Every year, we celebrate the best of the best when it comes to afternoon teas in the UK. In 2025, we taste-tested dozens of different afternoon teas across London, from historic hotels to modern tearooms.
Each was judged on the menu creativity, presentation, atmosphere, and, of course, how sublime the scones were. After much deliberation (and more pots of tea than we knew possible), we’re delighted to present the winners of our Afternoon Tea Excellence Awards 2025!
| 🥇 Best Afternoon Tea for 2025 | ‘London Calling’ afternoon tea at Haymarket Hotel |
| 🧪 Best Quirky Afternoon Tea | Science afternoon tea at The Ampersand Hotel |
| 💂🏼♂️ Best Themed Afternoon Tea | ‘London Calling’ afternoon tea at Haymarket Hotel |
| 🌱 Best Vegan Afternoon Tea | Afternoon tea at Cutter & Squidge |
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Best Afternoon Tea for 2025
🏆 ‘London Calling’ afternoon tea at Haymarket Hotel
With a playful menu inspired by some of London’s most iconic landmarks, this afternoon tea charmed us from the first bite. The presentation was stunning, and the sweet treats were like something you’d see on The Great British Bake Off. You take your tea at Brumus, Haymarket Hotel’s restaurant, which is elegant and sophisticated. It’s the perfect tranquil haven right in the middle of London’s busy theatre district! And if you’ve ever wanted to take a bite out of Big Ben, this is the afternoon tea for you.
Best Quirky Afternoon Tea for 2025
🥇 Gold Award – Science afternoon tea at The Ampersand Hotel
The Science afternoon tea at The Ampersand Hotel has made waves the last few years. We visited in 2024 and again this year, and it still reigns supreme. Any afternoon tea that comes in a red spaceship and swirling in dry ice gets our vote. The menu is super creative and imaginative, with interactive elements that really make the afternoon tea memorable. Plus, it’s quirky but still caters to both kids and adults like.
Read our full Science afternoon tea review.
🥈 Silver Award – Magic afternoon tea at Vintry & Mercer
Best Themed Afternoon Tea for 2025
🥇 Gold Award – ‘London Calling’ afternoon tea at Haymarket Hotel
Back again, Haymarket Hotel’s ‘London Calling’ afternoon is also our best themed afternoon tea. The sweet treats are all London themed and include a dark chocolate Big Ben, white chocolate London Eye, royal guard macaron and a Trafalgar Square inspired Victoria sponge. The Big Ben in particular is out of this world, the level of detail blew our minds. Plus, when you arrive, you get given a QR code to scan with a map of some of London’s most iconic landmarks. The idea is that you can tuck into the sweet treats and then go and see the landmarks right after!
🥈 Silver Award – Sherlock’s afternoon tea and mini mystery
Best Vegan Afternoon Tea for 2025
🥇 Gold Award – Afternoon tea at Cutter & Squidge, Soho
Dubbed London’s only all-natural bakery, Cutter & Squidge are known for quality. We visited Cutter & Squidge this summer and were blown away by their sweet treats – their vegan blueberry lemon cheesecake cake in particular is one of the best and prettiest vegan cakes we’ve ever tried. And for £32.50 per person, you really can’t go wrong.
🥈 Silver Award – Afternoon tea at The Savoy
FAQs
How are the winners chosen?
Each afternoon tea is independently judged on menu creativity, presentation, customer service and the overall experience. We also consider value for money and location.
Who taste-tests the afternoon teas?
We personally visit each location in person. We taste-test every course, take notes, and compare experiences before deciding on the winners.
Do you visit every afternoon tea in London?
Not quite! London has hundreds of afternoon teas. Each year, we carefully shortlist a selection of the most talked-about and interesting experiences across the city before visiting.
Can I suggest an afternoon tea for next year’s awards?
Absolutely. We’re always looking for hidden gems. You can get in touch via our afternoonteas.org@gmail.com to suggest an afternoon tea for our 2026 shortlist.
Please note: Some afternoon teas were hosted for review purposes earlier this year. However, all opinions, awards, and winners are independently chosen by our editorial team. Rest assured, all winners were selected purely based on merit.