LANGHAM | AFTERNOON TEA

by dailykongfidence

When in London, you have to do tea. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve done tea before, tea in London is an absolute must. While afternoon tea spots are plentiful in London, there was no question where we would go for our quintessential British tea experience – the one and only Langham London hotel in the Palm Court.

The Palm Court at the Langham is the birthplace of Afternoon Tea, where the tradition of tea started over 150 years ago. The Palm Court has served tea to the elite of London and continues this elegant culture for their delighted guests.

Reservations for our High Tea with Wedgwood experience were made well in advance to ensure we would be able to enjoy this experience. Before we even proceeded to the Palm Court we could hear the piano playing softly in the background. As we entered, our eyes immediately fell upon the center of the room and the beautifully tufted booth. Large mirrors and crystal chandeliers brighten up the space as the soft, dusty rose wallpaper with gold embellishments and white and grey chairs add a feminine and elegant touch. Wedgwood “Langham Rose” teaware is meticulously placed on the tables with a towering cake tier waiting to be filled with scrumptious sandwiches and artful desserts.

As we walked to our table, my children shrieked in delight to see three Hamleys stuffed teddy bears with bright red bows and colored pencils at each place setting. Child friendly menus describing Jigsaw Sandwiches and farm animal pastries such as Pedro Pig, Billy Bee, Lily the Ladybird, and Cecil the Sheep intrigued the little guests in anticipation of what was to come.

My husband and I opted for the High Tea menu which includes a glass of Pierre-Jouet Grand Brut NV champagne. The tea sommelier was not only knowledgeable about the 30 different tea blends, but also helpful in suggesting which teas would complement our sandwiches as well as our desserts. Included in our High Tea with Wedgwood menu was a choice of small entree to accompany our tea experience. I opted for the crab and avocado bite while my husband went with the —.

/ Specialty Sandwiches /

Burford Brown egg salad
Classic English cucumber
Beef Pastrami
Scottish smoked salmon
Classic prawn cocktail

/ Scones with Cornish clotted cream & Strawberry preserves /

/ Exquisite Pastries /
Paris Brest – Crunchy choux pastry, lightened pecan cream and caramelised pecans
Babalicious – Blackcurrant and star anise baba, Jivara whipped ganache, crunchy pearls
Rikakaka – Crunchy sable, tonka and orange cream, fresh cherries
Spherically Challenged – Creamy coconut, liquid raspberry and Manjari mousse
One in a Million – Caramelised puff pastry, vanilla infused mascarpone, strawberry coulis

With all of these delightful food we were beyond stuffed by the end of our two and a half hour Afternoon Tea experience. A delightful surprise that I hadn’t experienced before in all of my Afternoon Teas was the changing of our tea selection from the sandwiches to the desserts. It goes to show that the tea sommeliers really appreciate their teas and pairings with food. What I loved most about the experience was the ambiance of The Palm Court. With three children you always worry if they are being too loud or if they could sit through a two hour meal, but the background music along with the festive ambiance of the Palm Court made for such an enjoyable experience for the entire family.

/ High Tea Prices /
£57 per person
£67 glass of Perrier-Jouët Grand Brut NV champagne
£72 glass of Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé NV champagne

£27.50 per child (12 and under)

And if you ever do Afternoon Tea in London, here are some basic Tea Etiquette Tips to brush up on:

1. The Langham’s Tea Director recommends a brewing time of 2-4 minutes dependent on the type of tea and to use 1 tea bag or 1 rounded teaspoon of loose tea for each cup to be served.

2. Tea is poured first as it was done in the Victorian era, then milk. Pouring tea first allows for the milk to be added at the perfect quantity to suit the drinkers taste.

3. Contrary to popular belief, the pinkie finger should not be extended but should rest by curving gently back towards your wrist.

4. When stirring your tea, refrain from clinking the sides of your cup.

5. The spout of the teapot and the tea kettle faces the hostess or pourer.

6. Under no circumstances dunk any item into your tea. Dunking is a huge social faux-pas.

7. When serving lemon with tea it is correct to use slices and not wedges. It is best to provide a lemon fork to place a slice of lemon in the tea cup after the tea has been poured. Never add milk to a cup of lemon tea. The citric acid in the lemon will make the milk curdle.

8. Tea sandwiches should be served with crusts cut off.

9. Clotted cream spread on the scone first then jam, or vice versa? Either is acceptable, the Devonian method is to place the cream onto the half-scone first, allowing it to begin soaking into the scone. The Cornish method is the reverse.

If a trip to London is in your near future, I highly recommend doing the Afternoon Tea experience at the Langham. Nowhere else will you get the ambiance, service, and comfortable elegance as you do here.

