London's Afternoon Teas, Updated Edition: A Guide to the Most Exquisite Tea Venues in London

Really nice little book with good photos

Fantastically thorough, excellent book!

Two points I want to make off the bat:…1… This is not a recipe book. It has 10 recipes scattered throughout, but that is not the main purpose of the book.…2… As the book’s subtitle makes clear, it is a guide to the “most exquisite” places in London. It doesn’t pretend to cover EVERY venue.When we had an incredible 16-day vacation in England (before this book was published), we had tea every where we could. Not every London place we visited is included here, but then I admit not all our teas were “exquisite!”We did, however, splurge for a wonderful Champagne Tea at the gold & mirrored Palm Court at the Ritz. It is included in this book, so I read its write-up with interest. The book notes that teas are available at 2-hour intervals, but it doesn’t make it clear that you are required to leave at the end of that time. That’s because the spot is so popular, and, again, the book doesn’t suggest that you make your reservations well ahead of time.We’re planning another visit to England next year, and I have big plans for using this book. For one thing, I’m eager to visit the Collins Room at The Berkeley. The Ritz offers traditional tea; The Berkeley specializes in fashion-themed yummies, such as Jimmy Choo shoes!The main reason why I’m giving this 5 stars is that each of the 60 entries includes the web sites (make your appointments before you fly out!), the email addresses and the dress codes (if any). Best of all, it gives the nearest underground station and “places of interest” nearby.The book also has an index, but the index does not include the “places of interest.” The biggest change I’d recommend would be adding those to the index. That way, if you were planning to go to Kensington Palace or Royal Albert Hall, you could just go to the index and find a list of tea rooms nearby. Instead, I am making my own list of places we’ll probably go, and including tea rooms nearby by going through the book myself.This 2018 edition of this book is the revised and expanded edition. I don’t have the original 2014 edition, so I cannot compare.Happy Reader

I bought this as a gift for my mother who is traveling to London soon. This book had some lovely pictures and great history on all of the tea rooms in London. We both enjoyed looking at it together. With that said, I wish there had been a few more recipes. I know this book is more focused on the culture, heritage, and history surrounding each place, but a few more insider recipes to cover the full spectrum of tea menu options would have been nice.

I have been to England a few times and will be going again soon. I wish I’d had this book before my trips.If you are going to London and would like to treat yourself to Afternoon Tea, this is the book for you. Also, even if you just love tea and collect books, this is the book for you!No, there aren’t many recipes but I didn’t want recipes. I wanted to know about the best places to have Afternoon Tea.I admit, I can’t afford to have Afternoon Tea at most of these places but I do enjoy reading about them and seeing the beautiful photos!I did enjoy Afternoon Tea at The Orangery, at Kensington Palace and I was so excited and enjoyed the experience so much! It was affordable at £38. and the china and atmosphere were so pretty. I saw some people dressed up but most were in casual clothes and a few in jeans and tees. I think it’s too nice for jeans and tees but they don’t seem to have a dress code like the 5 Star hotels and I was treated wonderfully. (I have read reviews for some of the 5 Star hotels where mostly tourists are not treated very kindly; the servers are snobs. What they don’t realize is that £70 is a lot for Afternoon Tea and a huge splurge for some of us. Everyone should be treated the same.)I also had Cream Tea at Fortnum & Mason. I enjoyed the food and tea very much and the service was great, I just didn’t like where I was sat. I felt like I was eating with strangers because I was in a huge curved booth. But the Parlour is so pretty in it’s pastel colors! The Parlour Tea is more affordable and casual than having the Jubilee Afternoon Tea. But I’m hoping to experience that someday!The Orangery and Fortnum & Mason’s are both featured in this book.I’m glad I bought this very informative little tea book!