My husband and I had afternoon tea here for our Anniversary during the holidays and it was beautiful. Our table was ready for us when we arrived a few minutes early and they started us with a large glass of champagne. The yellow veuve was included in the normal price, but they had other options for an additional cost. We had unlimited finger sandwiches and they were all very fresh, I really liked the ham and cranberry and a chicken one, they also had cucumber, salmon and egg salad. My favorite bite was the the savory cheesecake bite, Im not sure what all was in it, but there was duck, mango, and pomegranate on top, SO GOOD! Next they served loose leaf tea, that they steeped in the back, in beautiful teapots. I loved that you can get as many different tea options as you'd like and you can even change to coffee or hot chocolate. We were served fresh warm scones, plain and raisin, which you can also get more of at request. They came with real clotted cream (the Queen of Afternoon Tea would be impressed), their signature strawberry jam, and a seasonal cherry jam. Everything was delicious! We also had a beautiful tier of sweets, they were good, but not amazing. It could just be because I was so full at the time, the vanilla circle with jam in the center was my favorite. They were nice enough to box up whatever we didn't finish to take home, and even gave us some extra little fudge. The whole experience was beautiful and tasty and definitely worth the splurge in price. The ambiance was magical and they had a live pianist the whole time. I would for sure be back! read more

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A beautiful 5-star hotel to have afternoon tea in! We made reservations online a few months prior to our visit, and there were several time options available. When you walk into the hotel, you'll see a hostess desk that leads into the tea area. The interior feels very posh and fancy, and everything is beautifully decorated. We sat by the piano in the back and it was wonderful to listen to the pianist play during our tea. Everything was delicious - they even come back around to ask if you'd like more sandwiches! Their desserts were all so pretty and delicious too! There are several afternoon tea spots around, but The Promenade at The Dorchester was a great experience. read more

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Afternoon tea here was such a delight. The Promenade itself was such a lovely place between the interior decor, adorable china, and intimate setting. The service was top notch as there was always someone watching and right there whenever they felt you may need anything. They had a lovely array of teas (26 I believe) and sparkling. We chose to enjoy their nonalcoholic option as well as their British costal sparkling (which I'd never heard of as I didn't realize there were any costal growers making a sparkling). Both were quite good. You'd never be able to tell one was nonalcoholic as it had a wonderful bouquet of bubbles and the national variety was quite aromatic, not too acidic, and quite complex. The savory sandwiches to start included; salmon, traditional baby cucumber, roast chicken (my favorite), duck egg salad (so fun! My partners favorite), and traditional ham. Every sandwich was amazing although by far my favorites were the roast chicken and duck egg salad - they were fun creative twists on the norm and worked very well. The sweets followed after a fun little meringue palate cleanser. With the sweet course came tea and while it was very hard to choose we got the chai and earl grey. Tea came with milk and was extremely well sourced! The sweet treats were just as amazing as they look. There were of course scones with clotted cream apricot peach jam and strawberry basil jam. Then there were a quad of petit treats; strawberry shortcake (my favorite), Black Forest (my partners favorite), pistachio (very good), and blueberry. All of them were amazing! We will be back next time we're in London! This is a must check out!! read more

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I had afternoon tea here for lunch, and after being disappointed at the Lanesborough on our last visit and the Plaza in NYC, this really made my day. the place is absolutely gorgeous...I was seated in a booth. I ordered a bubbly Jasmine tea chilled....imagine champagne but no alcohol! Chilled jasmine tea brewed with carbonated water....it had such a unique flavor. Their afternoon tea spread was just higher quality than a lot of places...tea sandwiches were so fresh, the scones did not flake apart when you put on the clotted cream and jam. Loved the food and ambiance! can't wait to go back with hubby on our next visit. read more

The Promenade - Cafes Near Me - London, XGL

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We had a fabulous afternoon tea service at the Promenade. Service was impeccable, the tea selection quite large (over 25+), and all of the dishes were incredibly tasty. The scones were some of the best we have ever had. The sandwiches were flavorful and refreshing while the pastries were beautiful and indulgent. Excellent accommodations for dietary restrictions including an entire vegan afternoon tea menu is available. It was a very posh environment but the service made it very welcoming. From the hosts to the servers, everyone made us feel at ease. An excellent choice for your London afternoon tea adventure that will not leave you disappointed. read more

The Promenade - Vegan patties on the top level and regular pastries on the lower level. - Cafes Near Me - London, XGL

