Christmas Afternoon Tea London 2026: 7 Elegant Festive Teas (Prices, Dates, How to Book)

A Christmas afternoon tea in London is the most civilized way to celebrate the season: a few hours of silver teapots, warm scones and festive patisserie, usually with a glass of champagne, in rooms that have been doing this for a century. It is also one of the most competitive bookings of the year. The grand hotels have already published their 2026 festive teas, and the best weekend sittings in December go first. We checked every price and date below on each venue's own website or official menu on October 20, 2026. Where a hotel had not yet published a 2026 price, we say so rather than guess.

Christmas Afternoon Tea London 2026: At a Glance

Per adult, as listed by each venue. Most add a discretionary service charge.

• The Ritz, William Kent House: £125 (children up to 15: £83). Christmas Day £140. November 14, 2026 to January 6, 2027.
• Claridge's: £120 on weekdays, £130 at weekends. November 3 to January 3 (not December 25).
• The Goring, The Veranda: £120 with a glass of Bollinger, up to £140 for the prestige version.
• Fortnum & Mason, The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon: £88 for the classic Christmas afternoon tea.
• The Savoy, Gallery: festive afternoon tea; check the official page for 2026 prices.
• The Dorchester, The Promenade: festive afternoon tea; check the official page for 2026 prices.
• Brown's Hotel, The Drawing Room: festive afternoon tea daily through November and December; check the official page for prices.

The Ritz: The Grandest Christmas Tea in London

For 2026, The Ritz serves its Christmas Afternoon Tea from Saturday, November 14, 2026 to Wednesday, January 6, 2027, with William Kent House dressed as an Edwardian winter wonderland. It costs £125 per adult and £83 per child (up to 15), except on Christmas Day, when it is £140 per adult and £92 per child. There are five sittings a day: 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm. On Christmas Day, each adult is welcomed with a glass of Ritz Champagne and each child receives a Ritz teddy bear.

Dress code: The Ritz asks gentlemen to wear a jacket and tie for afternoon tea, and jeans and sportswear are not permitted for anyone. Treat it as a daytime occasion: a silk dress, a fine knit with a tailored skirt, or a velvet suit.

Best for: a celebration with your mother, or the friend who deserves the full ceremony.

Claridge's: Art Deco and Christmas Pudding

Claridge's serves its Festive Afternoon Tea exclusively from November 3 to January 3, excluding December 25. It is £120 per person on weekdays and £130 at weekends. According to the hotel's 2026 festive menu, you can add a glass of Billecart-Salmon Le Rosé (£140 in total) or Billecart-Salmon Louis Salmon Blanc de Blancs 2012 (£180). Expect fruit and plain scones baked in the hotel's kitchen, served with Cornish clotted cream.

Best for: a weekday tea with a close friend. Book a weekday if you can: it is £10 less, and the room is calmer.

The Goring: The Most Discreet Choice

In Belgravia, The Goring serves afternoon tea daily on The Veranda. Its festive afternoon tea menu lists sandwiches such as bronze turkey with sage stuffing, chestnut and cranberry, plus a warm mince pie, and four ways to drink: Festive Tea with a glass of Bollinger or a mocktail (£120), Festive Rosé Tea (£125), Festive Nyetimber Tea (£130) and Festive Prestige Tea with Bollinger 2015 La Grande Année (£140). An optional 15% service charge is added.

Best for: a quiet, grown-up tea when you want to talk, not be seen.

Fortnum & Mason: The Classic on Piccadilly

Fortnum's Classic Afternoon Tea Christmas 2026 menu in the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon is £88 per person. It includes Christmas Spiced Suffolk Ham among the finger sandwiches, plain and fruit scones, and patisserie such as a Sticky Figgy Loaf and a Mincemeat Tart. The seasonal pour is Fortnum's Christmas Black Tea, with cocoa nibs, clementine and Christmas spices. A discretionary 12.5% service charge is added.

Best for: combining tea with Christmas shopping downstairs, and the most accessible price on this list.

The Savoy: Festive Tea in Gallery

The Savoy lists a Festive Afternoon Tea with seasonal treats, warm scones and champagne in Gallery. The hotel's festive page links to the menu and booking; check it for the 2026 dates and prices, which we could not confirm on the hotel's own site.

The Dorchester: The Promenade

The Dorchester's festive page covers afternoon tea in The Promenade, the room at the heart of the hotel. Check the official page for the 2026 festive menu and prices before you book.

Brown's Hotel: Fireside in Mayfair

Brown's Hotel says its Festive Afternoon Tea is served daily throughout November and December in The Drawing Room, a fireside room where, the hotel notes, Agatha Christie used to sit. Check the hotel's afternoon tea page for current prices.

Best for: a solo tea with a book, before an evening at the theater.

Which Tea for Which Occasion

• With your mother: The Ritz, for the ceremony, or Claridge's on a weekday.
• With girlfriends: Claridge's or The Savoy, where the room is part of the fun.
• Alone: Brown's or The Goring. Both are quiet enough to enjoy your own company. If you are spending the holidays solo, our guide to spending Christmas alone in London has a full plan.
• A first date: Fortnum's, which is relaxed and easy to leave after an hour.
• On a budget: Fortnum & Mason, at £88.

Also: The Plaza (New York) and Paris

In New York, The Plaza serves its Holiday Afternoon Tea in The Palm Court from November 11 to January 12, between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm, and a Christmas Day Afternoon Tea with caviar service on December 25. Reservations open 60 days ahead for the public (90 days for overnight guests). In Paris, the Hôtel Plaza Athénée's 2026 festive booklet lists a festive Goûter in La Galerie from December 1 to January 3, from €90 per person.

How to Book Christmas Afternoon Tea in London

Book weekends now

December Saturdays and the week before Christmas go first. If you are flexible, a weekday sitting is often cheaper (Claridge's) and always calmer.

Read the price carefully

Some headline prices include a glass of champagne (The Goring), some do not. Most hotels add a discretionary service charge of 12.5% to 15%.

Plan the rest of the day

Afternoon tea is filling. Pair it with a walk, a carol service or a gala instead of a dinner reservation. Our guide to Christmas balls in London in 2026 and our comparison of Christmas Day lunch in London cover the evenings and the big day.

The London Season, Planned

Afternoon tea is the gentle side of a London December. For the rest of the season (the charity balls, the Christmas galas and New Year's Eve) the Black-Tie Year London calendar lists the galas, balls and black-tie nights of 2026–27 with their dates. To understand how entry actually works, read London Access, Explained, or browse every London guide.

FAQ

How much is Christmas afternoon tea at The Ritz in 2026?

£125 per adult and £83 per child up to 15, according to The Ritz. On Christmas Day it is £140 per adult and £92 per child.

When does festive afternoon tea start in London?

It depends on the hotel. Claridge's starts its Festive Afternoon Tea on November 3, and The Ritz on November 14, 2026.

Can you have afternoon tea on Christmas Day in London?

Yes, at The Ritz, which lists a Christmas Day price. Claridge's does not serve its festive tea on December 25.

What is the cheapest Christmas afternoon tea in a grand London venue?

Of the venues we verified, Fortnum & Mason's classic Christmas afternoon tea is the least expensive, at £88 per person.

Cover photo: Afternoon tea in the Queen Elizabeth Room at The Ritz London, by RT6HPU, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Prices and dates checked on official websites on October 20, 2026; always confirm with the venue before booking.