Fortnum & Mason: Is London’s Famous Luxury Afternoon Tea Worth the Cost?

Dara

18 hours ago

6 min read

I’ve been to the UK several times, and having a classic afternoon tea at one of London’s top tea salons has long been on my bucket list. After some research on the options, I settled on the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at Fortnum & Mason. If you're interested in the history and ritual of British afternoon tea, Fortnum’s is one of the more elaborate and historical places in London to experience it. In this post I’ll review everything you need to know to decide if this experience is the right one for your own London afternoon tea outing!

Smiling woman in glasses holds a floral teacup in a cozy café, with a framed sketch on the wall behind her. — It's Tea Time!

What is Fortnum & Mason?

Fortnum & Mason is one of London's most historic and recognizable department and luxury food stores, in operation since 1707. Fortnum’s has been serving tea to London's royalty and elite for over 300 years! Featuring several restaurants, bars, and of course, the tea salon, Fortnum’s is also a premier shopping destination for buying premium teas, biscuits, chocolates, preserves, hampers, wines, and beautifully packaged gift baskets.

Colorful Fortnum & Mason tea tins on wooden shelves, with patterned pink, yellow, mint, and blue cans labeled Lemon Curd and Chocolate Pearl — Fortnum's biscuits in their iconic packaging

There are 5 shopping floors of things to see, eat, and buy here - a trip to Fortnum’s isn’t just about the sit-down tea experience, it’s also a wonderful place to explore and purchase gifts for family and friends back home.

Fortnum & Mason storefront on a city street, with a giant dessert display, blue flag, and pedestrians outside the red brick building. — Beautiful old building facade

The 5 Shopping Floors

Lower Ground Floor: Food Hall, Cheese & Charcuterie, Butchery, Wine, Champagne & Spirits, Coffee, The Wine Bar Restaurant

Ground Floor: 45 Jermyn Street Restaurant, Tea & Coffee, Biscuits, Honey & Preserves, Chocolate & Sweets

First Floor: The Parlour Restaurant, Teaware, Picnic, Antiques, Stationery

Second Floor: Fragrance, Jewelry, Candles, Loungeware, Beauty

Third Floor: Hampers, Books, Food & Drink Studio, Distillery, Cook Shop, 3’6 Restaurant

Customers browse a tea shop with colorful tins and boxes labeled Tea, standing at a counter in a warm, wood-paneled store. — The tea section on the ground floor

Where is Fortnum & Mason Located?

The flagship store is located at 181 Piccadilly, London, W1A 1ER, in the St. James neighborhood. The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon is located at the top of the department store shopping levels, up on the fourth floor.

Why is the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon So Special?

We know Fortnum’s has a long history, and upon arrival at the fourth floor you can immediately see the luxury and elegance of the tea salon. What really makes the place special though, is that this tea salon was opened by Queen Elizabeth II herself, back in 2012.

Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in crown and robes, seated on a throne with scepter and orb before a cathedral backdrop. — Queen Elizabeth II at her coronation in 1953

Accompanied by the then Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge, its opening was part of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebration, marking her 60 years on the throne - hence the salon’s name! Fortnum & Mason has had a long relationship with the British royal family and has supplied tea and other goods to royalty and elite customers for centuries.

The Diamond Jubilee Afternoon Tea Experience

Know Before You Go

Do ensure you book a reservation. You can easily make them online, up to around 4 weeks in advance.

Seating

You’ll check in with the hostess, wait for your table in the sitting area while you enjoy the music of the house pianist, before being shown to your formally set table in the salon.

Elegant tea room with people chatting at tables, floral shelves and a glass birdcage display in a bright pastel lounge — Waiting area on the left, tea salon on the right

Choosing the Menu

There are several afternoon tea options to choose from. We selected the standard afternoon tea, which costs £84 per person as of September 2026, but there are several additional menu options as well. All prices are per person and accurate as of this blog's posting date.

Menu for the standard afternoon tea

Caviar Tea: For those who want an event more elevated experience. A choice of Golden Oscietra (£165 for 30g or £255 for 50g) or Beluga Caviar (£355 for 30g or £565 for 50g), served atop mini crumpets.

High Tea: For those who want more of a substanial meal. This menu swaps the standard finger sandwiches for one of a selection of savory dishes. £86

Savory: For those who don't have a sweet tooth. Enjoy savory scones and pastries instead of the usual sweet that come with the standard afternoon tea menu. £85

Vegetarian: For those with a meatless diet. Same cost as the standard tea, £84

Gluten Free: For those who don't want the gluten. Same cost as the standard tea, £84

Children's Tea: For those who are young! Child friendly sandwiches, scones, and tea cakes for ages 4 - 10. £60

Drink Menu: For those who are thirsty for other beverages. Additional beverage menu featuring champagne, champagne cocktails, wine, beer, cider, & soft drinks. Prices vary.

All menu options come with food and a pot of tea, and you are served by an immaculately trained staff in a manner that is deliberately elegant and traditional.

Elegant empty dining room with teal chairs around a set white table, pastel paneled walls, wall sconces, and floral ceiling decor. — It's a timeless, elegant dining space

Tea Selection

Once you select your menu, you’ll then select your tea. This is where Fortnum & Mason truly shines. Fortnum’s isn’t just a great place for afternoon tea because of its history and luxury—it’s also a place where the tea itself is the focus and takes center stage.

