Dining | Travel

Afternoon Tea at The Savoy London

June 26, 2017

“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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  1. Now that looks amazing!! I don’t think I’ve ever had afternoon tea in London, definitely on my bucket list now! P.s. Love your blog name 🙂

  2. I simply love me some good old British style tea break (India was a British colony so we take our tea time seriously). Thanks for the great tip on Savoy. Will check it out when in London.

  3. Ive seen “The Savoy” many times but I never though to go there for afternoon tea! It looks so lovely inside! I want that cake now ! 🙂

    1. Afternoon Tea is a must in London! I’m so jealous you live there. I would go every weekend to a different one! Lol. You should also try Afternoon Tea at Sketch!

    1. It was a beautiful place for Afternoon Tea! I hope to go to London again and experience Afternoon Tea here!

  4. I have actually never experience the afternoon tea in London. I would love to try it one time and the Savoy looks like a perfect place to do it. I agree that you have to start the tea with a glass of bubbly. The cakes look so, so, so good!

  5. As if this isn’t the most English thing ever!!! It’s so unbelievably beautiful in there. Thanks for the advice, definitely going to be saving this one!

  6. I didn’t get a chance to do afternoon tea while in London, but next time I’m in town, I will check out the Savoy! Your pictures are gorgeous, and really capture the beauty of the hotel!

    1. Thank you so much! Hope you have a chance to visit and enjoy the experience! Look forward to hearing about it!

  7. This place looks stunning, plus I live the afternoon tea!, this will go on my bucket list, and a pin for later!

    1. It is a beautiful Afternoon Tea experience! I hope you are able to go your next trip to London!

  8. This is def a quintessential thing to do in England! And how cute is The Savoy?? Looks like the ultimate place to have tea in London!

    1. It’s a wonderful place for tea! I really enjoyed it! Hope you have a chance to experience it too!

  9. This is such a lovely post with really beautiful photos. I’m spending two weeks in London this summer so will definitely add this to my to-do list. Good to know that reservations are necessary… now I just have to convince my 16-year old son to join me… 🙂

    1. How exciting! London is great city! There is so much to do and see, hopefully your son will be able to compromise and attend Afternoon Tea with you! Tell him they have unlimited desserts!

  10. I am beyond jealous. I tried to get into the Savoy for afternoon tea on my last visit to London with no success. A reservation is a must! They were kind enough to let me look around and it is a stunning room as your photos clearly show. Looks like the experience is top-notch, hopefully next time! Thanks for sharing your tea.

    1. Oh no, how unfortunate! The same thing happened to me when trying to get into the Ritz, but it all worked out and I went to The Savoy instead! It was a top-notch experience! I hope you can make it to The Savoy on your next trip Sue!

  11. It’s wonderful that they can accommodate dietary restrictions. My mom’s severely lactose intolerant, so knowing that she could still enjoy it is helpful. Thanks!

    1. I have found that most places in Europe offer gluten, dairy and vegan friendly menus. I have a gluten allergy so it’s important for me. The most amazing part is that all the pastries and sandwiches taste no different and just as delicious!

  12. Those desserts look too gorgeous to eat! Just kidding. I would devour them. Love the vintage style of the hotel and the dishes used to serve tea. Just too beautiful for words.

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