My family travels a lot and we have learned that food is a huge part of experiencing a new culture, which is why we were excited to find the best afternoon tea for kids in London. We have a list of teas that we can’t wait to try the next time we go to London, and we want to show it to you. In this article, you will learn about some of the best themed experiences in London for young children. If you love the idea of having a classic afternoon tea near Hyde Park, then some of these teas could be for you. Embrace the British tradition and try some tea in a luxury hotel, be it the Ampersand, One Aldwich, or the Sanderson’s tea rooms. Check out the best afternoon teas in London, all filled with fun activities.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Tea
First on the list is the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory themed afternoon tea. The Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tea at One Aldwich, based off of Roald Dahl’s famous book, might be the best themed afternoon tea in London. When you walk in, there is a short flight of stairs down onto a colorful middle level with red, pink and purple pipes filled with decorative pink bubbles. It’s a great spot for a photo!
To your left, behind the check in desk, there are tons of ornate glass jars filled with colorful candies. Then you will be checked in and led down another set of stairs and seated at your table or at one of the booths on the edges of the room. The menu is two delicious courses: savories first and then sweet treats. There are many tea options and even some fizzy drinks. On the kids menu, there is an option of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and sprinkles (my favorite of the drinks). The first course was four mini, savoury sandwiches: ham and cheese, celery and cream cheese, egg salad and cheese. I really enjoyed the egg salad sandwich and the ham and cheese sandwich.
Mom and Dad got four different sandwiches, a coronation chicken, a salmon and dill with saffron mayonnaise, an egg, mayo and watercress sandwich, a spinach roly-poly, plus a beetroot macaroon. For the second course, we each got a big wooden box that had fabulous fluffy floss (cotton candy) inside and a couple other, smaller, treats. Me and Mom got the same thing: one stick of fabulous fluffy floss, one tiny milkshake, some scones with snozzberry jam, toffee flavored mousse and a “Scrumptious raspberry and rose sweet” along with a fizzy strawberry drink. I don’t really like fizzy drinks, but that one’s flavor was good enough to make me drink it. They were very nice and they changed up some of the food for James and Dad, working wonderfully around their allergies. It is open Wednesday to Friday from 12pm to 3pm and on the Weekends from 12pm to 4:30pm. It costs 50 gbp for each kid and 70 for the adults. Adults can also add a cocktail of Germillet champagne for a total of 85 gbp.
Peter Pan Afternoon Tea
Another great children’s afternoon tea is found on 31 Thomas Street; the Peter Pan afternoon tea. This afternoon tea experience is held on the 31st floor of the Aqua Shard, the tallest building in London. The menu consists of four courses: a selection of savoury treats, classic finger sandwiches, scones and a couple of sweet treats. One of the sandwiches is chicken and bacon wrapped in paper showing the four lost boy rules in honor of the Lost Boys. The menu is also a map showing Peter Pan’s adventures. A fun little twist is that some of the scrumptious treats are served on a tea stand meant to resemble the Jolly Roger, Caption Hook’s pirate ship. Tea is served everyday from 12pm to 3:15pm. The price per person is 70 gbp (or 55 gbp for kids under 12) with the option of adding a glass of champagne for 20 more pounds (Pommery Brut Royal). For a special occasion, there is also the option of adding a glass of Veuve Clicquot Rosé for an additional 27 gbp. Tea is served Monday-Friday from 12:00pm to 2:30pm and from 10:30am to 3:00 on Saturday and Sunday.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to try this tea, because they were unable to accommodate my dad’s gluten allergy. For such an upscale restaurant, this was a disappointment.
Science Tea at the Ampersand Hotel
One of two themed afternoon teas at the Ampersand Hotel is the Science Tea. My favorite part of the science afternoon tea is that it is very hands-on and fully interactive.
James’ and my drinks came in separate test tubes and we got to mix them together and fine-tune the flavors to perfection. Some of the chocolates included in the tea were shaped like planets or even astronauts. The attendants came and poured a mixture that looked like liquid cloud on some dry ice that had been sitting in a container on our rocket-shaped food stand.
