The Best Places To Enjoy Afternoon Tea For Kids In London In 2023

Afternoon tea in London has traditionally been a rather grand affair at some of the most exclusive hotels in London. But the kids are getting in on the action and these days there are some fabulous places serving afternoon tea for kids in London.

If you’re looking for a memorable experience, then these children’s afternoon teas in London are ideal.

Before they even taste the food they will love the afternoon teas inspired by their favourite books like Alice in Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Peter Rabbit.

Or maybe they will prefer a sci-fi tea with a modern twist? They’re fun, colourful and above all, they’re super tasty! There really is something for everyone.

And in case you are wondering, afternoon tea for kids in London does not mean a drop in quality.

At each of these restaurants, the food is outstanding and there is an equally amazing adult version for you to enjoy.

London really is a great destination to visit with kids, either on a UK staycation or from further afield, and these fabulous afternoon tea offerings just made it a whole lot better!

If these afternoon teas seem quite pricey, here’s a list of free things to do in London (including some of the best London museums for kids and places in London where kids eat free) to balance it out.

Make sure to also check out some of these hidden gems in London and find out if the London Eye is really worth seeing.

We have a whole section on visiting London with kids if you are looking for more inspiration.

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Jurassic Afternoon tea for kids in London at the Ampersand Hotel.

London with kids

Before we list the best places in London for afternoon tea with kids, have you started planning your trip to London?

Here are some things we recommend for great family days out in London.

For meal times, take London themed colouring kits or another child friendly activity. We bring a card game like London Top Trumps or a London colouring book and pens just in case. We also love these kids’ travel guides to London, a London sticker book and things to spot in London book.

And if you’re looking for ideas of things to do in London with kids, we have recently discovered these London TreasureMapTrails. They are a really fun way to sightsee with kids and are great value. You can also get 10% off with code: FLASHPACKING.

We have a guide on free family-friendly things to do in London and you can get your tickets for the top London sights here:

London Eye.
Madame Tussauds – check our Madame Tussauds London review.
Shrek’s Adventure – check our Shrek’s Adventure review.
London Dungeon – check our London Dungeon review.
SEA LIFE.
Tower of London (see our tips for visiting the Tower of London with kids).

And whilst this may not be specifically aimed at kids, we recommend an afternoon tea cruise for something a little different. Kids will love sightseeing and enjoying afternoon tea at the same time.

These are the best places to have afternoon tea for kids in London..

Remember, these best child friendly afternoon teas in London are perfectly lovely for adults too!

Our top tip for choosing any one of these afternoon teas in London for kids? They are enormous, so you might want to consider whether you will need a dinner reservation in the evening if you made one!

The Langham

The Langham Afternoon Tea

The Palm Court at The Langham is one of the most child friendly restaurants in London.

For afternoon tea, they serve jigsaw shaped afternoon tea sandwiches and other goodies that are equally as appealing to the child’s eye.

If you’re looking for family-friendly hotels in London with pools, this could be the one for you.

Where: 1c Portland Place, Regent Street, London, W1B 1JA.
Menu: See the children’s afternoon tea menu here.
Price: £45.00 per person.

Want to book a room at The Langham? See here for the best rates.

Children’s Afternoon Tea at The Langham | Photo Credit: The Langham

One Aldwych

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Afternoon Tea

One Aldwych offers an enchanting afternoon tea inspired by one of Roald Dahl’s most famous books for children, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

There will be snozberry jam, chocolate snudge milkshakes, candy floss and some interesting flavour combinations.

Walking down the stairs into the dining area, the kids will no doubt spot the huge candy floss making machine. Try and guess the flavour of it. It’s tricky!

We tested their Charlie and the Chocolate Factory afternoon tea in 2022 and were blown away with both the service and the food.

Where: One Aldwych, 1 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BZ.
When: Wednesday to Friday (2pm – 4pm), Saturday and Sunday (12pm – 5pm).
Menu: See the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory menu here.
Price: £45 for children under 12 (£75 per adult).

Want to book a room at One Aldwych? See here for the best rates.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Afternoon Tea at One Aldwych | Photo Credit: One Aldwych

The Sanderson

Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea

The Alice in Wonderland afternoon tea at The Sanderson will delight any child.