White tea set with blue floral pattern on a table, tea in a cup and teapot, with jam jars and a blurred diner behind. — I struggled deeply to choose just one kind to try!

One of the unusual things about afternoon tea here is the sheer emphasis on the tea itself. Rather than simply choosing "English Breakfast”, “Green”, or "Earl Grey," you’ll select from a substantial and detailed list of Fortnum & Mason teas. The 24 page tea menu includes different styles ranging from traditional black teas to green, white, and herbal infusions, including blends created specifically by Fortnum's tea experts. You’ll be very grateful for the knowledgable tea expert waitstaff who can help you navigate through all the options! They’ll be happy to talk to you about the origins of tea, how each one is made, and provide recommendations based on your tastes and preferences.

Fortnum’s tea brochure spread with Leaf Grades and Famous Blends pages in teal and white, listing teas like Royal Blend and Earl Grey — A few sample pages of the full tea menu. Ask your server for advice!

Food Served with Afternoon Tea

In addition to the tea itself, the afternoon tea experience also centers on a classic combination of lite bites. It's a traditional three part menu, presented on a tiered silver serving tray.

Woman in glasses reaches for a tiered afternoon tea stand with cakes and finger sandwiches in a bright café, with champagne glasses. — Ready to dig in!

You’ll start at the bottom of the tray with delicate savory finger sandwiches. Fillings include smoked salmon, egg, and cucumber. These are delightful and quite light. I typically don’t enjoy smoked fish or cucumber, but I tried one of each sandwich and they were all amazing!

Tiered tea stand with assorted crustless finger sandwiches on a blue plate at a white table. — Cutting off crusts really does make everything better, though even if these sandwiches were half crust they still would have been amazing

The middle tray is where you’ll find the freshly baked scones. They come with deliciously rich clotted cream and jams, though which spread should go on the scone first is always a never ending topic of debate!

Afternoon tea spread with jam, clotted cream, and a scone on a white plate beside a fork and pastel china. — I did jam first on one half, cream first on the other

Lastly, at the top of the tray, there’s an assortment of delectable small cakes and pastries. These were just as beautiful as they were tasty.

Plate of colorful pastries: blueberry tart, orange and red domes, and a pink eclair on a white plate with a blue rim. — I ate all of these. No regrets.

Is this Luxury Tea Experience Worth It?

So, is this all worth the cost? £84 per person for what “boils” down to a pot of tea and some snacks is a very steep price tag.

Tea pours from a blue floral teapot through a strainer into a white cup beside a water glass on a bright table. — That's one expensive cup!

Well, for starters the tea itself is excellent. Fortnum’s was named Time Out’s best afternoon tea for 2025, and was also the recipient of a prestigious award of excellence at the 2025 afternoon tea awards. I’m personally a huge tea drinker in my daily home life. I even buy my Twinings English Breakfast tea from a UK distributor - I find it’s better than the US Twinings! Never before in my life have I been to a place where there was such an extensive tea menu with knowledgable servers.

Smiling woman with glasses holds white and pink Fortnum & Mason Tea Salon menus in a chic restaurant. — Smiling at the thickness of the tea menu

It’s not usual to have long lists of wine at a winery or beer at a brewery, but a 24 page tea menu at a specialty tea salon is certainly more of a rare treat. It was so hard to pick what I wanted to drink, but on the plus side I was able to buy some small packages of other menu selections in the main shop downstairs. So if you’re a big tea drinker, Fortnum’s is a unique opportunity to really explore the history and all the varied options of this wonderful beverage.

Elegant tea set display with floral china, napkins, and silverware on a white tablecloth in a boutique, with turquoise boxes behind. — Tea is calming, soothing, comforting, and timelessly elegant

The food here also held its own. The sandwiches were lovely, and the scones and pastries were delicious, elevated treats, without being too heavy or overly sweet.

The service, of course, was impeccable. Everything you could possibly want from a classic, upscale British afternoon tea experience in an elegant salon.

Waiter carrying a tray through an elegant bright restaurant as diners chat at white-clothed tables. — The service is top notch

But Fortnum & Mason is a particularly iconic spot for afternoon tea because it's essentially a living piece of London's history and British tradition. You can walk into the same Piccadilly institution that has been serving top quality teas to Londoners, visitors, and British royalty alike since the early 18th century. You’ll get to sip your tea in an elegant salon, opened by Queen Elizabeth II herself, with the music from the live pianist drifting in from the lobby. What more could you ask for? So yes, while it’s not a cheap outing, Fortnum’s Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon is an unforgettable experience that I would definitely recommend to anyone who has afternoon tea in London on their bucket list. There’s a reason it’s famous and has been around for over 300 years.

Two large colonial-style statues with candelabras flank a doorway as visitors enter a bright gift shop beneath a crest. — The quality of the tea and light bites, plus the history of the place? A perfect combination.

Fortnum & Mason Afternoon Tea - The Video

To see more of the Diamond Jubilee Afternoon Tea experience, check out the video below!

Coming soon