An Afternoon Tea Etiquette Guide for Visiting London
What do you need to know about afternoon tea etiquette if you plan on visiting London?
This is a popular question I get about British culture from Americans and those who are curious about what this experience involves when they visit England’s capital.
Did you know that people from England can tell what region you are from based on if you put jam on scones and then cream or cream and then jam?
Afternoon tea is one of the most elegant and traditional experiences you can have in London. However, many first-time visitors worry about making etiquette mistakes. The truth is, while there are some customs to follow, the experience is meant to be enjoyable rather than stressful.
As an American in London since 2013, I’ve learned this after attending, eating, filming and writing about afternoon tea on this blog and on my social media.
Based on all the comments and questions I’ve received, I put together this afternoon tea etiquette guide. It covers the essential do’s and don’ts of afternoon tea in London, from what to wear to how to correctly eat a scone.
You’ll also discover my top afternoon tea recommendations for every budget, so you can find the perfect experience for your London trip!
Afternoon Tea Etiquette: Always Book in Advance
Booking ahead is essential, especially for the most popular afternoon tea venues in London. Many of the best experiences fill up weeks in advance, particularly around holidays like Christmas.
If you approach a venue as a walk-in for afternoon tea you may find they are fully booked or you may have to wait a while so they can prepare a table. Unless you go to a very casual place like a café or bakery.
Afternoon Tea Etiquette: Dietary Restrictions
Another ‘rule’ is not to skip the experience because you have dietary restrictions. Many people assume they can’t enjoy afternoon tea if they have food allergies or dietary preferences, but that’s not the case! London’s top afternoon tea venues cater to gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and even vegan diets.
However, it’s essential you book ahead if you do have any issues so the Chef and staff can plan and prepare accordingly.
Below, I’ve included sample menus. These are for the Original Sweet Shop Afternoon Tea and allow you to see the variety of dietary options available.
Dress Code
Many afternoon tea venues have a dress code, usually smart casual. But what does that actually mean?
For American readers, smart casual in London typically means avoiding overly casual attire like ripped jeans, shorts, sportswear, baseball caps or flip-flops. A nice dress, trousers with a smart top, or even a blazer over a T-shirt for men usually work well. Some upscale or ‘posh’ venues may have stricter dress codes, so always check in advance.
If you are at a more casual place to eat, you can wear jeans and no one will be bothered.
Jam or Cream First? The Great Scone Debate
This is a debate that has sparked regional rivalry in England! In Cornwall, people traditionally spread jam first, then add clotted cream. In Devon, it’s the opposite—cream first, then jam.
Personally, I always add tons of cream first and then top it off with jam!
You can read the comments in my TikTok video about this afternoon tea ‘mistake’ so you can see how passionate people get about this debate. It’s also on Facebook and YouTube, if you want to give me a follow there.
You Don’t Have to Order Tea
Despite the name, afternoon tea isn’t just about tea. Many menus offer coffee, hot chocolate and even sparkling wine like Champagne or Prosecco. So, don’t feel you’re breaking any etiquette guidelines if you don’t even have any tea from a teapot.
At the ‘Original Sweet Shop Afternoon Tea at The Chesterfield Mayfair,’ I recently chose a chocolate-flavoured tea, which was an interesting alternative. It wasn’t for me, but it certainly was a great compliment to the tea’s theme. Others around me really enjoyed it! However, I liked my glass of champagne the best!
Watch Your Hands
One of my biggest pet peeves is when Americans raise their pinky finger when drinking tea. You see this a lot when they pretend to drink tea and impersonate what they think it looks like to be British.
You will never see British people do this! If you want to blend in, keep your pinky down and hold the teacup by the handle.
Best Places to Eat Afternoon Tea in London
While I can’t choose any one tea over another, these are places to eat afternoon tea that I recommend for consistency and quality within their price range.
Posh
- The Ritz
- The Savoy
- The Goring
- Fortnum and Mason
- The Dorchester
- Claridge’s
- Rosewood
- Kensington Palace Royal High Tea
- Ruben’s at the Palace
Mid-range
- St Ermin’s Hotel
- Intercontinental Park Lane
- Firmdale Hotels (any)
- St James’s Hotel
- Chesterfield Hotel (Original Sweet Shop)
- The Ampersand
- The Dilly
- One Aldwych (Charlie & Chocolate Factory Tea)
Casual
- Afternoon Tea River Cruise
- Brigit’s Bakery (Afternoon Tea Bus)
- The English Rose Café & Tea Shop
- Lucy Wong
- Cutty Sark Afternoon Tea in Greenwich
- Taylor Swift Inspired Afternoon Tea Bus Tour
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Have you been to afternoon tea in London? If so, what was your experience like? Drop a comment below!
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Dear Sunny
Loved your video on tea in London
One of my favorite places in the world is England and have been to there and London 8 times so far
I do have question for you
I was recently devastated to learn I am highly allergic to wheat and gluten
Is there anywhere in London that serves a wheat and gluten free afternoon tea?
I am worried on my next visit I will be unable to partake one of my favorite things to do while there due to my recently discovered severe allergies
Hope can help me
Thanks
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth! Tons of hotels offer gluten free teas, including the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Tea. I’ve had many in London. Lancaster London (which is the Halloween Tea featured in the video) also works well with this request. The guilt free tea is at Intercontinental Park Lane I believe is guilt free. You need to let the hotel know in advance (usually a day or two) and they’ll accommodate you. The gluten feee versions aren’t quite as spectacular as the ‘originals’ but you will still have a great experience. Let me know if there’s a specific one of interest and I can tell you what I’ve heard about their gluten free offer. Thank you for watching!
Sunny, You are TOO adorable. Love your videos. I’m an American writer (novelist) visiting London mid-November. Thanks for the tea tips, especially, how to pronounce scones. Lest I embarrass my very Southern self! Great posts. Dee Phelps
Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂 I also published a video about the Christmas thugs to do in London that you can’t do in NYC over the weekend too. No any of the events will be happening when you’re here. I don’t mention Hogwarts in the Snow in the video, but I do have a separate blog post and video on that too. Best of luck and safe travels for your trip. Let me know if I can help further!
As a Brit I am really surprised by this video! Do Americans not use a napkin for all meals? Also loves the scone pronunciation 🙂
Great blog
H
Sunny, as I’m from Cheshire I am lucky to be able to eat my scone any way I choose hehehe. And we do have an argument in my house of how to pronounce scone. I have always said scawn as you put it and my husband says that I’m posh for saying it that way. He says scone as in throne. Brits eh? Oh and your british accent was great. As we have England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales as part of britain, we can say that your accent was a mixture of them all
Hi! Scone rhymes with ‘gone’. It’s from the German ‘Schonne brot’ (brot is bread). Schonne (pronounced ‘shon-nuh’) has been anglicised in its spelling and become ‘scone’.
I really enjoyed your video sweetee! So cheerfully spoken .!
most helpful Darling !! Going to London soon, 1st time of many I hope. – Terri (aka – Victorian throwback)
Brit here who says scone as in gone, and I’m definitely not alone! Seriously if you want to see a room full of Brits become absolutely enraged, just start the scone pronunciation debate, it’s worse than the jam and cream thing! Most of your tips are totally correct though – if I saw someone using a fork for afternoon tea or making a ‘scone burger’ I’d shudder. Oh also, we usually just call Devonshire Devon. It’s a slightly weird one, it’s a Devonshire (DEV-n-sha) cream tea, but it’s from Devon 🙂