From the menus disguised as vintage books to the enticing ‘Drink Me’ potions and all of the delicious treats in between, including caterpillars and mushrooms…

Where: 50 Berners Street, London, W1T 3NG.
When: Daily (12.00 – 4.00).
Menu: See the Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea menu here.
Price: £35 for children aged 4 – 11 (£48 per adult).

Want to book a room at The Sanderson? See here for the best rates.

Mad Hatters Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson | Photo Credit: The Sanderson

Claridge’s

Claridge’s Children’s Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea at Claridge’s is one of the more traditional high teas in London. A selection of sweet and savoury delights using seasonal British produce is served in the stunning Foyer & Reading Room.

If you’re visiting London at Christmas, they offer a festive afternoon tea menu (for a higher price) accompanied with festive Christmas carols.

Where: Claridge’s, Brook Street, London, W1K 4HR.
When: Daily from 2.45 to 5.30.
Menu: See the Claridge’s afternoon tea for kids menu here.
Price: £45.00 per child (£75.00 per adult for the Traditional Afternoon tea).

Want to book a room at Claridge’s? See here for the best rates.

Children’s Afternoon Tea at Claridges | Photo Credit: Claridges

Aqua at the Shard

Peter Pan Afternoon Tea

Savour delicious Peter Pan themed treats with a view from the 31st Floor restaurant.

The menu for this aafternoon tea for kids in London changes so keep an eye on their website. They have previously had Mary Poppins and Roald Dahl themed afternoon teas for kids.

The Shard is one of our top recommended attractions in London for kids if you are looking for fabulous views.

You can buy your Shard viewing tickets here.

Where: The Shard, 32 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9SG.
When: Thursday to Sunday (12.15pm to 4.15pm).
Menu: You can view the Peter Pan Afternoon tea menu here.
Price: £52.00 per person (£2.00 of which goes to Great Ormond Street Hospital).

Afternoon Tea at the Shard | Photo Credit: The Shard

The Savoy

Children’s Afternoon Tea at the Savoy

The Savoy Afternoon Tea dates back to 1889 when the hotel first opened. The Savoy is a very traditional hotel and naturally they offer a very traditional afternoon tea.

You’ll get traditional afternoon tea sandwiches and signature Savoy cakes all served in the beautifully light and airy Thames Foyer.

Occasionally they have a themed tea. The most recent has been The Tiger Who Came to Tea. They also offer a vegan afternoon tea.

Where: The Savoy, The Strand, London, WC2R 0EZ.
When: Monday to Tuesday (2pm to 7pm) and Wednesday to Sunday (12pm to 7pm).
Menu: You can view the Savoy afternoon tea menu here.
Price: £37.50 per child (from £75.00 per adult).

Want to book a room at The Savoy? See here for the best rates.

Children’s Afternoon Tea at The Savoy | Photo Credit: The Savoy

Brigit’s Bakery

Peppa Pig Afternoon Tea Bus Tour

Hop on an iconic red (Peppa Pig themed) London Routemaster bus for a 90-minute tour of some of the most famous sights in London whilst enjoying your Peppa Pig themed afternoon tea for kids.

Where: Departs from Somerset House.
When: Thursdays to Sundays – 12.15 / 14.45 / 17.30.
Price: From £35.00 per child (for ages 2+) and from £45.00 per adult.

If your kids aren’t into Peppa Pig, they have also recently launched a Paddington afternoon tea bus which runs Wednesday to Sunday at 13.45 and 17.30.

Another option for afternoon tea on a bus is this – Afternoon Tea Bus with Panoramic Tour of London.

The Lanesborough

Children’s Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea at the Lanesborough changes regularly and is currently offering a Bridgerton themed afternoon tea for kids.

This goes beautifully with the Meadow Afternoon tea for adults which is inspired by the flora of the Royal Parks surrounding the hotel.

Where: The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner, London, SW1X 7TA.
When: Monday to Friday (12.30pm – 4.30pm) and Saturday and Sunday (11.30am – 5.30 pm).
Price: £35.00 per child (£68.00 per adult).

Want to book a room at The Lanesborough? See here for the best rates.

