AfternoonTeas.org

Finding the best afternoon tea in Covent Garden doesn’t have to be difficult. With charming cobblestone streets and a lively buzz – it’s the perfect spot to tuck into scones and sweet treats galore. From tea rooms overlooking the piazza to tucked-away cosy cafes, we’ve tested them all to find the best of the best.

And as always, our recommendations are 100% independent. We’re just a team of afternoon tea enthusiasts who want to share our real experience!

1. Top afternoon teas in Covent Garden reviewed
2. Re-cap: Our top 10 Covent Garden afternoon teas
3. Best affordable afternoon teas in Covent Garden 
4. More afternoon teas in the Covent Garden area

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Top afternoon teas in Covent Garden reviewed

1. Afternoon tea at Caffe Concerto – Best for price

Italian-inspired and just south of Seven Dials, Caffe Concerto offers a cute afternoon tea close to the centre of Covent Garden. The best part about the venue is the floor-to-ceiling glass windows! If you get a table upstairs, you can do some incredible people-watching in one of the busier parts of the area. The afternoon tea costs £74.95 for two and includes finger sandwiches, brioche rolls, and an assortment of mini cakes! It’s ideal for a casual afternoon tea before you hit up the shops.

• 📍Location: A very short stroll from Leicester Square and Covent Garden stations, and a bit out of the way of the crowds.
• 🍰 Editor’s insight: “Perfect for a post-shopping treat or pre-theatre bite. It’s stylish without being too formal, and the pastry display alone is worth a peek.“
• 💬 User review: “Our servers were professional and friendly, the food arrived quickly and was healthy and quite tasty. It was a profoundly lovely way to end our first day (for one in our party-first time ever) in London!” Tim TripAdvisor

3. Afternoon tea at Inamo – Best for sushi fans

Inamo offer a fun twist on the classic afternoon tea menu! The menu largely draws inspiration from Japanese, Chinese and Thai cuisine. You can tuck into savoury delights like gyoza, dragon rolls, bang bang cauliflowers and plum chicken karaage. And on the sweet side, you’ll get fun mini cakes and macarons. The best part? Inamo are best known for its interactive tables. The menu is projected onto your table, and you use a touchpad to place your order. You can even play games while you wait or watch the chefs at work with their ‘chef cam’. It’s a lot of fun and not what you’d expect from a classic pan-Asian restaurant!

• 📍Location: Two minutes from the station and just around the corner from the big Zara.
• 🍰  Editor’s insight: “A lot of people say Inamo is more like food theatre than dining, and I think I’d agree. Plus, the customer service is great. The staff were so attentive, and judging from TripAdvisor, lots of people have had the same experience!“
• 💬 User review: “We had Inamo afternoon tea – it was all delicious. A selection of sushi, sashimi and tapas. We were looked after by Mahamuda who was delightful and attentive. Great service, lovely food and good atmosphere.” Cardus, TripAdvisor

3. Afternoon tea at Ladurėe – Best for a French twist

The iconic pattisserie, Ladurėe offers a chic, Parisian-themed afternoon tea in Covent Garden. The main draw? You get to sample their famous macarons. Each person can order any two macarons with their afternoon tea from their extensive menu (I would personally recommend the pistachio or vanilla). You’ll also get more French-inspired sweet treats like Plaisir Sucre, which is a light but rich chocolate and hazelnut cake. Plus dainty finger sandwiches and, of course, warm scones.

Overall, the atmosphere is refined and the food is to die for!

• 📍Location: Ladurėe is right in the main market and has outdoor seating on the ground floor. If you want to be really in Covent Garden, Ladurėe is the place to go.
• 🍰 Editor’s insight: “Though sitting outside is great, see if you can sit on the first-floor balcony instead. That way you get a little peace from the Covent Garden crowds, but can still people watch from above.“
• 💬 User review: “I love Ladurée I really find it hard to find any faults with any of the branches I’ve been to (Paris or London). This one in particular has lovely outdoor and upstairs seating, you quickly forget about the hustle and bustle of Covent Garden. Food was stunning as per and service was on point.” Kimberly, TripAdvisor

4. Afternoon tea at SUSHISAMBA, Covent Garden – Best for views

SUSHISAMBA is known for offering a dreamy rooftop afternoon tea in Covent Garden. The roof is glass and designed by Eric Parry, which gives beautiful views right across the piazza. The afternoon tea menu is Japanese-inspired and includes katsu sliders, tiger maki, vegetable tempura plus freshly baked scones and sweet treats like chocolate cream puffs. The menu is anything but traditional, and that’s exactly what I love about it.

• 📍Location: SUSHISAMBA is located at the famous Opera Terrace within the Grade II-listed Market Building. The definition of a Covent Garden afternoon tea.
• 🍰 Editor’s insight: “SUSHISAMBA is a known celebrity haunt and is nestled between a few different theatres. Keep an eye out just in case, you never know when Harry Styles will be in town…“
• 💬 User review: “I came here for the opening of Afternoon Tea. What a delight. Such a cool combination of unique food options. Wagyu katsu sliders, taquitos, sushi, Battenberg. Had such a lovely meal.” Max E, TripAdvisor

5. Afternoon tea at Rosewood Hotel – Best for art lovers

The Rosewood is a dreamy five-star hotel – and actually the biggest five-star hotel in London! Their ‘art’ afternoon tea is inspired by the renowned Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai (known for his Great Wave) and is absolutely one of a kind. The entire menu had a clear nod to Japanese cuisine, with savoury treats like sake marinated salmon sandwiches and tofu tarts with sesame seeds and pickled ginger. The sweet treats are really the star, though. You get a trio of three pastries directly inspired by three of Hokusai’s most famous works. They are pristinely presented and artworks in their own right – my favourite by far was inspired by ‘Cherry Blossom & Warbler’ – a roll made with cherry jelly and yuzu chocolate, heaven!

