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The Wolseley

4.0 (717 reviews)
PriceyCafes, British, Tea Rooms
Open 7:00 am - 11:00 pm

The Wolseley Photos

THE WOLSELEY ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Loud
Classy
Good for groups

Recommended Reviews - The Wolseley

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Afternoon Tea
Katherine Y.

a delicious and delightful afternoon tea experience. i chose this place based on my budget and the plentiful positive reviews i had heard. the finger sandwiches were yummy and the little cakes/pastries were unique and very sweet. for me personally as someone who doesn't have a huge sweet tooth, i couldn't finish all of the pastries. my favorite sandwich was the chicken curry sandwich! the interior was beautiful and made for a pleasant afternoon tea experience for a few american girls' first time in the UK!

Amaury J.

Expensive? Absolutely. Incredible? A solid 10/10. Would I do it again? Maybe... it really felt like a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience. I visited The Wolseley with a friend and we had an absolute blast. If you're going to do "tea time" in London, this is the place. At nearly £50 per person it's far from cheap, but it's such a fabulous, elevated experience that it genuinely adds something special to your London trip (especially if you're visiting from out of town!). I went with a local who's been several times, so it's clearly not just for tourists, though it definitely draws more out-of-towners than Londoners. My first reaction walking in was "woah." The place feels incredibly posh, almost like stepping into the lobby of a grand hotel. It was buzzing on a Friday night, busy, energetic (bordering on chaotic but in a charming, eclectic way). And you absolutely need reservations. The place was packed. The menu is pretty extensive, but we went with the tea service; basically tea plus scones, sandwiches, and pastries which set us back a little over £100 for two. Steep, for sure. But the tea was phenomenal, the vibe was faaaaancy (white tablecloths, elegant china, the whole thing), and the food was good and classic: sandwiches, scones with butter and jam, and a generous selection of pastries. It was actually a lot of food, so much so that we ended up taking some home. If you're in London and want an unforgettable, refined spot for tea, I definitely recommend The Wolseley. It's fancy, memorable, and absolutely worth experiencing at least once.

Afternoon tea with caramel tea.
Carissa S.

We're not from the UK, but we wanted to experience an afternoon tea. After searching the internet for great quality and prices, we found The Wolseley! The location is perfect, the staff was very friendly and helpful. We ordered the regular afternoon tea at the suggestion of our waiter and the caramel tea! If you've never had caramel tea, it's a must! Very flavorful and delicious! The food tasted fresh and the scones were very yummy! We would definitely return for a regular meal! The ambiance is upscale work/professional cafe? It's for everyone!

Alexa T.

This place is stunning!! I came here for afternoon tea by myself. I was seated immediately when I arrived for my reservation. I got the afternoon cream tea which comes with a pot of tea and 3 scones/biscuits (all the same). I was recommended the caramel tea, which wasn't too sweet at all. The scone/biscuit was fine. Adding jam definitely helped! The presentation was amazing. Service was great. I didn't feel rushed at all. Domenico was fab!! The restrooms are downstairs. You enter the stairs from under the clock.

The English, Royal (for two)
David Y.

Food: the food was good, not a fan of the English breakfast so would not order that again but not on the restaurant Service: best part, service was really nice and we had an issue with an order not going in so they gave us free dessert Ambiance: very nice interior, posh vibes haha

Sean W.

We were 30 plus minutes late because of the parade going on, maître D was very nice and sat us immediately. The dining room is really gorgeous and comfortable. We started with oysters and shrimp avocado cocktail, all delicious. Our entrees took a very, very long time, I was a bit under the weather so I just had the chicken matzo ball soup. It arrived with no matzo and very few mince pieces of chicken. Very disappointing to say the least. The schnitzel was beautifully prepared and a very large portion. Server was efficient and they did bring me some matzo.

Afternoon Tea
Meghann A.

Great experience for tea time! We were in London for a day & this was a great place to go for tea time. The place was very unique and beautiful. They were very busy but service was good. I ordered afternoon tea & my husband had a chicken sandwich. All of the desserts & sandwiches were very good. The tea was good. Overall good experience.

Tea service
Rachael R.

We got a reservation here during our London trip over the summer for afternoon tea. The place itself is beautiful in the inside. Our servers were okay. I don't recall the service being overly memorable. They have a decent cocktail list to choose from, and our drinks were good. You receive a selection of scones, sandwiches and cakes with your choice of tea as part of the afternoon tea service. We struggled a little as they placed us at a very small table which made it tough. We enjoyed this tea but did not find it to be overly special compared to other tea services we've had, and for the price expected it to be a level up. I would return though!

The English
Ray N.

