Reviews The Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon

One can have one of the most delicious varieties of tea in the most beautiful atmosphere with one of the best staff at the most reasonable prices. The service is prompt and punctual as well.

I ate a 24-ounce steak at Mastro’s with a dessert and two sides and didn’t bat an eye. I conquered a 29-course tasting in Peru with barely a burp, and just last week, I ate ice cream before dinner and followed with three desserts. I am gross. I have been gross all over the world, a record of shameless acts of gluttony, a smear of pins all over the map. But this isn’t just any old place, this is London. We keep it classy here.

Went to the tea salon for a tea party upon my arrival to London and needless to say that I didnt want to leave.
I ordered a peach black tea and I loved it. The sandwiches were awesome as well as the pastry puffs. I liked less the sweets that were very traditional for my taste. I will definitely come bsck

Perfect place for an afternoon tea.
Very well decorated.
They have a selection of amazing tea.
You have the choice between 4 formulas .
The food is delicious and it is refill.
Totally worth the price.
Recommend it !!

I love the Diamond Jubilee Tea Saloon. Its expensive compared to other Afternoon Tea options in the city, but you pay for the ambiance and the service and unlimited refills on everything.

This is the place that I recommend to visiting friends and it fits their vision of a very British Afternoon Tea.

While this falls in a higher price bracket, they are also not very fussy about how you are dressed. Smart jeans and a blouse are quite acceptable here, unlike some other tea rooms in this price bracket.

If you don't want to splurge on the whole afternoon tea, there is the cream tea option.

Personally I prefer the savoury tea menu. There are enough sweet options on this menu, but it has a nice balance of savoury items too.

Wonderful experience! Was in London for a week and decided to treat myself to some traditional afternoon tea. Totally worth the price you pay. The clotted cream is just divine! Warm and fresh scones with some of the most delectable preserves I've ever tasted! The sandwiches too are delectable. The selection of cakes is great! Coming to the tea, so much variety that it's hard to choose! Each one is better than the other. The service is also on point, very courteous servers. An absolutely great experience.

With the perfect Royal touch, this tea salon on Piccadilly made our afternoon more lighter..
Sipping tea and having scones was a perfect afternoon tea. With nice ambience and Royal interior I am giving this place 5 star.. Worth a visit if u r in London and love tea or Royal dining..!! Naman Bhansali

Fishcoteque, Borough Market, Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Tayyabs, Giraffe: Heathrow, & Wagamama: Heathrow. The one thing the GF wanted to do in London was enjoy afternoon tea. So we decided to head to Fortnum & Mason's Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon after spending the day at Buckingham Palace.

Pip pip cheerioOOoo. We all know u can't go to London without indulging in high tea. after the grand afternoon tea experience @ Fortnum & Mason, it makes all the other high tea restaurants pale in comparison...which reminds me....I don't believe I've written a review yet for the Petrossian or Empress....i'll have to backtrack and check...forgetful me. lol.

as I'm not much of a sweets kind of girl, I selected the savouries @ Fortnum & Mason...especially the scones & clotted creams which are always my faves. with the plethora of teas @ f&m, I was happy sipping my rose pouchong with its delicate rose fragrance & notes of dark chocolate.

We set off to the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at Fortnum & Mason for a relaxing girly afternoon. Afternoon tea is hard to perfect; I find that there's always one element that could be better whether it be the sandwiches, the ambience or the tea itself. I was keen to see how Fortnums compared to other places I have visited recently.

Afternoon Tea takes place in the Diamond Jubilee Salon on the fourth floor, as you walk in the pianist plays on the piano and you definitely feel like you have gone back in time slightly. We were taken to our seats after a short wait in reception, I was able to check my coat and then get a head start on browsing the menu. The Diamond Jubilee Salon is a lovely area to enjoy afternoon tea. It has big windows that let in so much light and if you have a window seat you can look out onto Piccadilly. My favourite part of the afternoon tea apart from the food was the china, it was just so lovely! I loved the traditional Fortnum & Mason turquoise coloured teacups and teapots. We both decided to have the standard afternoon tea, but at Fortnum’s there are three options.  A high-tea which starts with more of a main meal and also a savoury tea, where you can opt for all savoury options.

