On our last trip to London, Steve and I went for afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason. The legendary Piccadilly department store is known for fine foods, teas and luxury goods. The afternoon tea is served in the beautiful Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon which was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 2012 and is located on the fourth floor, where tables are set with white tablecloths and Fortnum & Mason’s signature Eau de Nil porcelain. There’s live piano music, and the room has that kind of very British elegance that made us wish we’d dressed a little nicer.
We ordered the Classic Afternoon Tea set and the Savoury Afternoon Tea set so we could share and try a bit of everything. Each set comes with a full pot of tea, and with a tea list that reads like a novel, it can be hard to choose. The staff recommended Countess Grey, which is Earl Grey with a Fortnum & Mason twist. I love Earl Grey, so that’s what I went with. It was excellent, with a soft citrus note and none of that overly perfumed taste you sometimes get. Steve chose the Afternoon Blend, which was smooth and easy to drink with everything.
We started from the bottom tier of the stand with a selection of sandwiches, which were the same for both sets. I’m usually not into cucumber sandwiches, but Fortnum & Mason’s version had a bit of mint and was surprisingly good. Still, the smoked trout with cream cheese was the one we both liked the best.
The scones were just perfect. One plain, one with fruit, served warm with clotted cream, strawberry jam and orange curd. I stuck to the classic combo of cream and jam, but Steve thought the orange curd was brilliant. With the Savoury Afternoon Tea, the scones were different. One was with squash and one was with cheddar and mustard, and instead of jam and cream, they came with a spread with pea, lemon and mint, and another with spinach and artichoke.
On the top tier of the Classic stand were a few small pastries. The Savoury stand came with little bites featuring lobster, crab, duck and lamb. My favorite among the sweets was the lemon meringue tart. On the savory side, the Dressed Lobster, Sauce Gribiche, served in what looked like an eggshell, stood out. It was delicious.
After the afternoon tea, we wandered through the food hall on the ground floor in the department store. Don’t skip it. The shelves are lined with beautifully packaged teas, jams, biscuits and chocolate, all so nicely presented you’ll want to buy everything.
Tips for Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason
What to order? The Classic Afternoon tea or The Savoury Afternoon Tea? If it’s your first visit and you’re going solo, go with the Classic Afternoon Tea so you don’t miss out on the scones with clotted cream and jam. If there are two or more of you going, it makes sense to get both menus and share.
Book ahead, especially if you’re going on a weekend. It’s one of the most popular places for afternoon tea in London, and even though the salon is spacious, weekend bookings fill up fast.
Come hungry. You can get refills of everything, so it’s worth making the most of it.
Read My Guide to Afternoon Tea >>