I went here just for English breakfast and it did not disappoint! Upon arriving, they asked me what newspaper I would like. I felt like a real businessman! The English breakfast was quite good. In particular, the black sausage was notable. It had a nice crumbly texture, and a rich savory flavor. Everything else was tasty, but the black sausage was beyond.

Spinach Eggs Benedict
Naz S.

Beautiful place, went in randomly while strolling. I knew it was an establishment worth visiting. I was placed in their side room, which based on the noise level it was probably for the best. The food was pretty good as was the tea. Service was not great. Super slow and felt completely neglected. Took maybe 30 minutes to get some water.

Chris S.

My gosh, it's become even more disorganized and messy since my last visit. I was offered tea quickly but then it was 15 minutes before anyone took my breakfast order. There appears to be plenty of staff about but they to be in random motion. My eggs Benedict, however, were marvelous.

Michelle D.

We loved this place! I wanted afternoon tea, but my husband wanted a full lunch and was able to order Croque Monsieur. Perfect! We just walked in at 2:30om on a Friday in June and it was a 30-minute wait. Worth it. Lovely maitre'd checked in on us if we were "enjoying the show."

Sea bream from Prix-fixe
Chelsia T.

Just happened I would have my birthday during my London trip. I would like to pick a place that impressive. It is not easy since it would be a Friday but I got a spot at the Wolseley. From the location and the decorations, this place is very classy and nice. Lovely! However, the food was not as great as we expected. I ordered steak tartare to start and Roast cannon of Lamb as entree. They tasted okay and on the bland side. My husband had the prix-fixe and he had the similar comments. We were quite disappointed. I think I should reserve for afternoon tea instead...

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1 year ago

Tasty Afternoon Tea and a place to be seen. Good ambience, tiny sandwiches, delicious desserts! Friendly service. An easy recommend!

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The Wolseley Reviews in Other Languages

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Candella Tea Room - Afternoon tea

Candella Tea Room

4.4(139 reviews)
2.2 miKensington
££

This tea room is absolutely adorable. It is super small with only maybe 6 tables inside and a few…read moreoutside. We made our reservation weeks ago and were all set when we arrived. My mom and I had the full afternoon tea and we ordered two cream teas for my kids. Everyone absolutely loved it. The finger sandwiches were tuna, cucumber, egg, smoked salmon and a warm ham and cheese. The scones were delightful. We don't love raisins in our scones and they were able to accommodate us. The service was amazing. Everyone was so kind. I'd absolutely come here again!

Love how small and cozy this tea room is. :) I had the traditional afternoon tea service and…read morehands-down the standout was the homemade clotted cream scone. Perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside! Served quite warm as well. Pretty alright tea finger sandwiches overall; the cucumber sandwich had a nice lemon zing to it though the smoked salmon sandwich and egg sandwich had bread that was a bit on the stale side. Regarding desserts, the raspberry macaron was very tasty and had a great slight chew to it but the red velvet cake was pretty dry. There were more food items at the tea service but I'm just highlighting the most noteworthy ones. :p For tea I had the jasmine lychee. Satisfyingly bold lychee taste! Recommend if you want something bright-fruity with slight tartness. Service was very polite and all-smiles but could've been more attentive. I'd say I would return here mainly for the tea and the scones!

Photos
Candella Tea Room - Candella Tea Room entrance

Candella Tea Room entrance

Candella Tea Room - Decor

Decor

Candella Tea Room - Afternoon tea

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Afternoon tea

Fortnum and Mason: Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon - Savory on the left and traditional on the right

Fortnum and Mason: Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon

4.2(416 reviews)
0.1 miMayfair
££££

Harrison was simply amazing. He taught us so much and made awesome recommendations on teas to…read moreselect. He was charming and delightful. We left an extra gratuity just for him. A lovely experience was made diving by such an incredible server.