Fortnum & Mason is a beautiful British institution that I have (apparently) been going to since I was a baby and never ceases to amaze me with its vast selection of tea from around the world and the most divine desserts you’ve ever seen.

After roaming around the market floor and being teased by tasters from the helpful staff, we just happened to stumble in the elevator and ‘accidentally’ pressed the button for the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon.  Once we were there, we thought that we may as well sit down for a bite to eat and to drink our bodyweight in tea.  The desserts looked far too pretty to eat, but ended up disappearing pretty quickly anyway.

This wasn't my first visit to the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon but I was a bit disappointed by the service this time around.  I hate to be rushed but the amount of time that the waiters and waitresses were taking to take our order was silly and they were very difficult to get hold of in order to ask for a refill of tea.  

The ambience is amazing with the peaceful piano playing and tasteful decor and It's great to come here as a special treat but be prepared for the prices!  It's also important to be aware of the fact that they will refill your tea, sandwiches and cakes, all you have to do is ask so don't be afraid of looking greedy!  You've paid enough for it!

When I think of afternoon tea, two things immediately spring to mind. One, as a South African expat having read far too many Jane Austen novels, there is nothing more quintessentially British than an afternoon tea. The second: indulgence - pure and utter indulgence.

In my case, this wasn't any old afternoon tea; we were going to Fortnum & Mason.

Starting out as a humble joint venture in 1707 between royal footman William Fortnum and his landlord Hugh Mason, where the aim was to sell grocery items, Fortnum & Mason soon became an unstoppable force in the UK and beyond. A supplier of food items during times of war as well as the inclusion of Fortnum & Mason goods in the first Everest expeditions, the business' connection with tea materialised due to its strong relationship with the British East India Company in the 1700s. 

Fast forward more than 300 years later to 2012, and this will be the exact time when the Queen visited Fortnum & Mason to officially open the resident tea salon named in honour of her Diamond Jubilee.

With this sort of reputation preceding it, we arrived at the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, located on the fourth floor of the Fortnum & Mason headquarters at 181 Piccadilly, feeling excited for what awaited us.

The actual tea salon is beautiful. Decked out in a soothing and fresh colour combination of mint-green, white, gold and silver, the accompanying sound of a piano playing worked to confirm that this was the ideal setting for a lazy Sunday afternoon tea.

There are three set menus on offer: the traditional afternoon tea featuring sandwiches, as well as sweet scones and pastries; the savoury tea, which replaces the sweet elements with canape-style treats and savoury scones; and the high tea consisting of a starter portion of a savoury dish, as well as the sweet scones and pastries.

Since we were rather famished, we went for the last option and chose eggs Benedict as our starters for the high tea.

For the actual tea part, this requires an entirely separate menu and we spent ages trying to decide which tea to pick. Eventually, I went for the Fortmason, a blended tea with a hint of orange blossom, while Chris chose the Chai. The tea is a process in itself, complete with a strainer for excess leaves, but both types of tea were incredible.

The eggs Benedict soon arrived and, without exaggeration and with the admission that I'm a total eggs Benedict snob, this was the very best eggs Benedict I've ever tasted. Every element was perfect.

This attention to perfecting every detail continued in the scones and pastries soon to come.

The scones came in plain and fruit varieties, served with clotted cream and preserves, while the pastries included a chocolate and raspberry macaroon, a chocolate mousse slice as well as an eclair. Each morsel was more delectable and tasty than the last, and the berry-and-pistachio cheesecake was my favourite sweet item of the day.

At £44 (or £48 depending on what kind of tea you go for), Fortnum & Mason's high tea may not be particularly cheap, but you'll definitely match the price - pound-for-pound - when it comes to the high quality of the food or drink arriving at your table.

My favourite aspect of the Fortnum & Mason tea experience is that they cater for all sorts of food allergies and intolerances; you just need to specify this when you make your reservation.

By the time we polished off the last of our pastries, we were totally and utterly defeated, in a state that can only be described as full-to-the-brim-with-a-side-of-possible-sugar-induced-coma. When we found out that we were also entitled to a slice of cake from the salon's carriage, we unanimously opted to have this as a takeaway.

