Comparing Three London Afternoon Teas (Berkeley, Rosewood, and Fortnum & Mason)
Since Nick would be working during the day during our visit to London, that meant I would be free to do whatever while he was working. While I love visiting museums, I wanted to do something that was quintessentially British: afternoon tea. I don’t really know when or where the first time I had afternoon tea was, but I remember it being an amazing experience where cute little sandwiches and cakes were presented on a tiered serving tray. Ever since that first experience, I’m always excited to go out for a good afternoon tea wherever we are.
But seeing that we would be in London, the home of afternoon tea, I decided that I would do a mini tour of afternoon teas in the city. As I started to do some research, I was surprised (but shouldn’t have been) at the number of afternoon tea options. I’m pretty sure every hotel’s restaurant has an afternoon tea, and many restaurants do as well, so trying to narrow it down to a few was a bit difficult. I basically chose based on walking distance from our hotel, and wanted to try a contemporary tea service and one traditional tea service, and ended up with the Pret-a-portea at the Berkeley, the Art Afternoon tea at the Rosewood, and the afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason.
While making reservations for these tea services, I discovered that unlike the US, afternoon tea in London can start as early as 11:30. I’ve always found it a bit difficult to fit in afternoon tea when the times available are something like 2:30-4:30. Because there’s so much food involved, you end up being super hungry when you get there, but then you’re still full when dinner time comes around. Having afternoon tea at or around noon is a great time because you can basically treat it as lunch.
Oh, and one more thing that I learned about afternoon tea is that it shouldn’t be confused with high tea—they are two similar, but different services. Afternoon tea is what you’d typically have here in the US, with finger sandwiches, scones, and petit fours. However, high tea is served with a much more filling savory selection. For example, Fortnum & Mason’s high tea gives you an option of Beef Wellington, Lobster Omelette, or a Scotch Egg, to name a few. I believe this replaces the finger sandwich option in the afternoon tea menu, but if you’re extremely hungry, this is an option for you.
Anyway, on to the first afternoon tea:
Pret-a-Portea at The Berkeley
It turned out that the Monday that we were in London was a bank holiday, so Nick decided to join me for afternoon tea, and then he would head to the hotel to work the rest of the day and evening because it would align a bit better with his Pacific Time co-workers.
I chose this afternoon tea because the theme of the service is fashion. The pastry chef creates cakes and cookies based on the current runway season, so when we visited, the desserts were based on the runways shows of Spring/Summer 2022.
After we were seated at our table, we were presented with the menu, and the cute design of the cover perfectly set the mood for the rest of the tea service:
At the Berkeley, besides the traditional tea menu, they offer a vegetarian and a vegan tea menu as well. Additionally, you can choose to have a glass of champagne (of various prices) or a mocktail. Nick chose the most cost-efficient glass of champagne option while I went with their spring rose mocktail:
Both of us were happy with our beverage choices, and soon afterwards, it was time to select our tea. The tea menus can be a bit overwhelming because there are many to choose from, and the options take up multiple pages in the menu. The restaurants try to help ease the confusion by separating them into tea categories, such as black teas, green teas, white teas, etc.
On that afternoon, Nick and I needed some caffeine so he went with the Assam Breakfast tea and I went with the Vanilla Black. We were also told by our server that we could change our tea later on when the desserts came out, which is something that I don’t believe we’ve ever been offered during tea services in the US, but was a wonderful option should we choose to do so.
After a few minutes, our teas arrived as well as our savory course. So the one big difference that the Berkeley does compared to other afternoon teas is that they don’t have scones on the menu (I actually don’t know why). But instead they have a delicious selection of savory treats: a tomato tartare with white asparagus velouté and smoked duck breast on laminated brioche:
And of course, there was a selection of finger sandwiches as well. Starting from the left: pastrami and cheddar, egg and mayonnaise, salmon and watercress, cucumber and sorrel, and chicken and mustard mayonnaise:
After we finished our savory selections, our server asked if we wanted any additional sandwiches (at no extra charge). We took her up on her offer and got a few more of the ones that we liked the most. Unfortunately, we would soon learn to regret our decision because the dessert course arrived, and it was a lot. Like, I’m pretty sure I developed diabetes just by looking at it.
