London: Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason – The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon

On our last trip to London, Steve and I had afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason. The legendary Piccadilly department store, known for fine foods, teas and luxury goods, has been around since 1707 and is famous for its classic afternoon tea, served in the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon. The salon 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 very British kind of elegance that made us wish we’d dressed a little nicer.

We ordered one Classic Afternoon Tea and one Savoury Afternoon Tea so we could share and try a bit of everything. Each menu comes with a full pot of tea, and with a tea list that reads like a novel, it can be hard to choose. Our server 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 on both menus. 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 best.

The scones were, unsurprisingly, perfect. One plain, one with fruit, served warm with clotted cream, strawberry preserve 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 with squash and one with cheddar and mustard — and instead of jam and cream, they came with a pea, lemon and mint spread, and another with spinach and artichoke.

On the top tier of the Classic stand were a few small pastries, and 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.

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 >>

The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, 4th Floor, Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, London W1A 1ER, United Kingdom