The best afternoon teas for kids in London 2020
Cute cakes, finger food, and scrumptious scones – treat your children to one of these charming afternoon teas in London
This March, ballet-goers won't just get to see Odette on stage - they'll get to enjoy a Swan Lake inspired tea at the Piazza at the Royal Opera House. Expect dainty finger sandwiches and decadent desserts - some shaped like delicate white swans. The tea is running until April 18th.
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For the art aficionado: Picasso children's art afternoon tea, The Rosewood Hotel
Photo: Patricia Niven
The RA's Picasso and Paper exhibition is glorious AND kid-friendly, and celebrating the master with an afternoon tea post-exhibition seems like an ideal way to spend an afternoon en famille. Head to the Rosewood for a Picasso-themed occasion, where sandwiches and scones are followed by the tastiest pastry works of art: The Bull, The Dream, Weeping Woman and Crema Catalana.
Even better? Children are given a painter's palette and paint tubes filled with jam and lemon curd and palette knives to spread the toppings, so the whole experience feels like they're creating - as well as nibbling on - works of art. Children's Art Afternoon Tea from £35, available for 4 -11 years.
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For the musical lover: Mary Poppins tea, The Covent Garden Hotel
To coincide with Mary Poppins the musical, Brasserie Max at the Covent Garden Hotel has a themed afternoon tea "that's practically perfect in every way."
Expect cakes like "The Perfect Nanny" - a delightful combination of caramel, dark chocolate and hazelnut cheesecake, "Jolly Holiday" (a violet and white chocolate macaron) and "A Spoonful of Sugar" lemon drizzle roulade. Mocktails are also available, topped off with a rose petal, for kids to get in on the action. Keen to see the show? You might be able to nab free kids' tix with Kids' Week.
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For the candy-crazed: The Original Sweet Shop afternoon tea, The Chesterfield Mayfair
The Chesterfield's themed afternoon tea is a must for anyone with a sweet tooth. Inspired by Hardys Original Sweetshop, in addition to finger sandwiches, scones, sweets-inspired cakes and pastries, you'll find retro sweets - and a striped-outfitted Candy Man. Kids can take a bag of pick-'n-mix with them as they go.
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For the dreamer: Mad Hatters afternoon tea, The Sanderson
Fall down the rabbit hole at The Sanderson with an Alice in Wonderland themed tea with finger sandwiches, Drink Me potions and delicious desserts including the Queen of Hearts rose and strawberry Jammy Dodger, Tweedle Dee lemon curd financier, Mad March Hare vanilla pocket watch macaroon, chocolate and pistachio Blue Caterpillar and Mad Hatter's lost carrot and fennel meringue. The whimsical crockery is available for purchase from Luna & Curious.
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For the book-obsessed: Mary Poppins afternoon tea, Aqua Shard at The Shard
Need a spoonful - or several - of sugar? The Mary Poppins afternoon tea at The Shard can help. Served on a custom stand with the nanny's signature umbrella and boots, crockery brings Mary Shepard's illustrations from the classic P.J. Travers book to life and a gilt-framed mirrored menu informs guests of the delicacies on offer, which include traditional finger sandwiches, crumpets and imaginative desserts.
Try the "Strike Me Pink' sponge cake, Fairground candy floss and Mary's own chocolate mousse hat. Kids will also love the raspberry and rhubarb ripple ice cream and lemonade float, and you can purchase the books at the restaurant to ensure an educational - as well as delicious - experience.
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For the family members' club experience (without the membership fees): Miffy afternoon tea, Maggie & Rose Islington
Family members' club Maggie & Rose's newest Islington outpost is simply a delight, from a child and a parent's perspective. It's also rather lovely for non-members, who have access to everything from holiday camps to party bookings. Next up, for the Easter season, the club's open-to-the-public cafe is launching a Miffy-themed afternoon tea, which pays homage to Dick Bruna's adorable little rabbit, and celebrates her 65th anniversary. Think carrot juice shots, finger sandwiches, orange macarons and Miffy cookies. Members will get to enjoy Miffy-themed arts and cooking classes, too.
The tea launches Mother’s Day, March 22nd and runs until April 14th. The Miffy Afternoon Tea costs £12 each for adults (£15 with a glass of prosecco), and £5 each for children.
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For a child's first afternoon tea experience: Teddy Bears' Picnic afternoon tea, Podium Restaurant
Afternoon tea in posh surroundings can be a daunting prospect for little ones, which is why the Teddy Bears' Picnic provides a seamless intro, with teddy-bear shaped finger sandwiches, scones, sweet goodies, milkshakes and a teddy bear for every child who attends. The dessert delights includes fanciful treats like cake pops, fairy cakes and meringue mushrooms. Tea is £24 per child (aged 4-12 years), or combine a child’s and adult’s afternoon tea for £59.
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For anyone who thinks 'pink': Peggy Porschen afternoon tea, The Lanesborough Hotel
Peggy Porschen's delicious cakes and gorgeous flower-festooned decor has long made it a family favourite - it's one of our top cake cafes to visit, after all - and from March 3rd - June 2nd, 2020, the Peggy Porschen tea experience is available at The Lanesborough.