With our Fortnum & Mason bags in tow, we retreated to the nearby Green Park to walk off some of the calories we'd just consumed.

My initial afternoon tea expectations of both tradition and indulgence checked, I also knew that I had just experienced high tea with a company that's a pivotal figure in the history of tea in the UK. For someone that's still relatively new to the city, I couldn't have asked for a better afternoon out in London.

For my Afternoon Tea escapade with a shoe loving friend we decided upon Fortnum and Mason and I was extremely impressed with their free from menus which included gluten free, diabetic, vegan and diary free.

Both of our afternoon teas were served on separate cake stands (1 x gluten free and 1 x normal) and this was a lovely surprise as often the gluten free afternoon tea is bought over on plates.

The gluten free sandwiches had the same fillings as the classic Afternoon Tea and the bread was lovely and soft.  The fillings were the standard including Cucumber with Mint Butter, Coronation Chicken, Roast Beef with Gherkin and Caper Dressing, Egg with Mustard and Cress and Salmon with Dill Butter.

The gluten free scones passed my scone test and were very tasty.

The gluten free pastries are always my favourite part of the afternoon tea experience and this is where the pastry chefs go wild and can create master pieces.  The gluten free pastries included a rose scented macaroon, rich chocolate cupcake, manchester tart and a summer berry almond loaf.  

The macaroon was lovely and I ordered another two for the table however I wasn't fussed with the other pastries on offer as they were bland and the sugar overpowered any flavours that were trying to come through and were very disappointing.

The tea salon is stunning and is a lovely establishment to meet up for a cup of tea an a spot of cake.

What’s more British than the Fortnum and Mason afternoon tea? Not much, Sunny friends. Not much. And thanks to Zomato, I had the chance to enjoy it recently with one of my favourite British bloggers, Angie from Silverspoon London. But the best part is, I’ll be offering the opportunity to a lucky reader next week!

So, why is Fortnum and Mason such a cherished part of British culture?

Fortnum and Mason Afternoon Tea- History and Interesting Facts

-1707, Royal footman William Fortnum set up shop in St. James’s with his landlord, Hugh Mason. Fortnum’s family came to London from Oxford as high-class builders in the wake of the Great Fire, helping to establish the St. James’s and Mayfair areas as the most fashionable in London.

-1744, When India was brought to the British empire, so was the introduction of the world’s finest teas. Around this time London was becoming the centre of the world for trade. Fortnum’s was a unique emporium for goods sold nowhere else.

-1773, The Boston Tea Party takes place in America, which brings international attention to the value of tea drinking. And, much to the pleasure of this American girl, is this statement about the Boston Tea Party on the Fortnum and Mason website:

‘It is not on record who supplied the tea, but it was probably not us: we have never charged extortionate prices and none of our teas do at all well with salt water. Since Independence, though, our American cousins have been among our most loyal customers.’

-1800’s, The shop helps the army march ‘on its stomach’ to victory over Napoleon. The brand becomes a household name and is featured in the works of Charles Dickens and Henry James. During the Crimean War, Queen Victoria sends an order to dispatch Fortnum’s beef tea to Miss Nightingale when she learns of scandal in England’s hospitals.

Fortnum and Mason is now the leader in tinned goods. American, Henry J Heinz, brings samples of baked beans to Fortnum. You guessed it… that’s how the Brits have baked beans!

– 1900’s, The Department store thrives. It supports employees and officers during both World Wars. The Fortnum clock, with bells from the same foundry as Big Ben, is added to the front of the store.

2011, The world’s largest Scotch egg is created in the Fortnum demonstration kitchen.

2012, HM Queen Elizabeth II visits the store to open the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon. Also attending are the Duchess of Cornwall and Duchess of Cambridge.

2013, Fortnum’s opens at St Pancras International Station.

That’s a pretty impressive timeline. Don’t you think? I condensed it quite a bit from their webpage. They’ve been in the tea business for over 300 years!

