

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