Afternoon tea oozes tradition and class like a fresh baked scone drips melting butter. It all came about when new gas lighting meant supper could be served later into the evening, leaving a rather large gap between. Anna, Duchess of Bedford, got fed up of being hangry and decided enough was enough. She was going to sneak a meal in between, female delicacies be damned. She was our kinda gal. As a friend of Queen V, it got the royal thumbs up and peckish members of the peerage quickly followed.
Incidentally, high tea came later and was a rather different, heartier version. Hungry workers would return home at the end of the day and have a substitute dinner. According to the 1893 Telegraph, high tea involved “cold roast beef at the top of the table, a cold Yorkshire pie at the bottom, a mighty ham in the middle… side dishes will comprise soused mackerel, pickled salmon (in due season), sausages and potatoes etc., etc. Rivers of tea, coffee and ale, with dry and buttered toast, sally-luns, scones, muffins and crumpets, jams and marmalades.” It’s a far cry from the original refinement.
However, it’s that high-class image that has kept afternoon tea alive. It’s time out of a hectic day and a chance to play at aristocrats. For my part, the finer things in life shouldn’t mean going hungry from stupidly small sandwiches. I spent my Ritz afternoon tea wondering when the mains would arrive. We’ve searched out the afternoon teas that leave you feeling high-falutin as well as full.
Fortnum & Mason
It might seem sacrilegious to leave off leaders like The Ritz and Claridges, but we like our cuppa with a little less…condescension. We think Fortnum & Mason, despite their heritage, offer a tea that mixes fun and fancy. Plus we like to walk off the cake carriage selection by browsing their Food Hall. F&M are also famed for their incredible range of teas, which is pretty important – it’s in the name after all. This is the place to take your gran for a birthday teatime treat.
St James Hotel and Club
St James takes afternoon tea from upper-class to outright cool. Their still-swanky tea is based on board games, with scrabble tile sponges, chocolate chess pieces, Battenberg boards and so much more. Top of the menu are the little top hat cakes. They simply couldn’t have made afternoon tea merrier. Unless of course they threw in a Twister mat, but then I’d probably never leave.
B Bakery
If you have out-of-towners coming for a visit and need something quintessentially London, this is the place for you – or should we say bus. B Bakery adds a twist to afternoon tea, taking you on a tour of London whilst filling your face with tastiness. The tea itself is hearty, with quiches, sarnies and some pastries thrown in. The bus is an old Routemaster too; it doesn’t get much more British than this.
Sketch
Sketch brings the old and new together in one of the coolest designed spots in London. Artists have had a hand in its creation and David Shrigley’s irreverent gallery is ideal for whiling away an afternoon. This impossibly pink parlour is like a Willy Wonka marshmallow room, and the artwork makes it hard to keep eyes on your plate. The food is beautiful, traditional and all you’d expect, but it’s the surroundings that take centre stage. It may also be the only place on earth where a toilet selfie is justified and frankly mandatory – they’re simply out of this world.
Teanamu Chaya Teahouse
If you want a tea with less hoity-toity English tradition, then head to Teanamu. Japan is another country that holds tea in godlike regard, so it seems only natural the two should come together. The food on both menus is vegetarian and utterly mouth-watering. Wakame seaweed bread sandwiches and dim sum are just some of their selection and of course their matcha green tea is to die for. Afternoon tea has come a long way indeed.
The post London’s Best Afternoon Teas With a Twist appeared first on Felix Magazine.
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