The Best Places for Afternoon Tea in Bath

One of the world’s best-known cafes, Sally Lunn’s is famous for its Bath Bunn. Half-way between brioche and a bun and topped with a unique range of spreads, including coffee and walnut butter and the cafe’s special dulce de leche milk jam, Sally Lunn’s Bath Bunn is a true experience, and only a handful of people know its secret recipe. The eating house sits on a quaint side street in one of the oldest buildings in Bath, and the city’s historic atmosphere penetrates every nook and cranny, with each floor representing different periods. Dining here also gives you the chance to enter the cafe’s museum for free, where you can discover the history of the bakery and the renowned Bath Bunn.

Enjoy your afternoon tea with all the style of an 18th-century English lady at the Pump Room. Regarded as the social heart of Bath for centuries, this salon-ballroom retains all the glory of its past, with sumptuous interiors, live classical music every day and a fountain where you can try Bath’s spa water, celebrated throughout history for its healing properties. The Pump Room offers the most luxurious and authentically Georgian experience of afternoon tea in the world. Expect impeccable service and only the finest quality champagne.

Perfect for Jane Austen lovers and history fanatics alike, the fascinating Jane Austen Centre also boasts a charming tea room. You can take afternoon tea in true Georgian style in this historic townhouse, just a few doors down from where the writer used to live. With exquisitely presented food, impeccable service and perfectly brewed teas, this quintessentially English haunt is one you won’t soon forget. Indeed, the Tea Guild awarded the Regency Tea Room an Award of Excellence – the guild’s highest accolade.

Set just behind Bath’s landmark abbey, the Bath Bun lies at the heart of the city’s buzzing centre. However, its location behind the central streets in a tranquil square removes it from the hustle and bustle of the main shops and tourist traps. You can sit outside and relax under the luscious canopy of Abbey Green’s ancient trees and soak up the sight of the Bath Abbey. At the Bath Bun, the old character of the tea shop’s fabulous building, the waiters dressed up in true Georgian style and the delicious treats on offer blend to create a delightful afternoon tea experience.