Afternoon tea in Soho: where to book and what you'll pay
Three hotel rooms and one bakery-café doing tea properly, with prices, hours and what to order.
By Only Soho Editorial
Soho is not the first place anyone thinks of for a tiered stand, which is rather the charm. The tea here comes with a pianist, a fireplace or a Kit Kemp tablecloth rather than a dress code. Prices below are as listed by the venues and booking sites, so check the day you book.
Dean Street Townhouse: the best value
69 to 71 Dean Street. Time Out places it at number ten in its 2026 London afternoon tea list and calls it one of the best-value options in town. Tea is £32 a head, served Monday to Saturday, 2 to 5pm, in the parlour, with a Champagne upgrade (£48 with a glass of Thienot, per OpenTable). Expect an open fireplace, vintage armchairs, a live pianist and about 30 blends from JING Tea, poured from William Edwards china.
Tea pauses for December. Book through OpenTable, where online tables are for groups of one to four. Order: the mix-and-match option, and take the seat by the fire.
Refuel at The Soho Hotel: for a long afternoon
Richmond Mews, between Dean Street and Wardour Street. Firmdale serves tea daily from midday to 4.45pm. The Nine Regions Afternoon Tea is £45, or £57 with a glass of Langham Estate from Dorset or a Nine Regions cocktail. The idea is regional favourites turned into miniature savouries and sweets, from the North East to the South West. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and vegetarian versions are offered.
The room was designed by Kit Kemp, with a mural by Alexander Hollweg along the oak and pewter bar. A discretionary service charge of 13.5 per cent appeared on Firmdale's menu. On Sundays there is a Film Club, with tea and then the film at half three, for £55 (£65 with Champagne). Details on the Firmdale page. Order: the Nine Regions tea with the Dorset sparkling.
Ham Yard Hotel: the courtyard option
1 Ham Yard. Behind Piccadilly Circus, with a courtyard under oak trees and an Orangery. Tea is served daily from midday to 4.45pm in the restaurant or the Orangery, at £45, or £57 with a glass of Rathfinny Classic Cuvée 2018 from Sussex. Extra finger sandwiches are £7 and extra scones £10. Every guest must order a tea, as one cannot be shared.
It comes on Kit Kemp's Sailor's Farewell Wedgwood. Order: the apple and sage sausage roll with orchard chutney, then the fig Basque cheesecake and the hazelnut and orange tart. The savouries also include smoked salmon with dill cream cheese and an egg mayonnaise bridge roll. See the menu.
Cutter & Squidge: the bright one
20 Brewer Street. A family-run, brightly coloured bakery-café, and the least formal tea on the list. DesignMyNight lists a classic afternoon tea at £32.50, with vegan and wheat-free menus and booze upgrades. The café also runs themed teas, so look at its own Soho page for what is on and book ahead. Order: the classic tea, with the cakes and biskies the café is known for.
On the edge: Hotel Café Royal
Not strictly Soho, but a short walk away, on Regent Street between Mayfair and Soho (68 Regent Street). The Grill Room serves a Literary Afternoon Tea by head pastry chef Maxence Blondelle, inspired by Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf and John le Carré. It costs £85, £95 with Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut, and £105 with the rosé. Details at the hotel's site.
Which one, and when
- Cheapest: Dean Street Townhouse at £32, 2pm sitting.
- Earliest: the Firmdale hotels from midday, daily.
- Most dressed up: Café Royal, at £85.
- Most relaxed: Cutter & Squidge, on Brewer Street.
Book through OpenTable or the hotel's own site, and check dietary options when you reserve.
