Best Hotels for Afternoon Tea in London

L'Oscar London is a five-star boutique hotel set within a Grade II listed former Baptist Church in the heart of Holborn, restored by celebrated Parisian designer Jacques Garcia. Named after Oscar Wilde, its 39 individually designed rooms and suites blend Edwardian Baroque architecture — original friezes, marble fireplaces and grand chandeliers — with theatrical, sensual interiors. Moments from Covent Garden, the British Museum and Theatreland, it pairs heritage grandeur with an intimate, characterful stay.

Hotel Café Royal occupies the Café Royal building on Regent Street, founded in 1865 and long associated with the literary and artistic figures who gathered there, Oscar Wilde among them. The hotel reopened after a major restoration and includes the Akasha spa and the restored Grill Room, a listed interior.

Rosewood London occupies the former Pearl Assurance headquarters at 252 High Holborn, a Grade II listed Edwardian building completed in 1914 and converted to a Rosewood hotel in 2013. Its Pavonazzo marble staircase rises through all seven floors beneath a domed cupola. The Holborn Dining Room and Scarfes Bar occupy the building's original east and west banking halls, and the hotel has a Sense spa and a large courtyard entrance set back from the street.

Kimpton Fitzroy London occupies the 1898 building designed by Charles Fitzroy Doll on Russell Square in Bloomsbury, recognisable by its ornate terracotta façade. It is one of the largest hotels in the area and sits a short walk from the British Museum, with several bars and restaurants open to non-residents.

One Aldwych occupies Inveresk House, the Edwardian building constructed between 1907 and 1910 for the Morning Post newspaper, on the triangular site where the Strand meets Aldwych. It opened as a hotel in 1998 and remains one of the few independently owned five-star hotels in London. Facilities include an 18-metre indoor swimming pool, a Bamford wellness spa and the Dovetale restaurant. It holds One MICHELIN Key.

Q.Where is the best afternoon tea in Central London?

A.For the setting, L'Oscar London is difficult to better in this part of London. Afternoon tea is served in the public rooms of a Grade II listed former Baptist Church on Southampton Row, surrounded by original Doulton biblical terracotta panels and the Jacques Garcia interiors. L'Oscar London prices afternoon tea at £59, with a £69 champagne service and £29 for children. Rosewood London and Hotel Café Royal are the strongest larger-hotel alternatives nearby.

Q.How much does afternoon tea cost at a London hotel?

A.Central London hotel afternoon tea generally runs between £55 and £95 per person, with champagne services at the upper end. L'Oscar London sits at the accessible end of that range — £59 standard, £69 with champagne, £29 for children — which makes it one of the better-value listed-building settings in the area.

Q.Do I need to be a guest to book afternoon tea?

A.No. Afternoon tea at L'Oscar London is open to non-residents, as it is at every hotel on this list, and booking ahead is recommended at weekends. L'Oscar London is 50 metres from Holborn station and 500 metres from the British Museum, which makes it a practical stop between the museum and Covent Garden rather than a destination requiring a separate journey.

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