The cakes and cookies were presented on the traditional three tiered platter, and were beautifully decorated:
We were then given a description of each item as well as the runway piece that inspired it. First was the chocolate biscuit in the design of Lanvin's floral show, and a cake in the design of Michael Kors’ floral handbag:
Then there was a vanilla sponge cake with peach compote inspired by Gucci’s pink tuxedo:
On the bottom plate were an apricot cake with an orange meringue emulating the design of Oscar de la Renta’s orange gown, and a chocolate and hazelnut cake paying homage to Schiaparelli’s shiny golden jacket:
And finally, presented separately was their sharing cake, which is much larger than any of the other cakes, and is meant to be shared between me and Nick. It’s a beautiful rose shaped cake with lychee and raspberry mousse inspired by the rose jumpsuit by Saint Laurent:
As I said earlier, this was a lot of sugar to consume, and the fact that we ate additional sandwiches before this made finishing this course impossible. I think we nibbled at a single small cake and a cookie before we asked if we could take it to go to keep it in the fridge at our hotel for later. I don’t know how anyone can eat all of this in one sitting, even looking around at the other tables, no one ate all of their cakes. So if you decide to do an afternoon tea and realize that you can’t finish everything, don’t be afraid to ask for the rest to be boxed up.
Finally, when our server came back with our boxed leftovers, she presented us with the final item, a chocolate cone with a pineapple sorbet inspired by a neon gown by Richard Quinn:
I think we spent about two hours there, but it was a wonderful two hours filled with delicious food and tea. The cool thing about the Berkeley’s tea concept is that the dessert portion changes every six months, following the release of the next season’s runway shows. So if we went back again, it would be completely different, which makes it a new experience. If we’re ever back in London and have time, I would definitely go back again.
Art Afternoon Tea at the Rosewood
For my next afternoon tea, I chose to try the Art Afternoon Tea at the Rosewood. Similar to the Berkeley’s afternoon tea, this one is also themed, but instead of fashion, the desserts would be inspired by art. And for this visit, the selected artist was the surrealist works of Salvador Dalí.
The restaurant that the afternoon tea is held in is called the Mirror Room, and it definitely was that. I forgot to take a photo of the space, but it was elegantly contemporary, with mirrors on the ceiling accentuated with a black and gold/light brown motif in the furniture and accessories. The dining space was quite large, which helped ease some of the claustrophobic feeling that dark decor can produce, but I appreciated the sleek look of it all.
I would be enjoying this afternoon tea by myself, and as far as I could tell during my visit, I was the only single diner there. I guess afternoon tea is meant to be enjoyed as a social gathering, but there’s nothing wrong with having some me-time with tea.
Unlike the Berkeley, The Rosewood offers one menu for afternoon tea, so I’m not sure how they’d accommodate vegetarian or vegan requests. Along with the usual tea service, you could enjoy a glass of champagne or, as I did, enjoy a glass of non-alcoholic sparkling wine:
Next was the tea selection from an extensive menu of teas. But I also noticed that they offered a tea pairing for an additional cost, which I decided to do. I would be presented with three different teas during my afternoon tea, one with the savory course, one with the scones and light cakes, and another with the final dessert course.
After a few minutes, I was presented with the savory course and first tea. Starting from the left and from top to bottom: a crawfish choux with caviar, a camembert and onion tart, an egg and mayonnaise on brioche, chicken on saffron bread, and cucumber on tomato bread:
Everything was delicious, and I was also offered more sandwiches if I wanted them, but I learned my lesson from the Berkeley and declined the offer.