Perfect for any special occasion, from Mother's Day to birthday celebrations expect gorgeous pastel confections like a pink pavlova, lemon and elderflower tartlet and lemon, raspberry and rose layer cake, all with striking floral detailing. Your Instagram followers will thank you for the divine visuals. Tea is a treat at £53 per person.
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For the detective-in-training, Sherlock-inspired tea, The Mind Palace
If your child wants an afternoon tea with a dose of mystery, then you should try Sherlock: The Official Live Game's detective tea - which does include a mystery to solve as you munch on pastrami burgers, pretzels, stilton and leek muffins, scones, lemon tarts and red choux pastry.
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For the musician: Rock ‘n’ Roll afternoon tea, The Gore London
Calling all rock stars: legends like The Rolling Stones, Guns N' Roses and David Bowie inspired this afternoon tea experience at Kensington's Gore Hotel, launched in partnership with La Fête. Think of this tea as a lesson in rock history, with each menu item corresponding to an artist or movement: "Woodstock" conjures up a chipolata hot dog, "Popping Stones" is paprika-flavoured popcorn in a mini movie theatre box, "Goodbye Ziggy" is a tribute to David Bowie in chocolate ganache, and our personal favourite, "Sweet Choux O' Mine," combines choux pastry with raspberry cream and guitarist Slash, in chocolate form.
The Gore itself has a special place in rock history: The Rolling Stones famously had their Beggars' Banquet album release party there in 1968, and started a food fight in the hotel's Elizabethan Room.
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For the magician: The Potion Room, Cutter and Squidge
The Potion Room is an immersive experience that promises to treat students to a delicious afternoon tea, as well as teaching them how to brew their very own edible potions. Kids (and kidults) above the age of eight can find out if they have what it takes to become the the next Half Blood Prince in the trendiest teatime London has to offer. Spellbooks at the ready.
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For any fairy friends: The Fairy House afternoon tea
With unicorn hot chocolate and lavender tea served in vintage china cups at tables made from retro rocking horses and sewing machines, The Fairy House tea experience is unlike any other. Enjoy with frosted cookies, flapjacks, cupcakes and brownie bites. Try to leave without purchasing a wand, wings or fairy dust - it's not easy.
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For the avid reader: Daunt Books Children's afternoon tea, The Langham
If you think pastries are best served with a side of prose, then you won't want to miss out on The Langham's delightful afternoon tea, which has all of the ingredients for a splendid afternoon: an opulent setting, interactive tea - the sandwiches are jigsaw pieces while the pudding is a decorate-your-own animal face - and a wide variety of picture books and chapter books to choose from, to delight kids aged three through 12. During half-terms and holidays, there are often author talks, too.
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For the chocoholic: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory high tea, One Aldwych
Enter the culinary world of Roald Dahl thanks to this Charlie and the Chocolate Factory themed high tea at One Aldwych. A chocaholic's dream come true, the newly revamped tea includes plenty the adults and little ones will love wolfing down: violet-hued cheesecake sandwiches, apple and sage sausage rolls, macarons, chocolate financiers, minty chocolate milk, and homemade lemon floss. Willy Wonka's wild world even extends to the tea selection, with flavours like Mango Noir, Lemon Sherbet and Chocolat.
For the dress-up experience: Betty Blythe afternoon tea
Travel back in time to throw your very own tea party, with some help from Betty Blythe's vintage costume box. As well as offering themed teas, they give customers young and old the chance to play dress up. This may be the answer to throwing a kids' birthday party without losing your sanity.
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For the ultimate sundae tea: The Parlour, Fortnum & Mason
While Fortnum & Mason offers a classic English afternoon high tea experience with a children's menu in the tea salon, you can also take them out to tea at the Parlour, where kids can choose to team their scones and savoury sandwich with an ice cream float in place of a pot of tea. Or they might even prefer to ditch the tea altogether and build their own sundae with three scoops, sauces, toppings and sides. Yum!
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For the STEM lover: Kids' sci-fi afternoon tea, Ampersand Hotel
After touring the Science Museum, visit the neighbouring Ampersand Hotel for a creative afternoon tea inspired by the museum, including a kid-friendly version. Kids can eat off petri dishes, crunch into edible fossils, drink potions from test tubes and bite into delicious cake planets for pudding. The delicacies are presented on a rocket, dry ice shooting out the bottom so it looks ready for blast-off. Book the experience as part of a Kids' Science Birthday Party, with hands-on science-themed entertainment, and feel like parent of the year.
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For the tea with a twist: Maître Choux afternoon tea
Maître Choux's afternoon tea is kid-friendly (and includes fizz for the grown-ups), plus it offers a delicious twist on classic tea staples. Enjoy éclairs and choux pastries instead of finger sandwiches and scones.
For half-terms: Tiny Tea, Bluebird Chelsea
If you're looking for some half term inspiration, Bluebird's got afternoon tea covered, with its Tiny Tea (£12 per child, including a drink), where kids can decorate cupcakes and nibble on Nutella-stuffed donuts, baby fruit scones and mini milkshakes. Meanwhile, adults can sip their tea and - dare we say it? - just relax. Well, for 20 minutes at least. Suitable for kids 3-10, it runs during half terms.