• 📍Location: Down the road from Holborn station, about a 10-minute walk from the main courtyard in Covent Garden – but worth it!
• 🍰  Editor’s insight: “Mark Perkins is the head pastry chef at the Rosewood and has worked at some of London’s most renowned hotels since the 90s. He’s an icon – his signature style is all about multi-dimensional immersive dining, and it shows!“
• 💬 User review: “We thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon tea experience. The mirror room was stunning; it was a truly beautiful setting to relax for a bit. I thought the artist-inspired menu, especially the pastries, was really creative and gave a traditional experience a unique twist. Service was great.” Shelby, TripAdvisor

6. Afternoon tea and tour at the Royal Opera House – Best for culture vultures

Though a little niche, if you’re a theatre or opera fan, this one will tick a lot of boxes! The Royal Opera House puts on a full hour-long guided tour followed by a delightful afternoon tea. The experience starts with a guided tour of the entire venue, where you get to learn the history and see some iconic costumes (including the feathered tutu and headdress from Swan Lake). After that, you head to their Balconies Restaurant (no actual balcony sadly), for afternoon tea. The menu itself is fairly standard with nice finger sandwiches, warm scones and a standard array of sweet treats. It does the job – plus, they offer vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options!

• 📍Location: Literally a two-minute walk from the station!
• 🍰  Editor’s insight: “When we went, there was live music from the Royal Ballet played by a pianist throughout. Though on the pricer side, this is a really immersive afternoon tea that’s more like a day out!“
• 💬 User review: “Beautiful old building with so much character, wonderful attentive staff, great food and drink. Beautifully laid tables.” Michelle, TripAdvisor

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Re-cap: Our top 10 Covent Garden afternoon teas

If you’re in a rush, here’s a quick snapshot of our top 10 best afternoon teas in Covent Garden! Keep scrolling for our full, first-hand reviews of each.

1. Afternoon tea at Ladurėe	⭐ £39.95 per person
2. Afternoon tea at Caffe Concerto	⭐ £90.99 for two
3. Afternoon tea at Inamo	⭐ £76.50 for two
4. Afternoon tea at SUSHISAMBA	⭐ £132 for two
5. Afternoon tea at Rosewood Hotel	⭐ £80 for two
6. Afternoon tea at the Royal Opera House	⭐ £120 per person
7. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea at One Aldwych	⭐ £75 per person
8. Lily Vanilli’s afternoon tea at The Theatre Royal Drury Lane	⭐ £48 per person
9. The Waldorf Hilton afternoon tea	⭐ £59 per person
10. Afternoon tea at Cinnamon Bazaar	⭐ £27.50 per person

Why our shortlist changes every month

Every three months we re-evaluate our top afternoon teas and research any new high teas in Covent Garden. We then put every new afternoon tea the through our review process. This keeps our recommendations as up-to-date and accurate as possible! This month, Ladurėe takes the lead.

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Best affordable afternoon teas in Covent Garden 

For more budget-friendly options, there are our top four affordable afternoon teas in Covent Garden. We’ve defined ‘affordable’ as under £35 per person, which is still pricey, is about as good as it gets for Covent Garden!

1. Ivy Market Grill 💸

Contrary to what you might see online, Ivy Market Grill currently only offers a cream tea versus a full afternoon tea menu. However, it does mean you can get a slice of luxury for a fraction of the price. For just £10.95 you can tuck into freshly baked fruit scones, clotted cream and strawberry preserves with a choice of teas. It’s not going to change your life, but it is slap bang in the heat of Covent Garden and one of the swankiest spots in the city.

• Editor’s insight: Though the Ivy is popular, if you’re lucky you might be able to get a last-minute reservation. I’ve been able to get a reservation with 24 hours’ notice before – but of course, book as early as you can to avoid disappointment.
• Price: £10.95
• Location: 5/5

2. Cinnamon Bazaar afternoon tea 💸

Inspired by bazaars in Indian antiquity, Cinnamon Bazaar is one of the most vibrant spots for afternoon tea in Covent Garden! The menu takes influence from East India and includes mustard fish finger sandwiches, saffron macaroon and a dreamy coriander pistachio cake. The cherry on top for me was the ornate yellow teapot that our drinks were served from! Super delicious and super different – the location is also just a two-minute walk from the main piazza.

• Price: £27.50pp
• Location: 5/5

3. Browns afternoon tea 💸

Browns Covent Garden is just up from the Noel Coward Theatre and is a staple in the area for great food and a classic British vibe. Though slightly further away from the action of Covent Garden, their afternoon tea menu is just £30 per person (or £40 with Champagne). You get the full works –
blackcurrant Victoria sponge cake, savoury treats, mini cakes, and warm scones with seasonal jams. All that and you’re dining in a Grade II listed building!

• Price: £30pp
• Location: 3/5

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More afternoon teas in the Covent Garden area

• Pre-theatre afternoon tea at Strand Palace: £55 per person
• Brigit’s Covent Garden afternoon tea: £40 per person
• Afternoon tea at The Savoy: Under refurbishment
• Afternoon tea at Corinthia Hotel: £55 per person
• Afternoon tea at Viola’s: £38 per person

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