London truly is a jolly old towne!  So much to do and see…and if you are like most tourists, enjoying a lush high tea is on your list of must-do activities.  There are quite a few options for the over-the-top high tea experiences, but if you’ve “been there, done that” and are looking for an experience that is equally tasty…but, maybe off the typical tourist beaten path, I have two wonderful suggestions!

In 2010, I enjoyed the pleasure of taking my two personal kiddos to London the week following Christmas.  This was their first trip overseas, and I had a jammed packed agenda ready for all of us, and of course, treating them to high tea was part of our plan.  But, I didn’t realize how excited they were about enjoying high tea.  In fact, my son, who was 14 at the time, was particularly keen to enjoy high tea not once, not twice, but Every. Single. Day.  Alrighty.  Can do!  And why not?  I enjoy a good scone as much as anyone. So, I started looking at our agenda, and figuring out where to take them….every day!

One spot I decided to take them was The Wallace Collection. The Wallace Collection is a national museum which displays the wonderful works of art collected in the 18th and 19th centuries by the first four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace.  It was bequeathed to the British Nation in 1897.  Displayed at Hertford House, one of the family’s London properties in the 19th century, the Wallace Collection presents its outstanding collections of art, furniture and armor in a sumptuous but approachable manner which is an essential part of its charm.

I knew that being able to see full suits of armor, more up close than most museums allow, would be especially fun for them!  The Wallace Collection also offers high tea in their restaurant.  It was fantastic!  The cost was $25 per person, which is substantially less than other fancier venues, and the quality of the finger sandwiches, pastries, and scones was fantastic.  We loved high tea at The Wallace Collection!

The second spot I highly recommend is Liberty of London.  We completely stumbled on this high tea experience, as we were there to simply see the store.  Liberty of London is located on  Great Marlborough Street and established in 1924, the building is constructed from the timbers of two ancient battle ships: HMS Impregnable and HMS Hindustan – the frontage measuring the same length as the Hindustan.

Since we hail from the land of department stores (Dallas y’all) I thought the kids would get a kick out of seeing Liberty of London.  While there, I noticed a small restaurant, and high tea was on the menu!  Done!  The high tea treats arrived on a lovely tea sandwich caddy, and I ordered one for each kiddo.  The picture of my son enjoying his treats still cracks me up.  Lovely historic setting, and fabulous quality for around $30 a person.

Other high tea information:

• Yes, I have enjoyed high tea at Brown’s Hotel. In fact, I took my kids to Brown’s on that same trip, and my daughter still talks about the hot chocolate, which was basically liquid chocolate in a cup!  The setting is a gorgeous, old England feel, with dark stained wood walls, and big fluffy sofas.  The cost is around $65 per person, and you definitely need to make reservations well in advance!
• Another lovely, over-the-top spot is Claridges. My husband and I visited London a few years ago, and rented an apartment near Claridges, more information about renting apartments in this post, and I think we enjoyed high tea there about four or five times.  For those of you who know Will, you can appreciate that those tiny finger sandwiches lasted about three seconds, and Will requested multiple plates during his high tea experiences.  The cost is around $70 per person.

Let me know your favorite spots for High Tea in London!!!!  Cherrio, y’all!

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