Langham London
1c Portland Place
Regent Street, London
GB W1B 1JA
44 (20) 7636 1000
reservations@palm-court.co.uk

Thank you to the Langham London for the lovely, authentic Afternoon Tea experience and for the adorable Hamleys bears that have become a permanent fixture on our kids’ beds.

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39 comments

Mariann Yip October 19, 2017 - 8:35 am

I can’t even start to express how much I love tea. My mom and I always visit a bakery on Sunday afternoon and we like to order tea and some pastries to go with it. The palm court looks like a great place to enjoy yourself and I’m so glad you shared this because I will definitely be checking it out the next time I’m in London!

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dailykongfidence October 19, 2017 - 3:46 pm

There’s just something magical and lovely about Afternoon Tea, isn’t there? How cute that you go with your mom on Sundays to enjoy tea! The Palm Court is such a beautiful place and has a great ambiance to it. Definitely check it out when you are in London!

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Adi October 19, 2017 - 4:43 pm

Wow! Looks like the perfect place for tea! Good food, live music, child-friendly, and it’s where the tradition began!!
Adi xx
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dailykongfidence October 20, 2017 - 5:03 pm

It really is! The ambiance and decor are everything!

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Mercy October 19, 2017 - 4:47 pm

I love high tea, yes I will definitely have one when I set foot in London. Very elegant place and child friendly too. Nice review and photos.

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dailykongfidence October 20, 2017 - 5:04 pm

Thank you Mercy. High tea is just so elegant and fun and if you do it in London it has to be at the Langham.

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Gracie October 19, 2017 - 6:54 pm

Oh my gosh, I just stayed at the Langham in April. It is pretty amazing – I loved it so I know what you are talking about. Everyone should be able to experience the stay there.

Xxgracie

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dailykongfidence October 20, 2017 - 5:04 pm

So you know first hand how amazing it is there. The Palm Court is so chic yet comfortable and the perfect venue to enjoy company, music and tea!

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Elizabeth October 19, 2017 - 9:58 pm

I’d love to have tea in London! <3 I feel like London, and Europe in general, really values tea time 🙂 I can definitely get used to that kind of tradition! Loving all of these lovely photos, and all of the kids' menu items are adorable!

XO, Elizabeth
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dailykongfidence October 20, 2017 - 5:06 pm

They do value tea time and just taking a moment to enjoy food and company. The Langham really sets the mood for high tea and I love all the small touches they add to make the experience so special.

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Katya October 20, 2017 - 8:01 pm

Wow, this place looks elegant and so classy. With the piano playing and sipping a cup of tea, yes! Life is good. I am glad to see your family enjoyed your stay.

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Bernice October 20, 2017 - 9:33 pm

The Langham High area looks truly so opulent, and a perfect way to spend an afternoon with friends, family, and even as a romantic date. The childrens pastries are so adorable and the extra touch of having teddies definitely sounds perfect for your kids!

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Joling October 21, 2017 - 4:22 pm

What a gorgeous place! Thanks for sharing your experience. We need to visit Langham and enjoy the Afternoon Tea when we visit our family and friends in London.

xo, Joling
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Nina Nguyen October 22, 2017 - 4:05 pm

OMG this place is so beautiful!! I have still yet go to high tea, I need to go asap!! Thanks for sharing your experience babe!
xx- Nina

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Filipa October 22, 2017 - 5:07 pm

This is such a beautiful and classy place

Filipa xxx
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Rubi October 22, 2017 - 5:19 pm

Oh this afternoon tea looks so divine! Great photos!
xx Rubi
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Jessie October 22, 2017 - 7:14 pm

OMG Langham in London looks jaw-droppingly luxury and glamorous. All the flowers are perfect arranged, and all the marbles are so stunning. I personally not a big fan of high-tea because I don’t eat anything sweet, but your high-tea photos are actually making me drooling. Everything is so perfectly and delicately made, and those animal pastries are beyond the state of art!! I would rather put them on a display at home than eating them =) Love your luxury travel dairies Christine!

xx, Jessie
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Eena October 22, 2017 - 9:28 pm

Oh how cool! There’s actually a Langham in the city next to me from me. Langham hotels are absolutely beautiful.

