In summary
Royal Lancaster London, a luxury five-star hotel situated right next to Hyde Park, has partnered with the Natural History Museum to create a pollinator inspired Blooming British Afternoon Tea. This floral twist on a quintessential British tradition, sweetly honours the British flora and fauna, and most importantly bees! In 2009, Royal Lancaster London became the first hotel to install beehives on its roof, creating a sanctuary in the city for pollinators.
When did we visit?
I visited with my husband and my two young sons, Odhran, 9, and Reuben, 6, at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon in mid March. Afternoon tea is served daily from 1pm to 4pm.
What does the experience involve?
The first thing to mention is the beautiful surroundings for this afternoon tea experience. I felt my shoulders drop as soon as I stepped inside Royal Lancaster London. The pristine white marble floors and gilded furnishings created an airy and calming atmosphere, while also bringing a sense of luxury. The restrooms had marble sinks, White Company products, and soft cotton hand towels. Afternoon tea was served in the hotel's Hyde Café, located behind the main reception desk. We were greeted by our server, who was friendly and had a lovely manner with the kids. When you're indulging in an afternoon tea treat, you want the sense of occasion, while also being able to completely relax. Royal Lancaster London perfectly balances being fancy, without feeling stuffy.
As we settled into our booth, with its soft leather furnishings, our server took our coats and our drinks order. My husband went for a fresh mint tea, and the boys were thrilled to order a hot chocolate. I opted for the bespoke teas from Camellia's Tea House. On the server's recommendation, I tried The Royal Lancaster Afternoon Blend to complement the savoury food selection, before moving on to The Pollinator Blend to accompany the sweet treats. The former, was a timeless English Breakfast blend with floral notes of calming camomile. The latter was a black tea with bee pollen to add a sweet honeyed note. They were both smooth and flavoursome, and I thoroughly enjoyed. The plush setting might have set the mood, but I couldn't resist a glass of Taittinger Champagne (available at an extra cost).
We love themed restaurant dining with kids, and here the bee theme is incorporated throughout the hotel. There were yellow bee cushions and tiny decorative bees on the elegant porcelain crockery. Fresh fuchsia roses, velvet to the touch, stood in table vases. On the ceiling at the centre of Hyde Café was a gilded fixture shaped like honeycomb. Beneath it, a stunning arrangement of colourful wildflowers kept drawing my eye.
Afternoon tea was served in courses, with finger sandwiches arriving first. The children's afternoon tea included chicken mayonnaise on white bread, cucumber and cream cheese on wholemeal, and egg on white bread. My husband's selection included chicken with pee pollen, smoked salmon, cream cheese and dill on wholemeal, classic egg mayo with chives, and cucumber with salted butter. I enjoyed the vegetarian option, which included avocado with tomato chutney, beetroot hummus with pickled carrot, tomato, mozzarella and pesto, and classic cucumber. The sandwiches were fresh and tasty.
Next up were the scones, and they were our favourite part of the afternoon tea. They arrived warm and tucked inside folded napkins. There were two each - one fruit, one plain, but our server kindly brought out an extra scone when he spotted Reuben stealing one of mine! The strawberry jam was one of the best I've tasted, and I added a dollop of delicious clotted cream.
The sweet treats arrived on a cake stand that hung from a beautiful ornamental branch. The selection of pollinator-themed bites on the kids plates included: The Ladybird - blackberry jelly, mascarpone, and pear compôte; the Chocolate Seedball - milk chocolate mousse and chocolate sponge; Butterflies & Berries - vanilla cheesecake and mixed red berry compôte. The adults afternoon tea included The Ladybird; the Snowdrop - buttermilk cake, white chocolate whip ganache, and reconstructed shortbread; The Beehive - honey cake, honey and crème fraiche cream; Rose Chafer - mascarpone whip, pear and blackberry compôte and brown butter cake. There are vegan options on offer. The treats looked so pretty and in keeping with the theme. Maybe it's the chocoholic in me, but I had hoped for a chocolate bite on my plate. As I'd requested veggie sandwiches, I think I received the full vegan menu, and in my opinion vegan desserts are never as tasty. So, it might be worth keeping in mind to be clear when ordering if you want the veggie sandwiches but the desserts from the normal menu. But the overall experience was a pure delight. The tea was flowing, and I had to say 'no, too much sugar' when I heard Odhran ordering his third hot chocolate - 'but it's just so delicious' he protested.
How much does it cost?
Monday to Friday costs £49pp. Saturday and Sundays cost £55pp, and the children's afternoon tea (12 and under) costs £30.
Where is Royal Lancaster London located?
Address: Lancaster Terrace, London, W2 2TY
Royal Lancaster London is located opposite Hyde Park. The nearest tube is Lancaster Gate on the Central line. Hyde Park is a 350-acre Grade 1 listed urban park. It's steeped in history and is nicknamed The People's Park. It's home to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain and the Diana Memorial Playground, which is a fantastic adventure playground, with a wooden pirate ship at its centre. There are sensory trails and tipis, and it's one of the best free things to do with kids in London. The beloved Diana Memorial Playground is due to close this autumn for a £3 million renovation, and will reopen in Spring 2026.
After enjoying our Blooming British Afternoon Tea, we decided to walk off the extra calories with a stroll through Hyde Park. The menu for the afternoon tea came in a pretty green booklet that you could take home, as it included a map, showing you how to get from Royal Lancaster London to the Natural History Museum. We enjoyed the half an hour waterside walk through the park. We strolled past the fountains, stopped to admire the intricate Peter Pan statue, and the boys had fun chasing pigeons and finding sticks to battle each other. Last entry to the Natural History Museum is 5.30pm. So, we didn't get a lot of time there, but it was fun to follow the map and the walk from Royal Lancaster London was an enjoyable activity in itself.
Take a Break's verdict
Royal Lancaster London is a beautiful, elegant hotel, with a friendly and welcoming vibe. Considering it's a five-star hotel in London, we found the afternoon tea to be reasonably priced. The tea and hot chocolate were tasty and comforting, the sandwiches were fresh, the scones were divine (possibly the best I've ever had), and the treats were so pretty but didn't quite hit the spot for me (maybe cause I had the vegan ones). There was no rush, and we felt like we could have sat there as long as we wanted. It was a really relaxing way to spend an afternoon. We'd rate it 4.5 out of 5.