Needless to say, when I saw on the booking confirmation, ‘Dress Code: We kindly request that guests dress smartly’ I understood why. When one has the opportunity to attend such a prestigious engagement steeped in history, one should mind the dress code!

So, Angie and I showed up in our beautiful dresses ready for a luxurious Fortnum and Mason Afternoon Tea, fit for a Queen!

I selected the traditional afternoon tea.

Angie chose the Savoury tea.

Our sandwiches were the same. They included: Cucumber and Cream Cheese, Rare Roast Beef and Cafe de Paris Butter, Fortnum’s Smoked Salmon and Horseradish Cream, and Rare Breed Hen Egg and Mustard Cress.

Next, we had our scones. My tea included a plain scone and a raisin scone. They were scrumptious and came with a separate tiered dish just for the clotted cream and Fortnum’s preserves.

Angie’s afternoon tea had a Lemon and Dill Scone with Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese. And it had a Pea and Mint Scone with Bayonne Ham.

Our top tiers were very, very different. Since I have a sweet tooth that has no shame, I finished every one of these delicate patisseries. And yes, there were gold flakes on the chocolate and a rose petal on the eclair.

Angie’s final level included Leek and Bacon Tart with Thyme, Oeufs Drumkilbo, and Chicken Liver and Foie Gras Shortbread.

To say everything was delicious is an understatement. After finishing every morsel on my plates, I couldn’t eat another bite. So, the biggest surprise for me was being able to take a piece of cake home! It’s always an extra sunny treat to leave with a sweet! I picked a slice of a beautiful cake…

Angie chose a big chunk of chocolate as a take home present for Mr. Silver.

Aside from the standard Fortnum and Mason Afternoon Tea menu, you can also order from their special menu. It includes Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy Free, Diabetic and Gluten Intolerant. So, there’s pretty much no dietary excuse in the world for not attending this regal afternoon tea.

You can make reservations for the Fortnum and Mason Afternoon Tea very easily by simply going to the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon website. Times are on Monday to Saturday: 12 noon- 7pm and Sunday: 12noon- 6pm. Also, the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Drawing Room and Tea Tasting Room are available for private dining.

Fortnum and Mason is located just a short walk from either Green Park or Piccadilly Circus underground stations at 181 Piccadilly, St. James’s, London, W1A 1ER.

And fellas, if you’re interested in making your special lady feel like a Queen for the day, Fortnum’s features gift cards for afternoon tea that you can purchase on their website!

So, via Zomato I’m going to be offering a giveaway for Fortnum and Mason Afternoon Tea from September 15-19 on Sunny in London. You’ll definitely have to keep an eye out for it! Until then, be sure to follow Angie (SilverSpoon London)  and me – Sunny in London – on Zomato.com

I really enjoyed my afternoon with Angie and at Fortnum and Mason. My only complaint is that I found numerous people not dressed appropriately. It was disappointing to see so many people sitting for afternoon tea in jeans and trainers. Please, please, Sunny friends, if you are invited or decide to go to an event that so clearly requests smart dress, follow suit! It’s just the respectful thing to do.

Fortnum and Masons is a historic typically British institution if one may say so .Situated on Piccadilly the store houses 6 fine dining,cafe,Tea Room and Pub. Its famous for its Food Hall especially the delectable Preserves and umpteen variety of Teas and Coffees so marvellously packed that the containers are more valuable than the contents !!There are a variety of decorative,house hold/kitchenware ,stationary etc etc .available aswell
We took some friends to experience a typical English Tea at the newly furbished Diamond Jubilee Tea Room and it was indeed an experience having .The ambience ,decor and service is impeccable and the whole place transports you to an earlier,era where people had time,elegance was not snobbishness,and gentle conversation was the norm as against the railway platform cacaphony of the Fast food joints !!
We decided on the full Monty as we had time to kill aswell as rest weary legs.We selected the Marinated Artichoke and Hummus Sandwich and the Smoked salmon and lemon Dill Butter ones.This was followed by Scones with Somerset clotted cream and strawberry/apricot/lemon/wild berry preserves---abs. heavenly(never mind the calories).This was followed by a selection of rich Fortnums chocolate cakes...and of course some Excellent Lapsang Souchang and Darjeeling(Castelton) teas.
Its a great place to experience an era gone by,and sit and chat in a totally relaxed noise less atmosphere. The helpings are sumptous and the taste,presentation and flavours delightful.Probably the Finest tea Rooms you can come across in the world !!
Have deep pockets (but dont let that deter you),sit back and ENJOY.