We had an absolutely fantastic afternoon tea experience at the Promenade. From the moment we entered The Dorchester everyone was extremely friendly and the atmosphere is incredible - elegant but not pretentious. Our server was extremely polite and attentive. We both had the champagne afternoon tea - it was a special coronation tea as it was the weekend of the coronation. There was a live pianist playing in the background which added to the great atmosphere. All of the courses were delicious and thoughtfully presented; the sandwiches were by far my favorite part. This was one of the things we were most looking forward to on our trip and the afternoon tea surpassed all of our expectations. It's expensive, but if you're looking for a true luxury afternoon tea experience, The Promenade is the place to go. read more

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Actually, a beautiful, delicious place. Here you can find reasonable meals all through the day. The staff ALWAYS are kind and helpful with a friendly smile. Even though I am sure they know that I am not a local. This is a must visit, each time I camp at Indiana Beach! read more

Afternoon tea at The Promenade in The Dorchester is as classy as it can get. The location is elegant, ornate, but not stiffening. A live pianist provides background music. There is a variety of tea to choose from. The dainty bites are delectable and filling. It is a comfortable and well-spent afternoon. The tea menu pretty much covers everything from the type of tea to the location it comes from, and The Dorchester has its own exclusive blends of tea on the menu too. It can be a little overwhelming trying to decide, but the staff will help you if you are stumped. Afternoon tea does not sound like a lot of food, but it is here, especially when you are also pairing a lot of tea and coffee with these bites. The finger sandwiches are small, but do not be fooled by the size. You get two servings of five different sandwiches - salmon, beef, cucumber, egg, and chicken. All are equally delicious, and I cannot pick a favorite. After sandwiches come the scones, which are simple yet so satisfying. If you still have room after all that food, the desserts, four little different cakes, are next. If not, box them up for later. By the end of your afternoon, you will be as full as if you had been at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Afternoon tea sounds kind of expensive at £60 per person, but it is quite a fair value considering the location, ambiance, and amount of tea and food you get. If you want to take it up a notch, you can do the champagne afternoon tea, which starts at £70 per person. Make sure to secure a reservation, because afternoon tea is popular here. The Promenade has more than afternoon tea though - it is also an all-day dining room and bar. Whatever your reason for being at The Promenade is, enjoy the ambiance and good food to make it a worthwhile experience. read more

The Promenade - Finger sandwiches with afternoon tea - Cafes Near Me - London, XGL

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Very posh afternoon tea. It wasn't cheap, so best to save for a special occasion. They had a wide variety of unlimited finger sandwiches that were very tasty. Scones were warm and came with delicious homemade jams and cream. The pastries were almost too pretty to eat! Almost.. To top it off, the piano man had a top notch set list, ranging from classic romantic melodies to hits from The Greatest Showman! read more

The Promenade - Cafes Near Me - London, XGL

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My friend Steve who lives here says this is one of the top 10 places in London to have tea. Ok, so we checked it out. Since we had lunch at Ducasse right next door, it made it an easy choice. If you can't get one of the coveted tables along the row go to the bar and say hi to Cesar the Portuguese bartender. He'll take good care of you and give you great stories. Also he'll give you his tips on good Portuguese food as he's a food lover as well. English Breakfast, Darjeeling, and their Dorchester bland are all fantastic choices. read more

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The Dorchester has a timeless elegance that is beyond posh. My boyfriend and I had one of our most romantic evenings in London drinking at the Dorchester's Promenade Bar. The Piano player is phenomenal, one of the best we have ever experienced. This is the kind of bar you expect to get one drink, but end up settling in for the rest of the evening. Our bartender Caesar crafted us signature cocktails according to our tastes. I highly recommend the raspberry champagne fizz. This bar is frequented by the rich and famous, but nothing is flashy. We had such a lovely evening, we will return every time we are in London. read more

The Promenade - Custom drink at the Dorchester's Promenade Bar - Cafes Near Me - London, XGL

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This was a birthday treat for myself, and from the moment we arrived to the moment we left we were spoilt. It was the little touches that made the service the best we have had - such as our waiter always being there to pour our tea, asking us if we want more of anything (we ate a lot of sandwiches!) and just being friendly. As I'm not a tea drinker, I was offered hot chocolate instead and it was lovely. I think there were six kinds of sandwiches (my favourite being smoked salmon and the Christmas special turkey and stuffing) and we were offered as many plates as we could eat. Next came the scones with clotted cream and jams, again we were offered two to start then more (we had to decline at this point just to be able to eat the cakes!). Then we had Christmas pastries which looked and tasted fabulous. Again, we were offered more and we accepted! As this was my birthday they had made a small chocolate cake with two pink candles and the pianist played happy birthday. My boyfriend had also contacted them to arrange a bigger birthday cake for me and it was a Christmas design and was beautiful. We all loved our experience here and would love to thank our waiter (he had only been there for two months) for helping to make our afternoon tea one we won't forget. As this was my first Afternoon Tea experience I fear I have been spoilt - however, I still plan to work my way around London! read more