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Simone October 23, 2017 - 4:40 am

OMG this place looks so fantastic! Everything looks so delicious and my kids would love to be there too. I really need to visit London anytime soon! Have a great day

xx Simone
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sophie October 23, 2017 - 5:58 am

What a beautiful place .My goodness the pictures and Gosh those cups.This is all beauty.
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Thomas Falkenstedt October 23, 2017 - 5:59 am

For someone like me who doesn’t drink coffee, I truly appreciate tea sommeliers who know what they’re doing. That’s also why I love myself a good afternoon tea in London where they truly know the art of it. When looking at the menu at Langham I kind of wanted to go for the kids menu at first, but then I saw the scones with the Cornish clotted cream and knew I’d love it. I’ll be back in London on Wednesday and will make it a priority to visit Langham London as I’ve never been there for tea before. Thanks for the lovely tip! 🙂
Thomas xx

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Samantha Mariko October 23, 2017 - 7:25 am

This was such an informative post, especially about the correct way of drinking afternoon tea! Langham London looks like a great place to experience a high-quality afternoon tea, and I love how the kids also got cute dessert plates to enjoy! Such a beautiful salon<3
xo Samantha

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Sharon Wu October 23, 2017 - 8:40 am

Ahhh it’s been so long since I’ve had the chance to enjoy afternoon tea. In fact I think the last time was when I was in college which was over 5 years ago! Time flies. I first saw the gorgeous interior of this place on your Instagram and fell in love! It’s breathtaking and I could totally see myself having afternoon tea all day there. Looks like you and your family had a nice little getaway here and the desserts look delish!! 🙂 Next time I visit London I know where I’m staying 😉 xo, sharon

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Falasha October 23, 2017 - 12:39 pm

This looks gorgeous, You are giving me an entire lust list for when I am in London this December. Your daughter has the same beauty and regality as you in these photos. Too perfect!

xoxo Falasha
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Amy October 23, 2017 - 7:49 pm

Afternoon tea is one of my favorites! No better place to do it than in London – the Langham truly looks like the perfect place to do it! So glad you and the kiddos had so much fun. It’s such a great mother-daughter date too! Your trip looked absolutely amazing from start to finish. Hope you have a beautiful week, Christine!

xx, Amy
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marcy October 24, 2017 - 12:55 am

If I visit London this is the first thing I have on my list lol!! Definitely couldn’t agree more that afternoon tea is a must! Looks like the Langham is such great place to do it. Im sure you and your kids really enjoyed this. And how cute are the cake shapes too adorable and very instagramable lol

xoxo
Marcy

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Jenn October 24, 2017 - 9:46 am

Once again, stunning photos! This place is beautiful! I’ve been to Langham for their afternoon tea in Pasadena, and my mom and I loved it. I can imagine the London location exceeding my expectations. Thank you for the useful etiquette tips! I’ll definitely make time for tea at Langham when I travel to London!

Simply,
Jenn | http://www.lepetittato.com/

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Jessi Malay October 24, 2017 - 1:45 pm

That venue looks so elegant and the food looks so cute! I need to have a girl’s day trip there!

XO, Jessi
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Danielle @ Follow My Gut October 24, 2017 - 2:44 pm

I’m not the biggest cheerleader for afternoon/high tea but looking at your pictures and the fact that you had tea so close to the queen of England (presumably) it definitely makes me want to reconsider. And those cute items with the little pig are just TOOOO adorable!!!

Danielle | FollowMyGut.com <3

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Lindsey October 24, 2017 - 5:47 pm

I have always wanted to experience an afternoon tea! The Palm Court is such a stunning place and with rich history. How wonderful that they change your teas throughout your meal too (30 teas available! Crazy!). I’ve never been to London, but definitely bookmarking this as a must-visit (and to refer to tea etiquette)! Also loved the photo of your daughter chowing down on your tea sandwich in her pretty dress :p

Lindsey
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Jenn Hanft October 24, 2017 - 6:49 pm

I’ve only been to high tea twice in my life and that was in Hong Kong! I didn’t realize that there are so many other places that do it too! I’d love to visit London again sometime soon! It would be so cool to try Langham’s afternoon tea there! Everything looks so scrumptious and the interior decor is breathtaking! And omg kid’s afternoon tea?! So adorable! Glad you all had fun <3

With love, Jenn
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maryam October 24, 2017 - 9:15 pm

This is exactly what I imagine I would do when I visit London. The place is so chic and so British. Its perfect!

xx, Maryam
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sophi clickn October 24, 2017 - 10:36 pm

this was adorable..! waoooo….. this place is realy gorgeous.. foods are incredible yammi..! love it
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Corina October 25, 2017 - 3:35 am

What a beautiful location! It looks so chic!

xo Corina
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Camille October 25, 2017 - 5:39 am

Great post, thanks for sharing! This looks like an amazing afternoon tea experience!

Camille xo

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Jo October 25, 2017 - 1:30 pm

That’s so sweet of the Langham to give your kids little Teddy Bears! Their attention to detail and service is impeccable. Now that’s the way to do afternoon tea!

xo, Jo

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Rachel Vogt October 25, 2017 - 4:18 pm

OMG how cute is this place, I want to go there for tea? Your daughter is just so cute.
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Jessica October 26, 2017 - 6:30 pm

Both the tea and the food look amazing! Your family is adorable too!

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Layla November 12, 2017 - 6:33 am

This is such a gorgeous post – everything looks absolutely stunning!!

Layla xx

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