The Foyer at Claridge’s

During our first visit to London in August 2015, our lunch and Afternoon Tea at Claridge’s are among our most memorable highlights. Since the age of 12, I have been guilty of ordering Caesar salad almost everywhere we go for lunch, and Claridge’s is one of the very best I ever had, but it wasn’t even close to the best thing we had during our time at Claridge’s (that’s a toss up between the tea, amazing sweets, and impeccable service).
I’ve never experienced tea quite like the Malawi Antler — it was unique (in a you can’t believe that tea could be so amazing kind of way) and accompanied by the best service we encountered during our stay in London (and exceeded several Michelin-​starred establishments in this regard). The staff were welcoming, insightful, extremely thoughtful, and perfectly timed. Thank you, Claridge’s, for a truly magical experience!

Went today for afternoon tea. Final treat before we left London. Nothing else to say but FANTASTIC! Can’t imagine how afternoon tea could be better unless it were less expensive. All food, tea and service were EXCEPTIONAL. Waited on by Killian. Exceptional service. Did I say that already? :) Very attentive. My wife is gluten sensitive and Claridge’s had the absolute best gluten free products. Would definitely do again and honestly not sure I’d even bother trying anywhere else. Why take a chance? Just go to Claridges and pay the tariff.

It was time to introduce my husband and teens to afternoon tea and I chose Claridge’s for their first experience. Their thoughts? They loved it.
I had made reservations and we arrived early. I was glad we arrived early so that we could go to the bar for a drink. I love the history of this hotel; home to the Churchill’s, etc. When our table was ready, they brought us to our table.
It was a beautiful dining room in all white linens. There were only a couple of other tables in the room with one other family and another couple there. It was chic, yet casual and I was thrilled they sat us next to a large window. My daughter and I had a comfortable couch to sit at while my husband and son sat across from us in large armchairs.
We were greeted quickly by a friendly and knowledgeable server. They offer an excellent and large variation of tea options. My teens were a bit apprehensive (I think they were worried they would break something), but took a chance with their tea choices. Everyone is brought out their own teapot based upon their choice. Their thoughts? Everyone was blown away. My son (who drinks the most tea in our family) still talks about his tea that day. As if that weren’t enough, they bring out a selection of tea sandwiches & scones that are delicious!
Excellent service, Beautiful atmosphere, Delicious Sandwiches & Scones, Incredible selection of tea.

How does one NOT go to Claridge’s on a trip to London?
Had a lovely afternoon tea for the two of us. I actually had to get a lactose-​free menu which tends to be a step-​down from the regular lactose-​abundant menu but I was surprised at how delicious all my sandwiches and pastries were compared to the other set.
Also, it goes without saying (so I’ll type it) that their tea selection is just stunning. First-​class in service, quality and atmosphere.
I enjoyed doing tea at other hipster-​y places too, but this is just a classic that stands on its own.

Wow. Holy shxxxxxxxxxt. I mean come on!!! I had the vegetarian breakfast which cost £34 and was definitely the best breakfast I’ve ever had!!! That mushroom I’d something I’ll take to my grave… the raisin pastrie too… and the fresh orange juice… the scrambled eggs… the vegetarian sausage… yeah… I was on a food high for the rest of the day.

I made a reservation to have afternoon tea here at Claridge’s right after booking my trip to London. Having afternoon tea here is like a once in a lifetime experience… At 50 pounds per person for just tea, finger sandwiches and pastries, is it worth it? To me its yes and no after my visit here.
We were seriously underdress for the afternoon tea, consider I wore pants and nice sweater and my husband wore a polo shirt. People were all wearing suits w tie, some even wearing cocktail dress, people. Its afternoon tea for godsake… Although we were underdress, the servers treated us no different than how they treat other people.
To me its all about the experience, being able to step into this gorgeous hotel and sit among all the rich people and being treated like the queen for the day, its like being in a different world, there was a middle eastern young man sat next to us who was acting like he was the king of dubai and just generally being a total diva, it was fun to observe these rich people… Its like watching a live episode of the housewives… Was the tea and food worth the 50 pounds per person price tag? Heck no, but it is an experience I will not forget for a long time to come.