During this time, I noticed that two women were seated at a table in front of me, and after a few moments of them looking at the menu, they seemed confused. Not that I meant to eavesdrop, but I could overhear them discussing whether afternoon tea comes with all of the food on the menu, or if you had to choose one of each, and also how the tea works among other concerns. When the server arrived at their table, she spent some time with them explaining the concept of how the food is presented and that they need to choose a tea to enjoy with the food, and that yes, all of the food on the menu is for each person. The women seemed a little surprised at what they were getting themselves into, which made me wonder why they made the reservation in the first place without knowing much about afternoon tea. I surmised that maybe it was because they read a list of what to do in London, and afternoon tea was on there, so they booked one that looked nice. Ultimately though, in the end they appeared to enjoy their experience, so hopefully they’re now prepared for their next afternoon tea.
Anyway, my next course came with my second tea pairing: a plain and a raisin scone served with clotted cream, strawberry jam, and lemon curd.
I love a good, warm scone and I’m pretty sure I’m offending the Brits when I only choose to put cream and strawberry jam on both scones. I think the cream and jam is meant to be on one of the scones, and the lemon curd on the other? Also, there’s a long debate on whether the clotted cream goes on first and then the jam on top, or the other way around. I prefer the former because I like to spread the cream all over the scone. If the jam goes on first, then the cream just lays on top of the jam as a clump.
With the scones were the first of the Dalí cakes: a chocolate cake inspired by the Lobster Phone and a chocolate and caramel sphere inspired by the Meditative Rose:
Not only did they look amazing, they tasted great as well, although I did feel bad cracking through the shell of the meditative rose and ruining it.
At this point, I was already impressed with pastry chef’s ability to represent the works of Dalí, but I was now at the main dessert course, which featured some show-stopping cakes. First was an almond cake with raspberry mousse and peach jelly in the style of the Queen of Hearts:
Next was a spectacular cake with a mango and passionfruit jelly and vanilla mousse inspired by the Metamorphosis of Narcissus:
And finally, a chocolate and hazelnut cake in the shape of the Butterfly Windmills:
At this point, even though I hadn’t asked for more sandwiches, I was already full and couldn’t eat any more cakes, so I asked for those three to be boxed up. I figured, this way Nick also gets to enjoy them even though he wasn’t there. I also noticed that I was offered the same cakes that would be served to a table of two, so I guess all of them were intended to be shared, but since they couldn’t split them for a table for one, I actually ended up getting more dessert per person.
I also enjoyed my afternoon tea at the Rosewood, but I’m not sure how often they change their art menu. If the next time we’re in London and there’s a different artist, I would consider returning.
Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason
For my final afternoon tea, I decided to try a traditional tea service and chose the one at Fortnum & Mason. I would have gone to afternoon tea at the Ritz, but they enforce a dress code of jacket and tie for men, and neither Nick nor I wanted to pack that solely for afternoon tea. I would also be alone for this afternoon tea, so off I walked from the hotel to the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at Fortnum & Mason.
Unlike the previous two afternoon teas, which were in a hotel, this one was held at the top floor of the Fortnum & Mason retail store. My initial impression when entering the store is that of chaos. Because the ground floor is the main retail area, where Fortnum & Mason sells their teas, cookies, and other goods, it’s extremely crowded with people, which meant that I needed to navigate my way through the crowd to get to the elevator to go up. But once I made it to the restaurant, it was much more peaceful, and I was excited to start my afternoon tea…at 11:30.
I was soon shown my table, and even though I was there on a Tuesday morning, all the tables were full by the time I finished, so reservations are definitely required. The first thing I noticed was the decor of the dining area. The white linens and walls, and powder blue plates and furnishings made the space bright and airy, which I appreciated after the chaos of the ground floor. I was soon provided with the tea service menu, and it was extensive:
As I had mentioned at the beginning of this post, Fortnum & Mason offers afternoon tea and high tea, so you have those two options. But they also offer a vegetarian and vegan menu, a gluten free and dairy free menu, and also an all savory menu (meaning no desserts). I was very impressed with the many options that they provided for their guests, so if you’re coming with friends or family with varying levels of dietary restrictions, this would be a great option.