When the liquid cloud and the dry ice met, they bubbled and smoked like we were on an alien planet. I have never seen a cooler science experiment than the reaction of the ice to the cloud mixture. It amazed me when I was eight and even now, looking at videos from when we went there, it is still so cool. The science tea is super fun for any kid from the age of four to twelve. I would recommend this tea over the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tea because the chocolate factory tea lacks a complete and clear theme. Yes, I could picture the food having been made by Willy Wonka himself, but there was no chocolate waterfall, river or even fountain. Who can have a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory themed tea without a chocolate waterfall? Plus, the oompa-loompas were missing!
The science tea obviously picked an easier theme, but I think they did a better job with their theme than the chocolate factory afternoon tea. The dry ice effect really added to the overall magic feel of the place. Since the Ampersand Hotel is is in South Kensington, it is right next to the science museum, which could be a fun little trip. First, you could explore the neighbouring science museum and then grab some tea and a snack at the Ampersand Hotel. Tea is served Monday through Sunday from 12:00pm to 6:30pm and it costs 39.50 gbp per child. As for the adults, a regular reservation costs 59.50 gbp or an additional ten pounds for a glass of Wild Idol sparkling rosé or Tea Pot Tails. To add a glass of Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut or Tea Pot Tails it would cost you a total of 74.50 gbp. Or, if none of the above would please you, you can add a glass of Charles Hiedsieck Champagne rosé for a total of 79.50 gbp.
Jurassic Afternoon Tea at the Ampersand Hotel
Another fun tea at the Ampersand Hotel, is the jurassic afternoon tea. It is not exactly a traditional afternoon tea, but it is a one of the best places to stop for tea with the whole family. The Ampersand Hotel does a good job with allergies and both this tea and the science tea have multiple special menus. The main menu of this kid-friendly afternoon tea includes homemade scones (white chocolate and cranberry) and, on the kids menu, jam sandwiches and hot dogs are offered. Your taste buds are in for a treat! One very cool feature is that both kids and adults can get a box filled with chocolate “soil” and use a brush to uncover some delicious treats, just like a paleontologist. Along with the science tea, this child-friendly afternoon tea is located at the Ampersand Hotel, which is located in South Kensington and very close to the Museum of Natural History and the Science Museum. Tea is served Monday through Sunday from 12:00pm To 6:30pm and it costs 39.50 gbp per child. As for the adults, a regular reservation costs 59.50 gbp or an additional ten pounds for a glass of Wild Idol sparkling rosé or Tea Pot Tails. To add a glass of Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut or Tea Pot Tails, it would cost you a total of 74.50 gbp. Or, if none of the above would please you, you can add a glass of Charles Hiedsieck Champagne rosé for a total of 79.50 gbp.
Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea
And last but definitely not least is the Mad Hatter’s afternoon tea. This afternoon tea, served at the Sanderson hotel, will take you down a rabbit hole. They have vegan and gluten-free options and the main menu includes a selection of scrumptious sandwiches, one of which is the Cheshire Cat sandwich (No Cheshire Cats were harmed in the making of this product (: ). A children’s menu is also served for kids ages 4-11. There are four teas that are named after characters; the Alice tea (of course), the Cheshire Cat (again, no Cheshire Cats were harmed), the Queen of Hearts and the White Rabbit tea, but there are other traditional teas too. The Queen of Hearts also has her own pastry, and the food is served on themed china. It costs 35 gbp for kids 6-11 and 55 gbp for a regular adult reservation. Add-ons include a glass of Wild Idol (non-alcoholic sparkling wine) for a total of 69 gbp and a glass of Perrier Jouët Brut champagne for a total of 76 gbp. Or for 78 gbp, your reservation can include a glass of Perrier Jouët Rosé champagne.
My Recommendations
Any of these five teas is a great place to go for an afternoon filled with snozzberry jam along with other savory treats. I haven’t been to the Jurassic tea, Madd Hatter’s tea or the Peter Pan tea, but of the five teas we listed, the teas at the Ampersand (Science and Jurassic) seem the most fun. But if your kids love stories like Peter Pan, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, or Alice in Wonderland, I would suggest one of those teas, as they are all expertly executed. The cheapest tea on this list is the Mad Hatter’s afternoon tea. According to TripAdvisor, the science tea and the Peter Pan tea are the highest rated with five stars apiece. These are the five best afternoon teas for kids in London.
