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Is there anything more English than tea sandwiches and fancy tea pots? One of our favourite things we did in London as a family was afternoon tea at St. Ermin’s Hotel. It was a great break from sightseeing and was surprisingly family-friendly.
There are lots of wonderful hotels offering afternoon tea in London and after doing my research, I knew St. Ermin’s was the best place for us. With its luxurious location right in the centre of London, kids’ themed tea and well-priced, we think St. Ermin’s is the best family-friendly afternoon tea in London.
As we walked up to the hotel in Westminster on a sunny August afternoon, I knew we had made a great decision. Double staircases led from the lobby up to the stylish Tea Lounge and Library and the outdoor terrace. It is the perfect blend of stylish and family-friendly, making it a great choice for families visiting London.
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What We Loved About St. Ermin’s Afternoon Tea
We wanted a traditional afternoon high tea experience with white table clothes, scones and tea of course. But we also wanted somewhere family-friendly where our kids could still be kids. St. Ermin’s caters to families with its Mini Gardener Tea for kids and Afternoon Tea service for the adult. The kids tea is priced at 15 pounds and the afternoon tea 29 pounds, making it great value for families.
I also really appreciated that St. Ermin’s caters to a wide variety of dietary restrictions and as vegetarians, we could still enjoy a classic experience. There were great options for vegetarians and we were even offered vegetarian sweets without animal gelatine.
The Kids’ Tea
The Gardener’s Kids Tea is inspired by the roof top gardens at St Ermin’s. Just like the adults, the kids can order from the tea menu with kid friendly favourites like fruit infused teas. If they aren’t interested in tea, they can have juice instead.
The Kids Tea comes with a selection of sandwiches including Nutella, egg mayonnaise & sweetcorn and honey glazed ham and cream cheese. While the kids enjoyed their sandwiches, it was the Garden-themed deserts that really wowed them. The planting pot of chocolate caramel mousse complete with dirt topping was the winner, although they also loved the mango jelly and coconut panna cotta, perfectly shaped mousse apple and St. Ermin’s tomato sweet.
After our sandwiches and sweets, they still had a little room for the tradition scones served with jam and clotted cream.
Another lovely touch was the Grow Your Own Herb Garden kit that each child receives with the Gardener’s Kids Tea. It was so fun to plant our little seeds at home and remember our special afternoon tea experience.
Afternoon Tea Experience
Since it was a beautiful summer day, we were able to enjoy our tea onside on the terrace. It was a beautiful peaceful spot to enjoy our tea with lots of potted plants and trees.
Our waitress was really attentive and helpfully explained the tea selections and what was available. When we made our reservation we had requested vegetarian tea service and our waitress was prepared with our requests. We were even offered alternative vegetarian deserts (made without animal gelatin).
We started with tea of course and ordered a selection of chai brewed with milk, classic earl gray and a fruit infused berry tea. The kids felt very grown up with their tea pots and cups. In addition to the standard tea, St. Ermin’s also offers the option of unlimited Prosecco for an addition 5 pounds. This was too much to resist, especially on a sunny summer afternoon. I definitely recommend this option as our lovely waitress never let our glasses get less than half empty.
Our tea foods were served at the same time as the kids and the waitress patiently explained what each of the items on our plate were. We had delicious tea sandwiches, like classic cucumber, Scottish smoked salmon with cream cheese and chives and roasted eggplant.
Some of our sweets were the same as the kids, but we had a few different ones including macaroons and white chocolate and carrot choux bun. It was so civilized to sit outside, enjoying our tea and Prosecco and sampling each of the delicious treats. Just when our bellies were starting to get full, our scones came out, which of course we couldn’t resist.
Our waitress was really sweet and lovely with the kids. When one of them started coughing, she thoughtfully brought over a glass of water for them.
The afternoon tea is a 1.5 hour seating, which is the perfect amount of time to enjoy tea.
Planning Your Afternoon Tea
Book in advance and let them know about dietary restrictions. We selected 1 pm, which was a great break from sightseeing and the perfect mid-day meal.
You can have your tea outside on the terrace or inside in the ornate tea room. We liked being outside, although there were quite a few bees milling around our sweets. Inside is decorated lavishly with a double stair case leading up from the lobby to the Tea Lounge and Library.
Prices:
- Mini Gardeners Tea for kids – 15 pounds pp
- Afternoon Tea for adults – 29 pounds pp or 35 pounds pp with unlimited Prosecco
Menus:
Our Verdict
If you are visiting London with kids, make sure afternoon tea is on your itinerary. St. Ermin’s is the perfect family-friendly place to enjoy this quintessentially English experience in luxury, without a hefty price tag. We were pinching ourselves the whole way through our afternoon tea experience and it was definitely one of our favourite things we did in London with kids.
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Disclaimer: We were hosted by St. Ermin’s hotel, but as always all opinions are our own.