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

Afternoon tea is my favourite treat! For a proper afternoon tea £20 is actually very reasonable. My favourite afternoon tea was in The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. Complete with a Tiffany glass ceiling' harpist and the most beautiful cakes I have ever seen. Elsewhere prices are usually around £39 and an extra £10 for a glass of champagne. It is a treat though and of course you pay accordingly. I have hosted afternoon teas at home for my friends, I try and organise in good weather and we have sandwiches, scones and cakes with pink lemonade or champagne in the garden. Lovely! Smiling thinking about it!

Whoops, should read... under a Tiffany glass ceiling, accompanied by a harpist! I have no idea what a Tiffany glass ceiling harpist would be! :-)

Think if it as a meal. £20 for a nice meal out is fine surely?

A place local to me does it for £35 with unlimited prosecco!!

I love afternoon tea.

Unlimited prosecco? That's a potentially bankrupting promise!

Hope you enjoy it Writer

Ds is a waiter in one of these afternoon tea places. Last week a customer complained with absolute fury about the 'bits' in her loose leaf tea. Ds politely explained what the tea strainer was for.

The glibe does unlimited prosecco but only for 1.5 hours

Globe not glibe

My sister got a voucher for afternoon tea at a local "celeb chef" hotel and talked me into going with her for a treat. We're both vegetarian and she'd pre-informed them of this so imagine our shock to get a plate of cheese and pickle sandwiches on dried out value white sliced loaf, a rock hard piece of fruit cake (must have been a wedding leftover), a dry slice of sponge and a tepid scone with cream....all washed down with very ordinary tea in bags and a glass of prosecco that was partly flat. Add in the ambience of a conservatory that looked like something out of a 60s film (leather table cloths and fake palm plants), and the staff crashing and banging laying the tables for dinner, we weren't impressed! Her friend later admitted that it had cost £35 each and we nearly cried. I'd have made much more of a fuss if we'd known!!!
But my mum got re-married in another local hotel that's very vintage in decor and style that cost £25 a head and had afternoon tea for her reception. We had sandwiches on home made bread that were refilled as soon as you ate them, fresh from the oven scones, eclairs, and very delicate cakes that were almost too gorgeous to eat. We had huge pots of tea and coffee, all different blends and choices topped up with champagne. I now avoid chain hotels/cafes at all costs and only go to places that others have recommended, there are a lot of rip off merchants out there cashing in on the experience.

I had afternoon tea as my wedding breakfast 2 years ago priced at £15 per person. Selection of sandwiches, scones, and then 4 further cakes of our choice; mini fruit tarts, mini eclaires, macaroons & raspberry and coconut tea loaf. Unlimited tea & coffee

Tbh 20pounds is v cheap

This place is gorgeous, delicious and cheap (£25 for two) if you fancy somewhere more relaxed and family-friendly, rather than posh.

www.teahousetheatre.co.uk/

Afternoon tea at the Dorchester was lovely. Service was brilliant. They didn't even blink when my mother asked for butter for the scones, which were served with with masses of creme and strawberry preserve. Goodness knows why she felt she wanted butter, too, but, like i said, they could not have been more lovely.

Holm House in Penarth charges £20 for one round of sandwiches (crusts cut off), 3 one-bite cakes and a scone with a cup of tea. Not worth £20 but it's a nice place and there's a sense of occasion.

Around £70 at claridges and worth every penny of it. It's not just a brew and a sarnie. It's sitting in Art Deco heaven, listening to a pianist or a cellist, having your tea poured for you, beautiful food, pink champagne. Wonderful stuff!

Your £20 sounds a bargain.

Grilled, someone bought me AT at Claridges as a Christmas present last year. I agree, absolutely beautiful. The surroundings and atmosphere were stunning. Very understated but fancy.
I'm not likely to go and stay for a weekend at Claridges so Tea was a nice way to visit.

I kept getting told off for pouring my own tea in claridges
I turned down the shard afternoon tea a few weeks ago, I didn't realise it was BFG related.

I don't drink tea, we went for the champagne option! The staff almost seemed to disappear yet appear when you needed them, magic!
The Shard one looks nice. I might book up for later this year, it's a friends 30th and we go there for drinks sometimes but haven't eaten up there yet.
That photo posted above looks brilliant.

I hate the sodding afternoon tea trend for just about every occasion - birthdays, hen parties, get togethers. They seem to be the latest in thing but as I'm coeliac and can't eat any of it they're a crap choice for me.

Bike I take my MIL to Fortnum & Mason for gluten free afternoon tea

Actually, come to think of it, loads of places do gluten free afternoon tea now.

Eating gluten free bread has never been and will never be a 'treat'. More of a necessary evil

I'm taking DSis for Not Afternoon Tea at the Oxo Tower next month.
It seems to consist of puddings and cocktails.

I linked to the Pret a Portea at the Berkeley up thread. All the cakes are designer inspired and change by the season. The artistry is amazing. And it's all you can eat, and you take your leftovers home in a pretty bag.

going for afternoon tea with Dd on Wednesday 15 Per head and we'll just get more scones for her and share it. Scones are our thing ! I can recommend the Hilton Nottingham we got a Groupon and it was very reasonable with a glass of prosecco and lovely warm scones