SERVICE, SPACE, & RESERVATIONS Service was excellent and it…read morewas pretty easy to make reservations online. Upon entering Fortnum, you are WOWed by the spectacular view of beautiful chocolates, teas, and antiques with 4 floors of stairs to more shopping from home and goods to tea pots to perfume and finally their tea room to dine in. Our server was able to help us get seated immediately and answer all of our questions, constantly checking in on us, giving us new plates, refilling, and organizing our table to look more aesthetic :). HIGH TEA / AFTERNOON TEA SET We chose the high tea and afternoon set which was ayce basically with unlimited refills of the pastries. This was around £95 per person which was a bit pricey, but the experience felt very high end indeed. The pastries were varying in regards to quality consistency and also depends on your preferences. Each pastry or bite has a savory or sweet taste and is paired uniquely. Each set also came with your choice of a tea pot and sparkling tea which was delicious. The honey tea non caffeinated was decent! HIGH TEA The sweet pastries were my favorite from a crunchy but creamy blueberry tart to a decadent chocolate mousse. I wasn't a fan of the rose cake, but the yogurty apple one and sweet bread were decent to my liking (definitely depends on your preferences). I did really enjoy trying new things though and being able to get more of whatever I liked! I also really like the side of marmalades and buttery cream with the scones. Both the regular and fruity scone were delicious. The sweet set also came with an entree and the beef Wellington was coooked to perfection although a very small bite. SAVORY TEA I was not a fan of duck liver mousse at all, but really liked the crab cake and savory scones that came with a type of cream cheese spread and red onion marmalade. A different take from the sweet set. Their scones are perfectly crispy on the outside but nice and moist on the inside. This set also came with finger sandwiches which were delicious: a variety of salmon and cream cheese, cucumber, hummus, and ham and cheese. It is a great experience for first timers when you are in London and definitely a good place to pick up teas and goodies to bring back home.

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Fortnum and Mason: Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon - Waiting area for Tea Parlor

Waiting area for Tea Parlor

Fortnum and Mason: Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon
Fortnum and Mason: Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon - Water.

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Water.

Victorian Afternoon Tea - Victoria and Albert Musuem

Victorian Afternoon Tea - Victoria and Albert Musuem

4.5(2 reviews)
1.6 miSouth Kensington

Enjoyed the afternoon tea here. First, pls make reservation online in advance. They do it by…read moreshifts/rounds. I failed to book 3pm so have to wait till 5:30pm. Then it took some time to find the right venue. Need to go through the door in the middle of sculpture exhibition hall, across the garden, enter the other building door. Do not get confused by many other food choices (coffee, hot meals, cakes or others). It's on the left side of entrance with reception table for you to check in. There are 3 options, depending on whether you need to celebrate anything, with price varying at £30, £35 and £38. You will get 5 pieces of sandwiches, 5 pieces of sweat and the your choice of tea. I chose traditional one, English breakfast with milk and sugar.

High Tea in the William Morris Room was a wonderful experience. The service was lovely and…read moreunhurried. There was a choice of tea or proseco or both to go along with the savory and sweet tea sandwiches. It was pricey, 30pounds, but I wanted to splurge a little. Caution, I emailed my request for reservation twice, they never got it. We had to wait until some other party who had a reservation did not show up for 45 minutes after their appointed time. Worth the wait. Make sure you double check your reservation. There were empty tables, but they do not take walk ins as there is only a certain amount of food prepared depending on reservations. The museum was fun to walk around after tea.

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Victorian Afternoon Tea - Victoria and Albert Musuem
Victorian Afternoon Tea - Victoria and Albert Musuem - Menu

Menu

Victorian Afternoon Tea - Victoria and Albert Musuem

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The Orangery - Afternoon tea (1 serving)

The Orangery

3.9(302 reviews)
2.0 miKensington Gardens, Kensington, Hyde Park
£££

We had an excellent time at Afternoon Tea. Everything was delicious and our server Jesus was…read morespectacular. He was very diligent and friendly. Would definitely come back on our next London trip.

02/2026 Just a quick…read morenote upfront: there are several places around the UK (and beyond) called "The Orangery" - from restaurants in hotels to other historic venues - but none of them are affiliated with each other. This review is specifically for the historic one at Kensington Palace, the beautiful baroque building in the palace gardens. I recently had the pleasure of enjoying afternoon tea here, and it was everything I hoped for and more - a perfect blend of elegance, history, and warm hospitality. From the moment we arrived, our host Denis made us feel incredibly welcome. First and foremost, I have to say he has a great first name - it's the same as mine (Dennis/Denis), which gave us an instant connection and a good laugh! He was exceptionally accommodating, giving us plenty of choice over where to sit and checking in on us multiple times throughout the afternoon with genuine friendliness and care. His attention to detail really elevated the whole experience. Our waiter, Mustafa, was nothing short of amazing. He handled our dietary needs with ease - accommodating gluten-free and vegetarian options without any fuss - and even split the afternoon tea accordingly so we could both enjoy it fully. The food itself was lovely, but the standout for me was the tea selection. I tried several varieties: peppermint, masala chai, vanilla chai, and classic English breakfast. The staff were happy to bring different teas or extra hot water whenever we asked, and don't forget to add sugar and milk for that perfect personal touch - it made all the difference. The setting is stunning, with the historic Orangery building and views of the Kensington Palace gardens creating a truly relaxing and regal atmosphere. Every moment felt unhurried and enjoyable; it was the ideal way to spend a peaceful afternoon. Huge thanks to Denis and Mustafa for their outstanding service - they made what could have been a standard tea into something truly memorable. Highly recommend booking ahead (it's popular!), and if you get the chance, ask for these two legends. We'll definitely be back!