Most classic and traditional tea in London!
It’s pricey, but what in London isn’t?
Love everything about it.

We came to Claridge’s as part of our company’s UK tea tour (The Rolling Tea Cart) and were completely blown away. This is 2 days after tea at the Ritz. Their afternoon tea was immaculate. The staff was friendly, attentive and wonderful. The ambiance was very art deco and every detail was phenomenal. We did a whirlwind afternoon tea tour through Ireland, Wales, southwest England and London and this one took the cake (literally and figuratively). Without a doubt the best tea experience we’ve ever had. Worth the price by far.

What can I say about afternoon tea at Claridges which hasn’t been said before?
Bottomless tea, infinite sandwiches and mille-​feuilles (is that what they were?) that were a work of art.
Great ambience with the piano player in the background.
At the end of the day it is just afternoon tea, but Claridges is somewhere where you would go with your friends for the experience, even if it’s just once.
It is not really my scene, as it is ever so slightly pretentious, though I think I would definitely come again.

I admit, I’m not a tea expert. I’m also not a culinary expert. It actually annoys me how people who have access to the internet suddenly think of themselves as food experts. I digress. Even though I’m not a Michelin judge, I do know what I like…
Being in London, I wanted to do as some of the locals do and have «tea time». I looked around and was able to get a last minute reservation to Claridge’s. The hotel was very beautiful and gave off the ambiance of «high society». After being seated, our French server was gracious enough to explain the menu and how everything worked.
It’s not cheap, but the experience was wonderful. It included several types of tea and small snacks such as finger sandwiches and pastries.
If you are in London and want the quintessential royal «tea team» experience, Claridge’s is the place to go.

After napping on the lawn of St. Paul’s Cathedral, we were pumped for our afternoon tea. We were seated in a cozy corner (perhaps to keep us away from the classier people). The bench seating with extra cushions was super comfortable.
The tea selection was a little overwhelming. I thought I knew what I was doing when I ordered the Sencha. Turns out there were 2 different varieties. Another member of my party knew she wanted a chai tea, but there were numerous varieties. Thankfully, the server was extremely patient with us. We were also told that we had the option to switch teas throughout the meal too! They claimed that some tea leaves were handpicked from exotic regions… I tried to taste the difference, but my palate just isn’t that refined.
Afternoon tea starts with tiny crustless sandwiches. My favourites were the cucumber sandwiches and the smoked salmon sandwiches. The dudes seemed to prefer the ham and cheese one. When we polished the tray, they asked if we wanted more. Unlimited cute sandwiches? Yes please. I’ve been to a few afternoon teas and have never had this bottomless option.
Next came the scones with the richest butter I’ve ever tasted. I knew better than to fill myself up with these though. Because the last platter was the desserts plate. They were all 5-​star! The cheesecake was light and topped with some fruit from Japan. The passionfruit mousse in a tiny shotglass was the favourite at the table. Obviously we ordered more of these. The chocolate treat was incredible too. As was the peach tart. I personally didn’t have a favourite — they were all tied for first place!
I stuffed my face so much that afternoon that I skipped dinner.
All of our servers were very friendly. And they tolerated our non-​British (unladylike) behaviour. We were not rushed at any point. In fact, they kept trying to feed us more. We got nice keepsakes at the end (like a bonbonniere). SPOILER ALERT: It was a cute tin with tea.
Note: I learned from my Scottish friend that afternoon tea is not the same as high tea. I don’t think I’ve ever had high tea as it involves a whole hot dinner, apparently.
Also: When I rudely lifted my china to see who made their cute cups and saucers, the name I found, of course, was Claridges.

Claridge’s would have to be my favourite afternoon tea spot and although not fit for a student/​cheap travel budget, I say definitely give it a go! You must treat yourself to afternoon tea here at least once. I love everything from their great selection of teas and sweet pastries to their friendly service (the place is not as stuffy as it might appear).

