Amanda Morton
Google
My friends and I were debating keeping our reservation for afternoon tea at Cafe Royal - it is quite pricey and we weren't sure if it would be too stuffy for our group - well I'm so happy to say that we kept our reservation and had an absolutely amazing experience here. We were 5 of us in total and we were treated like Royalty from our initial welcome by the host to our final goodbye (after almost 3 hours!). We're not big drinkers, so we didn't feel the need to splurge for the tea options that included Champagne. We all did the £79 Afternoon Tea option, and were very happy with everything that's included - unlimited tea sandwiches (beef, truffle egg, chicken curry and cucumber), unlimited warm-fresh baked scones, clotted cream, strawberry and apricot jam, and unlimited petit four desserts. You could absolutely eat until your hearts (or stomachs) content! Our server was so kind and wonderful, never making us feel bad for ordering more of anything. My absolute only complaint would be the pacing of the experience. When you're seated, they are sure to tell you that the afternoon tea is a 2-hour experience, but I think that maybe they were short staffed on the day we went, because there were long stretches of time where we were just waiting to be served, resulting in our experience taking 3 hours, and honestly it would have been longer had we not had to get up and leave to make our next appointment. We did mention to our server that we had a hard stop at a certain time, which we hoped would have informed the pacing of our experience, but unfortunately it didn't and we ended up not getting to enjoy the petit fours due to having to leave.
That small blip aside, afternoon tea at Cafe Royal was a truly spectacular and memorable experience, and is absolutely something I think is worth your time when in London! It is a quiet, upscale experience, so I think if you're uncomfortable in high-end venues then there are alternative tea experiences you would probably be more comfortable at. But if you're someone who appreciates history, architectural beauty, gild and glamour, fine bone-china and attentive service in an upscale venue, then this is an experience you don't want to miss!