By Donna Richardson
A grand London institution, a suitably regal setting and a tea service that understands the importance of ceremony. But does Fortnum & Mason still deliver the perfect afternoon tea?
Some London experiences come with expectations already attached. Afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason is one of them.
Mention the name and the imagery comes almost automatically: polished silver, delicate china, tiered cake stands, clotted cream, a perfectly poured cup of tea and, somewhere in the background, the faint suggestion of royalty.
The risk for a traditional institution is that ceremonies can become hollow performances. Fortunately, our visit to the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon showed that Fortnum & Mason, despite its high prices and reputation, knows how to make afternoon tea feel special..
A grand entrance
The experience begins long before the first sandwich arrives.
Entering Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly is to enter a world deliberately removed from ordinary retail. Everything feels considered, from the immaculate displays to the succession of beautifully presented departments. We made our way upwards via the red-carpeted staircase, pausing to admire the goods on each level before continuing towards the top floor.
There, the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon awaits.
The gentle music of a pianist immediately softened the atmosphere. Despite the grandeur, there was no sense of stiffness or intimidation. We were greeted warmly and shown to our table, where the theatrical element of the afternoon began in earnest.
Our tea sommelier presented us with a bottle of Platinum Jubilee Blanc de Blancs and two glasses before producing two crimson menus, decorated with gold lettering. One contained the teas; the other, the food.
It was an impressive opening act.
Tea, tradition and a little royal history
Fortnum & Mason has something many restaurants would spend fortunes trying to manufacture: genuine history.
Founded in 1707, the company has long been associated with fine food, tea and royal patronage. Its relationship with the British monarchy is not merely a marketing device but part of the fabric of the business.
The tea menu embraces that heritage, offering a fascinating glimpse into the company’s history and its long association with British tea culture.
Choosing a tea therefore feels less like selecting a beverage and more like selecting a small piece of Fortnum’s history.
I eventually settled on the Queen Anne blend, a strong and smooth tea that proved particularly satisfying. My partner chose Wedding Breakfast, created to commemorate the wedding of William and Kate. A blend of Assam and Kenyan teas, it was rich, aromatic and remarkably approachable.
Neither disappointed.
Indeed, there is something reassuring about drinking a properly brewed pot of tea in a room where tea is treated with such seriousness. The temptation in an afternoon-tea setting is to regard the tea as a supporting actor. Here, it remains very much part of the performance.
The sandwiches: tradition with a few surprises
Then the food arrived.
The traditional three-tiered stand is an object of some beauty, although its contents matter rather more than its appearance.
The savoury course included London smoked salmon blini, Coronation chicken, egg mayonnaise, cured ham, and cucumber with minted pea cream cheese. There was enough familiarity to satisfy traditionalists, while the more inventive offerings — including salmon éclairs and duck mousse — prevented proceedings from becoming predictable.
The Coronation chicken was particularly appropriate: a dish with its own royal associations served in a restaurant whose identity is so closely intertwined with the monarchy.
Yet the savoury course, while accomplished, never quite eclipsed what followed.
In praise of the scone
The scone remains the great test of an afternoon tea.
Get it wrong and no amount of gilded crockery can save the experience. Get it right and the rest suddenly seems considerably less important.
Fortnum & Mason gets it right.
The sweet scones were the highlight of the meal for me: delicate enough to avoid heaviness but substantial enough to provide the necessary foundation for an indulgent helping of clotted cream and champagne jam.
The combination was difficult to fault.
The savoury Cropwell Bishop Stilton scones, served with cream cheese and redcurrant jam, were an altogether different proposition. The Stilton brought a savoury sharpness that worked beautifully against the sweetness of the redcurrant.
They were an unexpected favourite.
Pâtisserie with personality
The pâtisserie selection was more playful than the traditional sandwiches and provided plenty of variety.
The selection offered an appealing mix of sweet and savoury creations, with salmon éclairs and duck mousse among the more adventurous offerings.
Technically, the savoury pâtisserie was perhaps the more interesting part of the selection. But interesting is not always irresistible.
For me, the sweeter creations won the contest.
Something about afternoon tea encourages a surrender to one’s sweet tooth. Perhaps it is the setting; perhaps it is the tiny portions; perhaps it is simply the knowledge that you are allowed, for one afternoon at least, to eat cake in the middle of the day and regard it as culture.
Whatever the reason, I found myself returning repeatedly to the sweet selection.
The children’s tea steals the show
For all the sophistication of the adult experience, our daughter arguably embraced the spirit of afternoon tea most completely.
Her children’s tea included ham sandwiches, scones and an assortment of cakes designed to appeal to a much younger audience, with wonderfully playful names such as ‘Chocolate Dog Paw’, ‘Toadstool’ and ‘Frog Cake’.
The presentation clearly delighted her, but the hot chocolate was the undisputed star.
Watching her pour it carefully into a delicate china teacup was one of those small moments that explains why experiences such as this matter to families. She has always enjoyed staging elaborate tea parties with her teddies; here, she was suddenly living out the fantasy in one of London’s most celebrated tea rooms.
The staff also deserve credit. Rather than treating the children’s menu as an afterthought, they made her feel like a proper guest.
Service without the stiffness
For an experience at this price point, service has to be more than efficient. It has to justify the sense of occasion.
Fortunately, the service was attentive without becoming overbearing. Our tea was monitored, our plates were replenished with favourite items and we were never made to feel hurried.
That last point is particularly important.
Afternoon tea should not feel like a restaurant table being turned over between sittings. It is supposed to encourage lingering — conversation, people-watching, another cup of tea, perhaps another scone.
Fortnum & Mason understands this.
The service allowed the afternoon to unfold rather than pushing it along.
Is it worth £75?
At £75 per adult and £30 for children, this is unquestionably a luxury experience.
There are cheaper afternoon teas in London. There are also excellent ones. The question, therefore, is not whether you can find afternoon tea for less money. You can.
The question is what you are paying for here.
Part of the answer is the food, which is very good. Part is the tea, which is excellent. Part is the service, which is polished. But a significant proportion is the setting and the heritage.
You are paying for the privilege of spending an afternoon inside one of Britain’s most recognisable luxury institutions, in a room whose very name carries royal associations.
For a casual Sunday lunch, the price would be difficult to justify.
For a birthday, anniversary, family celebration or once-in-a-lifetime London visit, the equation changes considerably.
The verdict
Fortnum & Mason’s Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon is an experience built around ceremony, and for the most part, it delivers it with confidence. The surroundings are suitably grand, the service polished and the afternoon tea itself more than capable of living up to the setting.
At £75 per adult and £30 for children, it is undeniably a special-occasion indulgence rather than an everyday treat. But for a birthday, anniversary or memorable family day in London, the sense of occasion goes a long way towards justifying the price.
What stayed with us most was not any single dish, but the feeling of having shared something genuinely memorable as a family. Our daughter’s delight at having her own china cup and children’s tea was every bit as important as the champagne, fine tea and elaborate pâtisserie.
Fortnum & Mason understands that the best afternoon teas are not simply about eating. They are about slowing down, dressing up and allowing yourself to enjoy a little theatre.
The perfect choice for: a special family celebration or a quintessentially British London experience.
The one thing to order: the sweet scones with champagne jam and clotted cream.
Would we return? Without hesitation.
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