Afternoon tea in London for visiting colleague

[parsleydog]

Need help! I have a v nice colleague visiting from overseas soon and would like to take him for afternoon tea (his suggestion) but have no idea where to go that isn't ridiculously touristy. Expensive-ish is OK but overpriced tourist trap not OK.

Anywhere in central London will work.

Does anyone have any ideas for me?

Dinner recommendations also gratefully received (somewhere quiet but excellent).

Afternoon Tea - The Chesterfield Hotel in Mayfair.
Dinner - Rules in Covent Garden

Claridges is best but has gone up recently and is now ridiculously expensive. Definitely not a tourist trap though.

I have never been for afternoon tea at the Swan attached to the Globe Theatre, but it's cheaper than average, in a nice restaurant and the view is excellent so how bad can it be?

Thank you!!

Same day? If so make tea as early as possible, there’s a lot of food and I’d never manage dinner afterwards.
the Goring is nice, and The Landmark hotel, for tea.

The Dorchester

Brasserie max at Covent Garden hotel
Was better than fortnum and ritz.

£45 per head so half the price of the other two

Although you won't want dinner after afternoon tea! It's a feast!

Sketch off regent street for afternoon tea

I wasn't impressed with Sketch for the money, and they really cram you in (my friend and I could barely squeeze in round the table and it was a right hassle getting out again to go to the loo! Plus there were a lot of people just there for the photos.

Claridges is my favourite and doesn't feel too touristy at all.

I find Claridges over rated. It's very cramped and showy. Bit old-school, but my favourite is Connaught Hotel - and the bar there is superb if you want a quiet drink. Cheaper and fun for afternoon tea is The Wolesley. Or there's upstairs at Fortnum's.

Agree Brasserie Max is good for tea.

Big no to the Wolsely. I took a friend in January and was incredibly disappointed. Really bad service, not a good spread , small portions of everything. This used to be a favourite place for me and my friends but since change of management has really gone down.

The Langham is my favourite

I don't like Fortnum's much. It felt a bit like an afternoon tea conveyor belt for tourists when I went.

Corinthian near Trafalgar Square was nice.

For afternoon tea: The Claremont Hotel Charing Cross. Good value, old world grand vibes and a view over Trafalgar Square if you ask for a table.

Browns do an excellent tea. It's where Agatha Christie used to stay in London and Bertram's Hotel (one of her books) was based on it.

Browns in Mayfair for Afternoon Tea (the original).

Go early as you'll be too full for dinner otherwise.

Dinner: Tamarind (also Mayfair)

The Goring is lovely

Another vote for Browns - though the Swan might be a good idea too!

A light supper might be best rather than dinner 😉

I'd say the Langham. Just remember some places still insist on jackets for men.

Ditto to Brown’s. Does tend to get very booked up, though.

I believe that the Mayfair Browns is closed now, there are several other branches in London though, eg Covent Garden and Victoria

You guys!!! Thank you!! Will spend some happy hours looking at these options online later.

Browns Hotel hasn't, that's what I was talking about, not the chain restaurant. It's in Albermarle Street, near the Royal Institution