THE most beautiful setting for afternoon tea. I heard Foyer and was a bit concerned. who’d think of afternoon tea in a foyer would be a grand affair? Add the five star rating of Claridges hotel and throw in some art deco splendour, 18 ft high ceilings, an elaborate chandelier and enough flowers to make Chelsea Flower Show quake in competitive fear. It’s breathtaking in there. Even the lavs were wonderful! Who gushes about toilets? Well, see these and I beg you to differ. Think Gossip Girl dressing room/​make up area with lamps, white towels and general luxeness. Then you go into to toilet area, which an attendant wipes down before you go in. She then turns a tap on for you upon exiting the cubicle. Excellent, excellent. They were a little rude but they didn’t spoil my experience. Hell, I was donning pink lips so had to return no less than 4 times to keep my look fresh.
Now, we actually were here during Chelsea Flower Show and so, that was the afternoon tea that was on offer at the time. This includes pink champers and floral sarnies but is an extra cost. I was a little dubious about the floral sarnies and prayed that they didn’t just serve those as I was hankering for a chicken sandwich fix. They served both. And kept them coming. Fabulous. The floral ones were actually heavenly. And they decorated them with edible pansies. I had lavender tea which was fairly nice, and the server even offered me two teas as I was undecided… super helpful! Hubby’s tea was nicer, annoyingly. You get given a little Claridges tin of tea to take away at the end of you tea session. Love that touch.
Cakes. Obviously this needs its own paragraph. So good. So much detail. Almost too beautiful to eat. Almost. I did manage to shovel many of the morsels down. The scones were delish, though did miss strawberry jam, it was some sort of honeyed something or other. The macaroon had a rose petal on it, complete with dew drops. Sigh.
A pianist plays throughout and this never fails to bring a little tear to my eye. Dramatic? Maybe, but it really does evoke the senses a bit of live classical musique. Everything about this trip was perfect. They brought over a birthday slice of lemon and lavender cake complete with candle. Love touches like this. Speaking of touches, due to so many posing, I mean, toilet trips, I spied the sweets by the exit. With Claridges sweet bags, natch. Of course I devilled into those and loaded up a bag for the journey home. Thank you Claridges, thank you. I’ll be back. Often.

I don’t know much about Tea Rooms, but my experience at Claridges was pretty great! The food and tea was phenomenal, and the service was great — super helpful and friendly when it came to our choosing tea, pastries, etc. I’m attaching a picture of my favorite — rose flavored macaroons.

As an American in London, might as well celebrate Thanksgiving with afternoon tea in The Foyer of Claridge’s.
Definitely better food here than the Savoy, though I liked my tea better at the Savoy. I also liked that they obliged us here and served all 3 courses at once, so my daughter could enjoy sweets and scones while I focused on the savories. (Wish I had asked the same at the Savoy.)
They gave a wink and a nod to our American Thanksgiving with a special turkey sandwich, pumpkin scones, and pecan mini pies. The sandwich selection was salmon, cucumber, egg salad, turkey, and ham. Again, somewhat bland across the board, but slightly better than Savoy. The scones were pumpkin and blueberry served with clotted cream and an unusual jam that I don’t remember what they said it was. Desserts were a parfait (I wanted more but was too full… but so good!), beautiful chocolate somethings (my daughter had several), and pecan pies. The desserts here far out-​tasted the ones at the Savoy and looked so much more appealing.
Gorgeous setting, but I wasn’t thrilled that we had to sit right beside the hostess pedestal. Very close to 5 stars. They sent us home with a small box of 2 truffles to wish us a Happy Thanksgiving. That was classy and memorable. If I had to pick between the two, I think I now like Claridge’s a bit more than Savoy. Next time, I will try Brown’s.
Pinkies up!
(Not sure why others are listing this under Claridge’s Bar. But it’s The Foyer at Claridge’s that delivers the famous afternoon tea.)