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I recently went to London to visit a friend and have always loved getting high tea everywhere! This was a great experience! The Dorchester is a very famous luxury hotel in London with a lot of history. I had high tea in the promenade and it was very elegant and the service was on point! Reservations are required for the tea service: 1. We started with a glass of LPR (Laurent Perrier Rose) Champagne 2. Five different tea sandwiches (egg salad, chicken salad, cucumber, tuna salad, salmon) are brought out on a silver tray and you are able to pick out all of them or just the ones you want to try. But it was all you can eat. The server would bring out another full tray to choose from multiple times throughout tea! Plus the sandwiches were not bite sized they where long rectangles the size of my side dish! 3. Once finished with you Champs the server brings out a starter tea in a beautiful glass pitcher with a chrysanthemum bulb that blooms as it steeps. 4. Then the tea that you had selected comes out with scones, clotted cream (the real stuff!!! not whipped cream or cream cheese with sugar stuff that you can get in the states that they try and pass off as clotted cream...There is a huge difference and we can tell!), lemon curd, and jams. 5. Finally, the dessert tray comes out with 5 mini desserts. I would definitely go back! love love loved it! read more

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Wanted to take my wife and daughter to the best afternoon tea in London and did some research and ended up with the Dorchester. Based on reviews it seemed like it had all the cliche components but did them a little better. The reality was exactly as I expected. The service was perfect. Posh and professional but not overly stuffy. They still managed to engage in conversation while asking every fifteen minutes if we were happy and always keeping us well stocked. We had the ice cream champagne variant. The champagne was very good, choice of white or rose. Additional glasses are not cheap but again quite good champagne. The tea itself was surprisingly good. I drink Earl Grey every morning but am far from a tea connoisseur. I ordered a Russian tea here expecting tea but could not believe that it was actually as good as described in the menu. Complex flavors and you could tell it really was smokey. I had two pots (included in the price) after only expecting to drink one glass. It was also the first time I wanted to drink tea without adding sugar. The sandwiches, as other have wrote, were great. All were on different, interesting bread, and made with quality ingredients. My favorite was the egg mayo and the smoked salmon. The latter was great quality and very flavorful salmon. Scones were also perfect. Served both raisin and plain scones with clotted cream, strawberry jam and the seasonal (summer berry jam). The jams were so good had to have two scones. The pastries, which some have complained about in other reviews, in my opinion were great. I'm guessing some of the complaints were due to how full you were when they came. Served four pastries (everything is refilled if you want it): a macaron, a sea salt chocolate pastry, a meringue and a strawberry tart (ish). All were good, I preferred the meringue. You are also served some unique types of ice cream in mini-cones. I actually found it overkill but the flavors were very nice and interesting. Overall, an ideal English tea. read more

Such a great high tea! The hotel itself is beautiful, the perfect backdrop to sipping champagne in the afternoon. Service was courteous and they gave us great advice in picking the perfect tea. Seating is well spaced out so even when the room is full, it doesn't feel like you're rubbing elbows with your neighbours. We were full by the time the dessert tier came, but managed to do pretty well anyway... our waiter congratulated us on our accomplishment - apparently many end up taking dessert home! Delicious sandwiches, scones are still warm when they arrive, classics played live on the piano - truly can't get better. read more

The Promenade - Warm scones. Warning - very filling! - Cafes Near Me - London, XGL

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This would have received 4-5 stars except for the service at the end. Our server came by to advise his shift was up so I would have assumed someone else would cover but no we were ignored. As my credit card was on the reservation we considered just leaving after flagging down one person saw him talk to a server and point to us and we were still ignored. Prior to that, the service was great. Our server was attentive, made us laugh and made suggestions for teas including how to prepare. We weren't huge fans of the desserts, most sandwiches were great and the pre-dessert. The dining room is beautiful and there is a piano player. It wasn't noisy but there are many people walking thru to the 2 restaurants in the back which is distracting. This is one of the most expensive teas around (more than ritz) so based upon the price point, service issue, dessert and set up with restaurants behind im deducting 2 stars. read more

Food was fine. The scones were the best part, wasn't personally a fan of the sweets (and I love sweets) . That being said, the service could be vastly improved. We were ten minutes early but weren't seated until quarter after. Literally everyone in the lobby, 90 percent of who arrived after us, were seated before us. The waiters were wonderful, but there weren't enough of them because we were often forgotten, and sat for about half an hour waiting for our check and just as long waiting for it to be picked up. Overall we were there for nearly 3 hours. We just did the traditional tea and it ended up about 150 dollars. We agreed that we would much rather have spent that on a nice dinner. read more

