Best Hotels for Afternoon Tea

There are some great British traditions that never die, and the comforting ritual of Afternoon Tea is one example – indeed the classic British Afternoon Tea has undergone a bit of revival in recent years, with hotels all over the country outdoing each other with the variety, inventiveness and sheer deliciousness of their teatime offerings, some of which are served all afternoon from lunchtime onwards. Some of our favourites are listed below, but first of all, what is Afternoon Tea, and will it be enough to keep you going till dinner?

Start with the basics – a good selection of finger sandwiches, maybe a scone or two, hopefully with cream and jam on the side, and a colourful and calorific selection of cakes and dainties to finish the whole thing off, along with lashings of good, strong tea by the unlimited pot to wash it down.This is the minimum you can expect and yes, it will be enough to last until dinner, even if you skipped lunch. But there are plenty of variations on the theme. If you don't have much of a sweet tooth, you could try 'Afternoon Cheese' instead at Norwich's Assembly House. Chocolate-lovers and parents might want to sample the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tea at One Aldwych in London, while for those who want an Afternoon Tea that's a cut above the rest you can't do better than the superb spread they lay on at Michelin-starred Morston Hall in Norfolk. But all of the places below will deliver a real treat – browse our selections and then collect the full set!

Best Places to Stay in The Best UK hotels serving Afternoon Tea, Britain's finest hotel afternoon tea experiences I As chosen by Cool Places