8 of the best afternoon teas in Knightsbridge

If you’re craving delicate finger sandwiches and velvety patisserie, here’s where you’ll find the best afternoon teas in Knightsbridge.

1 The Lanesborough

Earning an Award of Excellence for its Meadow Afternoon Tea, The Lansborough’s current afternoon treat is inspired by the flora and fauna of the Royal Parks. Taken in the exquisite Lanesborough Grill, the selection of savoury treats are inspired by tradition, while head pastry chef Salvatore Mungiovino’s patisserie showcase his creativity and skill.

Tuck into bread encased slivers of Cotswold chicken, mustard mayonnaise and parmesan and cucumber, cream cheese and chive before testing Mungiovino’s bee-shaped white chocolate and heather honey ganache cakes and the Chamomile Daisy centrepiece which is a chamomile bavarois with an almond crunch biscuit base and mango crémeaux designed to be shared between two.

Price: From £68

Address: Hyde Park Corner, SW1X 7TA

Website: oetkercollection.com

2 Bulgari Hotel London

The new Italian Afternoon Tea at The Bulgari Hotel London brings a taste of continental cool to Knightsbridge.

Reinterpreting a traditional British classic with Italian flair and flavour, this achingly stylish hotel’s Italian Afternoon Tea comes with the likes of Roman-style artichoke and taleggio bruschetta, cocoa and malt bread with turmeric marinated Scottish salmon and salsa verde, as well as a spinach bread sandwich filled with egg, Umbrian truffle and chive.

Follow this up with scones with Cornish clotted cream ice cream and pastries by resident pastry chef and chocolatier Gianluca Fusto – soft Florence Millot chocolate and Tuscan wood roasted peanut cake and an indulgent  IGP hazelnut crunchy choux with Ethiopian coffee, whipped cream and praline. Delicious.  

Price: From £95

Address: 171 Knightsbridge, SW7 1DW

Website: bulgarihotels.com

3 Feya Knightsbridge

For Instagrammers and lovers of all things pink, Feya’s forest-inspired décor and powder pink walls and chairs, make the venue an Instagram hot spot.

This afternoon tea won’t break the bank and comes with wild mushroom quiche, coronation chicken brioche and smoked salmon blinis. This is followed by a selection of the mini patisserie and traditional scones served with jam and clotted cream.

Price: £37.50

Address: 146 Brompton Road, SW3 1HX

Website: feya.co.uk

4 The Berkeley’s Pret-a-Portea Cakewalk

The Berkeley’s Prêt-à-Portea gives a contemporary twist to afternoon tea with catwalk-inspired creations and won Best Themed Afternoon Tea at this year’s Afternoon Tea Awards.

Following a selection of sandwiches and savouries, this season’s cakewalk collection opens with Christopher Kane, a striking floral gown with black accents crafted from cheesecake, set on a vanilla crémeux and a crunchy sable biscuit and topped with wafer thin Opalys chocolate.

Other delicious designer treats include Ralph Lauren’s hero coat, recreated as a Black Forest gateau; Jean Paul Gaultier’s denim couture gown, reimagined in Cassis bavarois with a blackcurrant filling; Prada’s camel coat, made from chocolate biscuit, with intricate royal icing including pink statement fur sleeves. 

Dolce & Gabbana’s fun fur coat and hat combo is immortalised as chequered light sponge in four, bold colours, wrapped in a rainbow of marzipan and topped with a meringue hat. Self Portrait’s bow handbag combines Victoria sponge and orange marmalade, glazed in white icing and encased with Ivoire chocolate. Finally, paying homage to a Harris Reed ensemble, there is a beautiful yogurt and honey mousse sharing cake.

Price: From £75

Address: Wilton Place, SW1X 7RL

Website: the-berkeley.co.uk

5 Cedric Grolet’s Afternoon Goutea at The Berkeley

French pâtissier Cédric Grolet’s Goûtea is a harmony of Anglo-French traditions. Served in his namesake pâtisserie at The Berkeley, this fusion of Goûter (the French tradition of sweet snacking) and the best of British afternoon tea, is a showcase of sublime miniature pâtisserie.

The meal comes with eight savoury and sweet creations, it includes the classic vanilla flower and Paris-Brest with seasonal patisserie including an illusion apple.

Price: From £85

Address: Wilton Place, SW1X 7RL

Website: the-berkeley.co.uk

6 Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

Claiming Best Traditional Afternoon Tea in the 2022 Afternoon Tea Awards, the Mandarin Oriental’s tea is served from bespoke hanging stands in the beautifully light strewn The Rosebery, a refined tearoom that dates back to the Victorian times and regularly frequented by British Prime Minister Lord Rosebery.

Developed by Executive Pastry Chef Emmanuel Bonneau, the afternoon tea is made up of delicate finger sandwiches, scones and exquisite patisserie. Look out for themed teas to coincide with events and seasonal menu changes too. 

Price: From £75

Address: 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA

Website: mandarinoriental.com

 

7 Harrods

London’s most famous department store puts on an afternoon tea spread that quintessentially British but comes with a modern riff.

Taken in the Harrod’s Tea Rooms, the current afternoon tea celebrates spring time flavours and the Year of the Rabbit. Familiar finger sandwich fillings come with Asian riffs, like cucumber with Szechuan pepper, poached salmon with whipped wasabi crème fraiche and coronation chicken with onion bhaji and tamarind on turmeric bread.

The Asian influence continues on to desserts, with a flourless mandarin sponge topped with jasmine-infused Chantilly and a mandarin gel, and a chocolate and sesame palet that comes with a sesame and milk chocolate ganache on top of a chocolate sable and sponge dipped in a sesame rocher.  

Price: From £65

Address: 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL

Website: harrods.com

8 The Carlton Tower Jumeirah

Winner of Best Contemporary Afternoon Tea 2023 and created by 2019 World’s Best Pastry Chef Jessica Prealpato, this glorious affair is inspired by Kew Gardens and nature and created in Prealpato’s signature style which enhances the natural sweetness of whole fruits, and only occasionally using honey and brown sugar.

Start with duck egg and black truffle stuffed mini croissants and home-cured salmon sandwiches with roasted pine-nut cream cheese, whipped goat cheese mousse with Guiness crumble before moving onto a round of scones which come classic and with dried grape and chocolate,  served alongside a lemon merengue tart with ginger, jam and conserves.

Price: From £75

Address: 1 Cadogan Place SW1X 9PY

Website: jumeirah.com