I really like The Promenade at the Dorchester. My first experience here was at afternoon tea about four years ago when some friends were visiting from the states. I remember being supplied with some delicious tea, some never-ending sandwiches and some sweets at the end. It was spendy, but definitely worth it. Before the tea, we ended up at the bar and had some drinks. I remember having an amazing Rosemary Martini, and I always wanted to go back to have another. So fast-forward to January 2015, and we end up back at the bar before having dinner at Alain Ducasse. The bar seems very classy and elegant, and it's also a bit more of a classical/older style (think the 1920s or earlier perhaps). There was also a piano player playing which is a nice touch. As we went to the reservation, a three-piece (jazz?) band was setting up to start playing as well. Unfortunately, the Rosemary Martini was no longer on the menu, but I opted for a liquorice martini instead. And it was really tasty. I also had a modern twist on the classic champagne cocktail which was also highly enjoyable. My partner ordered a smoky whisky drink that was really superb and a sazerac. Not the best sazerac, but it was good. They also supply you with some mixed nuts and some covered nuts (a few of which are wasabi flavored which is a nice touch). Just be prepared for some hefty prices. It's not more than we've spent at other bars we like, but I've preferred drinks from those other places. However, I'd come back. If not for tea again for drinks. It's a nice, elegant place to enjoy some drinks with friends and have some light music in the background. read more

Over the Christmas break, we went into The Dorchester Promenade bar for some festive drinks. Bar staff were really nice/attentive. The place was filled mainly with people there for afternoon tea so we went and sat at the bar area. (Decided not to go to the actual Dorchester bar as they had carol singers in the Promenade area by the piano which happens to be just by the Promenade's bar). First off, the cocktails were good and I don't mind paying for a good cocktail. But be warned, the cheapest is £16. We stayed for two each and I would possibly go here again, but still think Duke's and Claridge's do better drinks at a bit cheaper price (not much mind you). 4 stars goes to the bartenders who were really nice. read more

I love visiting the Dorchester for their famous champagne afternoon tea, the sandwiches are always delicious, and you are always offered another round. The scones and tea are equally lovely, and I always leave feeling full! The only fault is the recent change to smaller champagne flutes! When you visit the Dorchester, you expect the highest standard of quality and service, as that's what you pay for, and I was shocked to discover that the Dorchester would feel the need to start cutting corners! Although everything else was lovely, my last few visits have left me feeling a little cheated, as I am paying the same price, for less champagne. read more

The Promenade - The original champagne flutes. - Cafes Near Me - London, XGL

The best tea experience in London. Live piano player, great sofas, nice decor, beautiful flowers, delicious sandwiches and the best fries. read more

The Promenade - During Wimbledon they had tennis racket and ball shaped cakes - Cafes Near Me - London, XGL

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Afternoon tea at The Dorchester was everything I imagined high tea would be and more. The Promenade is such an elegant and genteel setting, plush yet comfortable at the same time. Service in a word is impeccable! The wait staff is knowledgeable, attentive and unrushed allowing us to linger at every course. They are quick to refill your teacup and replace your pot with a fresh one without saying a word. The food is simply fabulous - everything from the most tasty finger sandwiches to the scones with clotted cream and jam to a mouth-watering selection of pastries. I informed our server of my strawberry allergy to which he made sure I had a pear-apricot jam instead (delicious) and my own separate tray of strawberry-free pastries. Before leaving, you'll be asked which items you'd like to take home in a doggie bag/box - choose as many as you'd like! My advice is book well in advance. Tea at The Dorchester is one of the most memorable experiences I've had and I'll be dreaming of that afternoon until we return! read more

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Promenade: (old fashioned) a walk that you take for pleasure or excercise Located at the plush, pretty,posh place that is The Dorchester, the promenade is literally a hall way, marvellously designed in victorian pieces, you walk in not even knowing that you are at a restaurant, the air is very calming, be it the smiling concierge, the polite waiters, the entertaining pianist, the very impressive seating arrangements, it is all round marvellous (i'm still in awe). The restaurant accepts reasonable requests (like cheesy birthday songs), the pianist will sing any tune as long as he knows it, the staff smother you with attention. You maybe digging deep into your pocket, but it lives up to the QYPE read more

It was a pleasant experience dining here, the food is outstanding and the service is excellent. However I did not find the atmosphere very comfortable or relaxing at all. Despite the restaurant being quite full, it was still fairly quite, so definitely not a place to talk too loud at all. All in all it was a good night out, but for that price tag I can name many better places to eat. read more