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London Afternoon Tea at the Hilton Park Lane Review

Are you wondering if you should book an afternoon Tea at the Hilton Park Lane in London? Then I have the answer for you!

My husband and I have recently booked a fabulous high tea setting at the Hilton Park Lane in London.

If you are still unsure, whether the Hilton Park Lane in London is the perfect spot for your high tea arrangement, keep on reading!

I have written an in-depth review of my afternoon tea in the Hilton Park Lane in London in this post.

Let’s get to it!

london towerbridge at sunset

Table of Contents

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The Tradition of Afternoon Tea in London

Traditional English Afternoon Tea is a light meal typically eaten between 15:00 and 17:00 in the afternoon.

In the original sense of the term afternoon tea was served with small sandwiches, pastries and thinly sliced bread with butter. Nowadays you can find an afternoon tea arrangement all over London, typically served in hotels or cafes.

Outside of England, the tea arrangement is often referred to as High Tea, because the pastries are mostly served on a small tower.

Historically, the term High Tea was mostly used for the evening meal, served between 17:00 and 19:00 pm.

Nowadays, you can find high tea or afternoon tea arrangements all over London.

We have tasted our way through London in search of the best afternoon tea and I am convinced to have found it at the Hilton Park Lane.

Afternoon Tea at Hilton Park Lane London – Review

The restaurant Podium at the Hilton Park Lane Hotel in London serves a delicious afternoon tea, consisting of typical seasonal delights. For special occasions, like Valentine’s Day or Easter, they serve a themed tea arrangement.

We have booked our appointment with a website called Afternoon Tea.

Upon our arrival at the hotel, we were greeted friendly and shown our seats by super friendly staff.

From the Podium restaurant, you have a nice view over the park. We were lucky enough to snatch a window seat.

The Afternoon Tea at the Hilton Park Lane in London consists of a plate with little sandwiches, two tea blends per person and a high tea arrangement.

The Afternoon Tea Menu

We were allowed to choose two different tea blends each that would be served in a typical English manner. We got a small hourglass and a china set so we could pour the tea ourselves.

I opted for the Vanilla Chi and the Lapsang Souchon, while my husband tried the Masala Chai and the Red Velvet teas.

As a first course, we were served delightful little sandwiches, with egg salad, tuna, cucumber and many others. Our favorite was the coronation chicken (that is also the former Queens favorite, I have heard) and pineapple sandwich.

The sandwiches tasted amazing and we were offered to order more of our favorites free of charge.

The High Tea Arrangement

After a small break, we were presented with a stunning Ferris wheel filled with delicious pastries, scones, and cornish clotted cream.

We tasted our way through three types of scones: plain, raisin, and chocolate chip. Of course we enjoyed the typical cornish clotted cream and a caramel spread as well as strawberry jam.

Finally, we tried the most divine pastry selection I have ever seen. A roasted Pistacchio Choux Bun was followed by a lemon zest cheesecake, an apple crumble macaroon as well as a traditional flan.

Alongside our pastry selection, we ordered a glass of Pommery Brut Royale. You can opt in for Champagne Afternoon Tea at the beginning of the setting. Ever since our trip to Champagne, we are huge fans of the sparkling wine.

While we were offered to order extra pastries free of charge as well we sadly had to decline the offer, since the original afternoon tea arrangement was already more than enough for two people.

How Much Does Afternoon Tea at the Hilton Park Lane Cost?

The cost of the afternoon tea in London , including one glass of champagne, was 49 Pounds.

We have been more than satisfied with the setting and thought it was definitely worth the money. It basically satisfied us for lunch and dinner because the amount of food was so big.

I suggest checking the seasonal menu and the hotels website for bookings and the latest prices.

What to Wear to Afternoon Tea in London?

If you are, like me and wondering what to wear to afternoon tea in London, you don’t need to worry.

In most cafes the setting is super casual and most people simply wear their normal street clothes.

If you are doing your high tea arrangement in a hotel (like we did) I suggest dressing a little less casual than you usually would. Smart-casual would probably be an appropriate dress code.

However, I did not feel like it was very strict either and many people were not dressed too nicely at all.

Conclusion: Afternoon Tea at the Hilton Park Lane London

To sum it up, the afternoon tea at the Hilton Park Lane was everything we ever dreamed of.

The food was absolutely delicious and you could order more free of charge. The portions were sizable and the staff was super friendly.

There is nothing I did not love about our afternoon tea experience.

If you want to have the experience, but are a bit on a budget, I suggest checking our my favorite cafes in London. They serve afternoon tea as well, at a bit of a lower price point.

A great spot for afternoon tea is Mount St. Michael in Cornwall.

blonde girl pink dress in front of blue door santorini

About the Author

Sabrina is a passionate travel blogger and content creator, based in New Mexico. She spends about half the year traveling to various destinations with her husband.

She provides slow-paced itineraries that focus on quality over quantity. Sabrina wants to help her readers to get more out of their travel experiences – while doing less. Read more.