This was another day to commemorate my 60 years on earth. I loved every moment spent in Fortnum & Mason. From the service the staff provided to the observation of your surroundings. The atmosphere was impeccable. The relaxed ambiance with a piano playing in the background was most welcoming. I loved both savory and sweets provided, which were refilled . Their selection of fresh herbal teas were lovely. I highly recommend it here just to experience the finesse things in life💕

Our experience here was incredible! Everything from the ambiance, service, drinks, and food absolutely made it worth the splurge. They had a large selection of teas, so there's a tea for everyone. The sandwiches, scones and desserts were all great, and you could get more of anything you liked. Our server was very attentive and so sweet! I'd highly recommend going if you're looking for a place for afternoon tea!

We had an exceptional time here, and while the scones were definitely delicious, it was truly the service and attention from our amazing server, Bennita, that made the whole experience unforgettable. We were able to eat as much as we wanted (the afternoon tea is refillable), and we tried some really wonderful teas! Overall, it was the perfect thing to do on our last day in London. Definitely make a reservation. This is not a spur-of-the-moment visit kind of place!

This was our first afternoon tea, at least to fortnums high standards. Upon arrival the beautiful piano music hits you, and the impressiveness of the timeless decor. We were shown to our table promptly and our waitress was a joy to deal with. Laura B was aware it was our anniversary and made the visit as special as possible. Even egging us on to have the champagne, she really made us feel so relaxed I tend to feel that some really old establishments like fortnums carry snobbishness but I was so wrong. The room was full of a range of people including babies tucking into cakes and making a mess, it was actually really nice to just people watch and see the interaction between the front of house staff and the guests. The food was as expected delicious, the best scones we've ever had and the jam was to die for. You get as much as you like. More tea for free and cakes and sandwiches on demand, the staff are great with top ups although we couldn't finish everything as it was so filling. We were offered a takeaway bag, and got to take the jams with us too. Honestly one of the best dining experiences we've ever had. 5/5 so glad we came and totally worth the price tag. Fortnums you've got it down to mastery!

Fantastic location, fantastic service, fantastic food. Definitely go again. My wife was over the moon and couldn't be happier. A man was also playing the piano. Quintessential English. Keep up the great work. Nearly left with a hamper. Will get one soon.

Just wonderful! I loved this place. I had a little problem with my reservation and the Manager Jonathan was super kind and willingly helped us to make this place rise to the top of the favourites. Waitress Rossi was lovely served us efficiently. This place is more than 5 stars and I recommend that everyone should have this Champagne Afternoon tea experience. Exotic, different foods and flavors.

It was lovely. Champagne, tea, finger sandwiches, desserts and then more desserts. I really enjoy my tea. I didn't want the typical black teas so I took a green tea. There are white and yellow teas as well. I had the savory afternoon tea which does not have desserts. My friend had a vegan tea. We could substitute a finger sandwich for an extra other item. I don't eat beef and took an extra cucumber sandwich. My friend don't eat eggs so she had an extra cheese sandwich. Those little sandwiches and scones were packed with filling and packed with flavours. Amazing flavors, levels of intricate flavours. Very impressive. The desserts were works of art and variable flavours. It was a very enjoyable and relaxing experience. Also very filling. Will do it again. Perfect....as it should be. Cause I paid a lot. But yes, perfect.

We had an amazing afternoon tea at Fortnums and Mason. Truly the best place for afternoon tea. The ambience is so luxury, so calm, so great. Service always the best. Everyone is taking good care about you so you have great time there. Its not the 1st time for us and definitely not the last. It's an exceptional experience and we will be back again soon. It makes your special occasion unique and truly special. Food is great, delicious, fresh, full of flavours. My top favourite is always scone. And each time they have additional pastry display. Like strawberry tart this time, just amazing Thank you