I went with the standard afternoon tea menu, and I also noticed that they offered a tea pairing, so I asked for that, but was informed that the tea pairing needed to be requested in advance. I don’t remember this as an option when making the reservation, and it isn’t mentioned in the menu, so I’m not sure how I would have known about this. In any case, I chose a tea and also asked for a glass of the non-alcoholic sparkling tea. I actually have a few bottles of their sparkling tea at home. It’s a great non-alcoholic alternative that isn’t full of sugar, like sparkling apple cider, so I definitely recommend it for those wanting non-alcoholic bubbles.
Since I had already been to the Berkeley and the Rosewood, I had become accustomed to being served multiple courses throughout the service, so I was actually surprised when my server showed up with all of my food at once on a tiered platter:
I mean, I shouldn’t have been shocked because this is how most afternoon tea is presented, but this made me realize that I enjoyed having my food come out in multiple courses.
Besides the sandwiches, scones and cakes, I was also offered a smoked salmon crepe:
It was good, but nothing spectacular or original like the previous afternoon teas.
Next, I started my conquest of the tiered platter of food starting with the scones on the middle tier:
I think I read somewhere that you’re supposed to consume the scones first because they’re best eaten while still warm, and I agree with that. They were served with the usual clotted cream, strawberry jam, and lemon curd.
On the bottom tier were the sandwiches, and from top to bottom, they were: cucumber and mint with cream cheese, ham and mustard, a sandwich that I can’t remember, egg and mayonnaise, and chicken salad. The first impression I had when I ate the sandwiches was that the bread was a little dry, which meant that they were probably sitting out for a bit before being served. Additionally, the sandwiches, while standard fare for afternoon tea, in comparison with the Berkeley and the Rosewood, they were a bit uninspiring. I suppose I can’t fault Fortnum & Mason for not being too creative with their menu because those coming here would expect a traditional sandwich selection.
And finally on the top tier were the sweets, and I honestly can’t remember what they were:
I loved the choux that was baked into the shape of a swan. But like my previous afternoon teas, I couldn’t eat any dessert because I was full from the sandwiches and scones, so I asked for them to be boxed up.
One cool aspect of Fortnum & Mason’s afternoon tea is that they also offered a slice of cake in addition to what was on the table. I think one was a battenberg cake, and the other was one that I can’t remember. Considering that I had requested that my dessert plate be boxed up, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I didn’t take them up on their offer for more cake.
When the server came back with my boxed up desserts, the two women seated next to me thanked me for doing that because they weren’t sure that it was OK to ask for a box. They were in a similar situation to the two women I was seated near at the Rosewood—afternoon tea novices. After talking to them a bit about how I’ve boxed up all of my desserts at the three afternoon teas I’ve been to, I eventually asked them what inspired them to make a reservation for afternoon tea if they didn’t know what it entailed. And as I suspected, one of the women told me that her co-worker who’s from London recommended that they experience afternoon tea, so they made a reservation. It makes me wonder how often tourists book a table for afternoon tea and are surprised at the amount of food you get.
Anyway, since we were leaving to go home the next morning, Nick and I didn’t actually get much of a chance to try those desserts later that night (we had a wonderful dinner at Hakkasan that evening, and were quite full from it). I guess I can say that I’ve experienced a traditional afternoon tea, but I don’t think I’d return.
So after having tried out these three afternoon teas, I preferred the more contemporary services at the Berkeley (starting at £75/person) and the Rosewood (starting at £72/person). While those two are pricey, they weren’t significantly more expensive than Fortnum & Mason which starts at £70/person. I guess people-watching at Fornum & Mason is better because there were more people in the dining area, but that’s no really my scene.
For those of you who haven’t experienced afternoon tea, I would recommend it when you visit London, and I hope this post provides some more context on what you should expect so that you don’t go in completely uninformed. I would suggest that you do some research on where to go because tea services can vary from the traditional to the more contemporary ones, and it’s up to you which one you would prefer.