The Best Places for Afternoon Tea in Covent Garden

Enjoy afternoon tea with a French twist at Brigit’s Bakery where quiche and homemade macarons join sandwiches, scones and mini cupcakes. You can take tea right there in the bakery, but if you’re after something a little more memorable, B Bakery also does afternoon tea bus and boat tours.

The afternoon tea at One Aldwych, inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the musical was playing at a nearby theatre), is a wonderfully playful version of this British tradition. The sweet selection, including a golden chocolate egg filled with vanilla cheesecake, homemade candyfloss and blueberry brioche, all reference the Roald Dahl story. There’s even a chocolate tea too.

The iconic Parisian pattiserie has four outposts in London and the Covent Garden branch has a suitably grand location right on the piazza. Whist you don’t get a choice of tea varieties with their afternoon tea, you do get to select which sandwiches, Viennoiseries, pastries and macarons you’d like. It’s not as easy as it sounds.

Think of The Ivy Market Grill as a relaxed yet still sophisticated younger sister to the iconic The Ivy. Their afternoon tea is classic through and through, featuring cucumber sandwiches, fruit scones with Cornish clotted cream and strawberry jam and a choice of teas.

Italian and Peruvian flavours might not be the first things that spring to mind when you think of afternoon tea but that’s exactly what Monmouth Kitchen is doing. Scones are still on the menu, although they’re amaretto and Sicilian lemon, and instead of sandwiches and pastries you get bruschetta, salmon tacos, churros with Peruvian chocolate sauce and white peach and oregano panna cotta.

Afternoon tea and opera? You can get it at The Crusting Pipe if you take tea in their outdoor courtyard, which plays host to a variety of classical performances. Go for their signature afternoon tea and enjoy cheese, oat biscuits, fig cake and port.