Children’s Afternoon Tea at the Lanesborough | Photo Credit: The Lanesborough

The Ampersand Hotel

The Ampersand Hotel obviously couldn’t pick their favourite out of their famous neighbours (the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum) so they have created two themed afternoon teas!

There are vegetarian, vegan and gluten free variations on these teas too.

Our tip – if you like cocktails, you must try their themed cocktails (Tea Pot Tails) which is an add-on to the tea!

See here for the Sci-Fi themed cocktails and here for the Jurassic themed cocktails.

Science Afternoon Tea

The kids will love the jelly served in petri dishes and rocket shaped cheese straws served on a rocket shaped cake stand with dry ice coming out of the bottom.

Where: The Ampersand Hotel, 10 Harrington Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 3ER.
When: Monday to Friday (12.00pm to 6.30pm) and Sat & Sun (12.00pm to 7.30pm).
Price: £35.00 per child (£49.50 per adult excluding alcohol).
Menu: You can view the child’s Science Afternoon tea menu here.

Want to book a room at The Ampersand? See here for the best rates.

Kids’ Sci-Fi Afternoon Tea at The Ampersand Hotel | Photo Credit: The Ampersand

Jurassic Afternoon Tea

We tried out the Jurassic Afternoon tea at the Ampersand Hotel in December 2022 and were wowed at the selection of Jurassic themed treats.

The impressive T-Rex tea stand contained a huge selection of delicious dino bites.

The kids loved ‘excavating’ dino bones in the chocolate crumb dirt.

We absolutely loved this London afternoon tea for families. There was so much, we had to request a doggy bag!

Where: The Ampersand Hotel, 10 Harrington Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 3ER.
When: Monday to Sunday (12.00pm to 5.30pm).
Price: £35.00 per child (from £49.50 per adult excluding alcohol).
Menu: You can view the child’s Jurassic Afternoon tea menu here.

Want to book a room at The Ampersand? See here for the best rates.

The Chesterfield Mayfair

The Chesterfield Afternoon Tea

The kids will literally be like a kid in a sweetshop here where you have the choice of either The Original Sweetshop Afternoon Tea or the Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea (perfect if you’re visiting London at Christmas with the kids).

According to the kids, this would be their first choice for a child friendly afternoon tea in London.

Where: The Chesterfield, Mayfair, 35 Charles Street, London, W1J 5EB.
When: Daily (12.30pm to 5.30pm).
Price: £21.50 per child (£40.00 per adult).

Want to book a room at The Chesterfield? See here for the best rates.

The Original Sweetshop Afternoon Tea at The Chesterfield | Photo Credit: The Chesterfield

Wands & Wizard Exploratorium

Wizard Afternoon Tea

If you have a Harry Potter fan in your family, then you must try the magical themed afternoon tea at Wands & Wizard Exploratorium in SoHo.

We were invited to try the experience and the kids declared it one of the most fun things they have done in London!

The food is delicious, but the kids will really love the chance to unlock secret compartments in the tea chest with their magic wand and change the colour and taste of their teas with magic potions.

For the interactive tea experience, you can borrow a wand or try out the wand making experience to make your own.

This Harry Potter themed afternoon tea experience is bound to bring out the inner wizard in your child.

Where: Wands & Wizard Exploratorium, 26 Greek Street, Soho, London, W1D 5DE.
When: Wednesday to Sunday through the school holidays and Friday to Sunday at other times. Sessions last 1 hour 45 minutes in slots from 11.45 am – 6.30 pm.
Price: £19.00 per child (11 and under) and £35.00 per adult.

And one final bonus place for Harry Potter fans the Harry Potter afternoon tea at Cutter & Squidge. It’s a must if you want to try all the Harry Potter experiences in London.

Fortnum & Mason

Fortnum and Mason Afternoon Tea

Fortnum & Mason offer a very traditional tea with finger sandwiches, scones and tea cakes. They also offer a vegan menu.

Where: Fourth Floor, Fortnum & Mason, 181 Piccadilly, London, W1A 1ER.
When: Monday to Saturday (11.30 am to 7.00 pm) and Sunday (12.00pm to 6.00 pm).
Price: Children’s menu is £30.00 for children aged 4-10 (£60.00 per adult).