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The Orangery - Beautiful space

Beautiful space

The Orangery - Tea tower

Tea tower

The Orangery - Inside

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Inside

The Basement Tea Rooms - Interior

The Basement Tea Rooms

4.2(10 reviews)
2.4 miCamden Town
£

Was in Camden town and wanted tea-- found this place in the basement of the Stables Market (when…read moreyou walk down the stairs past cereal killer cafe, turn left and do a u turn, look for "oi oi the shop" and keep walking, it'll be at the end). Their afternoon tea was for two people, and as just one person, the server recommended the cream tea and adding in a savory. I chose the pate (because I love pate!) over the sandwiches. I was pleasantly surprised that the server created a mini stack for me. The tea was quite flavorful but the scones were a bit lacking. Of the 4 tea places I went to this week, these scones were the driest. Even covering them in jam and cream wasn't enough--I wanted to dunk them in tea. The pate was delicious though, came with lots of toast, as well as fresh sliced cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. I also loved the fresh fruit (strawberries and cherries), and lovely marshmallows. Venue was also pretty cool--lots of visitors to people watch. Would recommend location, but skip the scones!

This place was the highlight of our London trip! For just €18.50 (TOTAL FOR 2 PEOPLE) we got…read moreeverything pictured! We chose the English breakfast tea which was great. The scones and clotted cream were beyond amazing, and the sandwiches were great too! Only con is that this place is hard to find, but that's not their fault. After wandering around for like 30 minutes we finally found it. Go inside the market, go down the flight of stairs past the cereal shop and into the basement. Look around past all the clothes and bags for a bookstore, and past the books you will find the tea shop!

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The Basement Tea Rooms
The Basement Tea Rooms
The Basement Tea Rooms

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Mother Mash - Steak and black heart stout pie. Truly delicious and amazing!

Mother Mash

4.3(649 reviews)
0.4 miSoho
££

Oh yeah! Americans…read morefrom California here. Who would've known that mashed potatoes, sausages, and gravy would go so well together! Loved every bite. Got the gravy on the side, didn't think I'd use all of it, before I knew it, it was all gone. And you wouldn't think that the type of mash or type of gravy or type of sausage would matter that much, but they really do all have distinct flavors! I will be mixing mustard into my mashed potatoes from now on. Originally came for the sticky toffee pudding, so of course we ended with that. Marvelous! The toffee sauce is so comforting and rich, the cake was so moist, and it was perfectly balanced with the ice cream. Didn't detect any dates, maybe they were too finely chopped. Also the apple and blackberry crumble just didn't hit the same; it was slightly dry and on the sour side (maybe don't take a bite directly after the pudding!) Service was so helpful and friendly; I'm sure they love watching people fall in love with their food. Quick with refills and offered extra condiments if needed. Great air conditioning as well (always a plus), and I loved the green blacksplash and blackboard caligraphy on the walls as well. Bangin'

the poor rating has to do with the rude staff at this location. i'm not sure if he was the owner or…read morea staff member, but there was an older man who was very rude to us when we arrived. we entered the establishment, as that is what you typically do when you want to dine at a restaurant, and he came up the stairs and didn't even offer a greeting. i mentioned that we had a reservation for that time and he immediately just kept repeating that our table was outside. we went outside to their small patio dining area, and saw that there was a table with a "reserved" sign on it, so we sat down. i thought it was incredibly rude that he spoke to us in that manner, and it seemed like he expected us to somehow know that that table was ours before we had even spoken to any staff. i was seriously considering getting up and leaving but i decided to give this place one more chance. it then took a while, but we were eventually served by a much more pleasant and friendly younger server, who helped make this experience better. i would give this place a lower rating, however i must admit that the food was delicious. as an american tentatively wanting to try british bangers and mash, this exceeded my expectations. we all spoke about how the sausage was plump, snappy, and delicious, definitely one of the best we've ever had. the mashed potatoes were also amazing- cheesy and heavenly, and i'm not even usually a mashed potatoes kinda person. i am glad that we stayed solely for the delicious food, but i would not come back because of our experience with the staff here. the place already was one of the emptier spots on this very busy soho street anyway.

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Mother Mash - Inside

Inside

Mother Mash - Steak & Ale pie, cheesy mashed, and farmer's gravy!

Steak & Ale pie, cheesy mashed, and farmer's gravy!

Mother Mash - Outside patio

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Outside patio

The Wolseley - cafes - Updated July 2026

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