To be shocked at the price for an Afternoon Tea?

[Writerwannabe83]

It is my friend's birthday on Saturday and a group of us (about 15) casually agreed a while ago that we'd go out for Afternoon Tea at a local restaurant. I had never been to one before, wasn't too sure what it was all about so I just agreed to it.

Today I received the Menu of this Afternoon Tea we are having and for some finger sandwiches, a cake and a cup of tea it's £20 per person

Maybe I live in a little bubble but that sounds crazy? This restaurant is going to get £300 out of us for supplying some sandwiches and some cakes?

The menu comes across as very pretentious and is written in such a way that by the designer throwing in some posh words and an over exaggerated description of a bit of lettuce it makes people happily hand over £20 for such 'luxury'....

The tea is "loose leaf" apparently - what does that even mean? Am I going to get a cup of tea with foliage floating on the top it?

I can have a ham and mustard sandwich, a cake and a cup of tea at home for a lot less than £20

But anyway - I just needed to vent.

I'm obviously still going to go as it's a good friend's birthday but I think it will be the last time I commit to an Afternoon Tea

It's my own fault really for agreeing to it without actually fully knowing what it was

Maybe I'm just not posh enough for such things

Can people tell me about any Afternoon Teas they have experienced and how U I'm being because actually I'm in for a treat that is well worthy of £20

The "for men" option would make me seek out other options, sexist tosh. Funny that there isn't a "women's" option including a dainty glass of prosecco... Or maybe laydees aren't supposed to drink FWIW, If I felt the need to go I'd pay the extra £3 for the ale to make the afternoon bearable It seems like the sort of place to demand a showing of genitals to do that though... God, I can't believe how angry an afternoon tea option had made me

seems reasonable.

Local very exclusive country hotel charges £45/head, cheapest I've seen around here is £25/head 😳

I'm not kind of getting the impression that there isn't a limit on the number of sandwiches and cakes?

I got the impression I was going to get 4 finger sandwiches, a cake and a cup of tea and be charged £20.

I guess it's no so bad if we actually get more sandwiches and more cakes....

It's about £80 pp at Claridges.

We had sparkling afternoon tea at the Globe yesterday and a tour of the theatre which cost us £42 (tea with prosecco is 31.5) and it was our silver anniversary. Its not cheap but it is a nice treat and we all thoroughly enjoyed it and were full afterwards (basically 4 sandwiches , 2 large scones and 4 petit fours and they also did a nice plate with mini brownies with happy anniversary on it and a large selection of teas and a glass of bubbly)
Have spent a lot more without the bubbly at Savoy and Claridges but they refill sandwiches etc

terrifichons - me and two of my friends have ordered the male option

With this option they get a cup of tea and a mug of ale so why don't those having the dainty sandwiches women's option get a cup of tea and wine? It doesn't sound very fair. Like you said, maybe real ladies can't be seen having an alcoholic beverage....

That sounds reasonable IMO - the cheapest I've seen in central London was £60 p/p. It's really not my kind of thing unless someone else is paying .

You usually get a whole teapot of tea though and it refilled. So more than getting a mug!

You will be getting scones as well! The best bit.
We need to see the menu now!

easentialhummus - it really isn't my kind of thing either which is probably why I begrudge spending £20

I had afternoon tea at the Hilton in Manchester for £20 and it was shite . How they had the nerve to serve it up I don't know. I've had tea in a boutique hotel in Manchester at £25 with a glass of fizz and it was beautiful . Fab little sandwiches , beautiful little crafted cakes and a soft scone, clotted cream and jam - I did not mind paying for that one!

That's pretty reasonable. They keep the sandwiches and cakes coming.

Put it this way - you won't need dinner that evening.

I did my own on my birthday this year! We inherited some lovely china from my late fil and I made some fancy sandwiches, bought some lovely scones from Lidl, posh jam and clotted cream from M& S and my friend brought a lovely lemon cake. I opened Prosecco and six of us had a lovely time. I have all the lovely china and cake stands so will be doing one every year. We have also been for some on Groupon offers and they have been ok although one ended up being on a funny little organic farm in the middle of nowhere and was nothing special.

£35 for two of us including Prosecco (a Sparkling Afternoon Tea)

That's cheap! I've been to the Langham and Flemings in London and I think it was around the £90 mark inc champagne.

They do a lovely afternoon tea in the coffee shop around the corner from me and that's £35, with £2 a bottle corkage of you want to bring some fizz.

I have had a few nice afternoon teas. The best was at the Royal Garden Hotel in London, where they will let you stay all day if you want, you get a glass of champagne too and the food is lovely. The absolute best bit though is the resident pianist, who was accompanied by a lady singing. I think she was a frequent guest rather than a paid entertainer, so it was very casual but she was incredible - very very elderly, extremely elegantly dressed and beautifully coiffed - I want to be her when I grow up. She was just having so much fun with it. I think it may have been around £40 a head for that afternoon tea but it was a full meal really with endless food and lasted all afternoon with entertainment so worth every penny.

You are not just paying for the food though, you're paying for the venue, the service and the preparation. The venue is important as it gives your group of friends somewhere nice to meet and celebrate a birthday. If you don't think that all those things together are worth £20 to you, then don't go.

I can make a veggie curry and naan bread for pennies, but every few weeks I like to meet my friends in an Indian restaurant for a meal and a get together.

Just for you terrifichons....

I was going to say the Royal garden hotel does the nicest. They bring all the teas around in pots to smell the leaves before choosing what you want. We live fairly nearby and I used to walk there when ds1 was tiny with Dh and he would fall asleep to the piano whilst we lounged around all afternoon eating and drinking

There's usually quite a lot of food. You won't go hungry. Eating out is always more expensive than eating at home. For afternoon tea, I don't think £20 sounds exorbitant

It might come across as expensive, me and DH went for afternoon tea at Stapleford Park in Leicestershire, at £25ph. (It was our first anniversary and the start of a few celebrations) It was a memory to cherish for sure. You're in lovely surroundings and having lovely food! I could replicate at home for much less but it wouldn't be the same :) I've also been to patisserie valerie where its £12.50 ph. I only go if its with a good friend, and again really enjoyable. It's not something id do every week, but its lovely for certain occasions. And to my surprise is actually really filling too!

Considering its a birthday thing, it'll be a really nice afternoon, catching up with friends, enjoying tea and cakes! I'd happily spend the £20! Hope you have fun.

I'm trying to remember what we had each when we went-

2 scones each , one fruit, one plain plus clotted cream and proper jam.

Finger sandwiches- Ham and mustard, smoked salmon and cream cheese, egg and water cress
Fruit cake
Macaron thing
Lemon tart
Chocolatey cake thing
Sponge cake

Plus so much tea our eyeballs were swimming!

Champagne was an extra £8

I think we paid £16 a head.

You pay a fiver for a piece of cake and a pot of tea in a garden centre.

As a PP said, it's a lot of faff and preparation.

I'm going for tea soon and that will be £30 a head, super fancy by all accounts and I can't wait!

Oh and we stayed 3.5 hours!!